Morehead State College has employed a brand new athletic director.
Rowan County native, former Eagle and former Mason County Royals head basketball coach, Kelly Wells is taking the reigns at MSU. Wells had seen a profitable run as AD for the College of Pikeville for the previous 5 years. wells mentioned that taking up at Morehead is sort of a dream come true for him, and that he is aware of his household is proudly trying down on him.
“I want I may put into phrases my degree of pleasure, I’m undecided that there are phrases for these feelings that I’ve. Whereas going to a spot that you simply completely love and adore is straightforward, leaving a spot that you simply adored and beloved is tough, so I might be remiss if I didn’t thank my of us at Pikeville for the years of assist and pouring into me over time. That’s a tremendous group of individuals and I’ll miss them however I’ll assist them from a distance as nicely.” mentioned Wells.
Wells grew up in Morehead, having gone to Rowan County Excessive College, after which furthered his training at MSU.
Throughout his time as head coach of Mason County, Wells led the Royals to a pair of state championship appearances, with the Royals bringing house the title in 2003. Within the 2002-2003 season, Mason County went 35-2 and was the primary ranked staff within the tenth area. The Royals solely fell to the Apollo Eagles and the Lexington Catholic Knights that season, and continued to convey house win after win. Mason County had an impressive staff that 12 months, and had been made even higher by being led by coach Wells.
After having travelled across the state and nation on the lookout for the proper place for him, Wells discovered that he belonged proper again at house.
“I’m a residing trophy of this place.” mentioned Wells, “After I got here for my interview the primary place we stopped in was physician Morgan’s workplace and proper the place his secretary’s desk sit was the place my mother sat for all her profession. I used to be in a position to go speak to the coaches and a few choose pupil athletes within the Eagle’s Middle and on the again of the wall is my dad in a leisure go well with. I come right here immediately an my dad’s image is hanging up within the nook. You possibly can’t simply unplug that, Camden-Carroll Library was the place I did my homework all by means of center and elementary College.”
Upon returning to MSU, Wells’ plans to construct upon what these have completed earlier than him. He believes that MSU has already constructed a robust athletic division, with robust, seasoned coaches, and proficient athletes. Wells mentioned that he’s extremely pleased with the college’s historical past and heritage, and plans to maneuver it to the subsequent degree, with failure not being an choice.
Wells is trying ahead to working alongside his teaching employees, to assist them enhance each the groups competitively, and the athletes academically. He believes that his position as an athletic director is to set his groups and athletes up for fulfillment, each on and off the court docket. Wells takes pleasure in his work, and with an training diploma desires to see his athletes succeed of their college work simply as a lot as through the sport.
“I’ll say this utterly and open and as trustworthy as I can, successful is only a by product of doing plenty of issues good. We’re doing our athletics good, we’re doing our participant well-being good, we’re doing our psychological well being good, that turns into a chance to win. Successful’s arduous, school athletics is tough to win at, it’s not a straightforward factor.” mentioned Wells.
Though MSU president Dr. Jay Morgan joked that Wells was going to herald eleven championship trophies subsequent 12 months, and he absolutely intends to do what is important to make that occur, Wells mentioned that successful doesn’t outline success.
“I can empathise with coaches, after they’re having a nasty day it doesn’t imply they’re unhealthy folks. Don’t ever assign your value to successful and shedding.”
Wells mentioned that he intends to be an lively and visual member of the group. He desires to ignite native curiosity in Morehead State College, and get the group concerned within the groups success. Being seen, and identified amongst the group is necessary to Wells, who believes that native assist will skyrocket the groups nicely being, and put them on the quick observe to a optimistic outlook. Alongside being lively locally, Wells plans to be lively in his coaches and athletes lives outdoors of the sport. Wells desires to be lively and useful within the athletes learning, lecturers and extracurricular actions.
“I believe the most important factor is to ignite our fan base and our assist right here. I’m going to be in our eating places locally, our companies in our group, we laid a footprint of success all through this complete areas whereas working at Pikeville, and I’ll carry that over to right here as nicely. We would like all our of us in Morehead to be an enormous a part of what we do and cease sporting College of Kentucky stuff round, cease sporting Louisville stuff round.” mentioned wells, “After I see you on the town I’m gonna at all times have a T-shirt in my again pocket that approach should you’ve acquired the improper factor on we’ll get you transformed to your hometown staff. We’ve acquired all the pieces you should assist so down drive down 64 come over right here and watch us play and carry out, and assist these athletes and coaches.”
Wells will formally start his position of director of athletics on July first, 2023.