Tom Kelsey was named the director of basketball operations at LSU. This is the latest stop in Kelsey's 25-year coaching career and his second SEC school. As director of basketball operations, Kelsey will assist the head coach during games and manage off-court responsibilities like scheduling and camps. Kelsey said this opportunity at an SEC school does not come along often and he looks forward to learning from the best coaches in the country.

1. Kelsey to lead LSU
Tiger basketball
operations
On the court
Tom Kelsey
Kelsey (’86) was named director of basketball
operations at LSU this past spring. This position
is the latest stop in Kelsey’s 25-year coaching
career and his second for a Southeastern
Conference (SEC) school.
“The opportunity to work with another SEC
program just doesn’t come along very often.
This chance to get back in the SEC is a great
one. It was tough the leave where I was,” said
Kelsey. “But this was too good to pass up. When
I was in this conference before–at this level of
competition–I took it for granted. I appreciate
where I am a lot more this time.”
As director of basketball operations, Kelsey will
be a fixture on the bench with LSU head coach
Johnny Jones during games. He will also
organize the program’s camps, assist
with the Sixth Man Club, work with
scheduling games and manage game
details, among other responsibilities.
“I am going to be able to watch the
best coaches and players in the country.
This is a great learning opportunity for
me. As Yogi Berra said, ‘You observe
a lot just by watching.’ This is a chance
for me to get a Ph.D. in coaching by
watching,” said Kelsey.
Before joining the LSU staff, Kelsey
was head coach of the Belhaven College
(now University) men’s basketball team
for seven years, during which time he
posted a 121-100 record and advanced to
the national tournament twice. Prior to
his tenure at Belhaven, Kelsey served
as the head boys’ basketball coach at
Greater Atlanta Christian School. From
1998-2001, he worked as an assistant
coach at the University of Alabama.
Kelsey served as an assistant coach at
Murray State University from 1995-98 and
for Lipscomb University during the 1994-
95 season. Prior to that, from 1989-1994,
Tom Kelsey knows a
good opportunity when
he sees one. And the
opportunity to work
with the Louisiana State
University basketball
program was too good
to pass up.
Kelsey was athletic director and head men’s
basketball coach at Faulkner University in
Montgomery, Ala. He also served on the
coaching staffs for Athletes in Action, Franklin
Road Academy in Nashville and Brentwood
Academy in Brentwood, Tenn.
A native of Chattanooga, Kelsey played for
Lipscomb Hall of Fame coach Don Meyer
and was a part of the 1986 NAIA national
championship team.
Kelsey said his days as a Bison built a solid
foundation for his coaching career.
“We learned about team from Coach. We
all watched him sweep the floor before games.
We learned that there is no detail too small for
us as coaches,” said Kelsey. “Those of us who
went into coaching try so hard to be like him
and to make him proud. He is so much a part
of who we are and how we coach and conduct
ourselves,” he said.
“We learned that there
is no detail too small
and that nothing is
beneath us as coaches.”
24 LIPSCOMB NOW | Fall 2012
Alumni Profile