Providence Basketball: 10 candidates to replace Ed Cooley as head coach

Pat Kelsey

While the hire did not work out for them back then, Providence hired one of the hot mid-major names when they brought Keno Davis to town back in 2008, having just had an electric season with Drake. The Friars are likely to not make that same mistake again, which might actually eliminate some of the coaches on today’s list, but it shouldn’t eliminate this one: Kelsey isn’t just some one-hit wonder.

A former point guard at Xavier, Kelsey was a high school coach briefly before joining the Wake Forest staff under Skip Prosser back in 2001. After more than a decade combined at both Wake Forest and Xavier, his head coaching career began at Winthrop, leading the Eagles to four Big South regular season titles and two trips to the NCAA Tournament. He’s been at the College of Charleston since 2021 and led the Cougars to a historic season this year, winning 31 games and returning to the NCAA Tournament after winning the CAA title.

Kelsey has experience coaching and recruiting in power conferences and has been an excellent performer as a head coach as well. His work last season at Charleston almost single-handedly shows he’s ready for the next level, but you have to wonder if this is the time for such a move. Kelsey recently signed a contract extension with the Cougars and might not be the type to bolt after just two seasons, but perhaps we’ll see him pop up in the Big East one day down the line.