Tom Kelsey

LSU Men's Basketball Contributor since 09/28/12 Follow

Coach Kelsey is in his 25th year of coaching. Kelsey has coached at both the high school and college level as both an assistant coach and head coach.

About Tom Kelsey

Coach Kelsey started his coaching career at Brentwood Academy in Brentwood, Tennessee as an assistant coach. There, he moved to Franklin Road Academy (FRA) in Nashville, Tennessee as the head coach. Kelsey then took over at Faulkner University in Montgomery, Alabama. He was able to be part of one of the best turnarounds in college basketball history going from a 4-24 record in 1989-90 to a 23-11 record in 1990-91. He was able to take Faulkner to its first ever trip to the NAIA National Tournament and was named District 27 Coach of the Year. In 1994, Kelsey went back to his alma mater, Lipscomb University to coach with his college coach, the legendary, Coach Don Meyer.

Then in 1995 he went with Mark Gottfried as an assistant coach Murray State University. Murray State went to two NCAA tournaments and one NIT in three years with Kelsey as an assitant coach. Murray State at the time set a record for wins in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) and the highest seed ever for an OVC team in the NCAA big dance. In 1998, Kelsey went with Coach Gottfried to the University of Alabama for three more seasons. After taking a year off from coaching in 2001-2002 Kelsey then got back into coaching at Greater Atlanta Christian School in Norcross, Georgia. Kelsey’s final team went to the Elite 8 in the state tournament.

In 2005 , Kelsey took over at Belhaven University in Jackson, Mississippi. He took the Blazers to it’s first NAIA National Tournament experience in 36 years. He was named conference Coach of the Year. In 2012, the Blazers made it back to the NAIA National Tournament. His team was awarded the Team Sportsmanship award while at the National Tournament. Kelsey also won the Charles A. Kriegel Award, given to the coach of the team that wins the sportsmanship award

In the spring of 2012 Kelsey joined Coach Johnny Jones at Louisiana State University (LSU) as Director of Basketball Operations.

Kelsey has been married to his wife Edie for 23 years. They have five kids ranging from the age of 20 down to 2 years old. Kelsey has given up any hobbies until his kids all graduate from high school. Love of the game and helping others is what drives him as a coach. Also he also considers his role of husband and father one his great honors.

Tom's Playbank (48 Total) More

#1 Down

Tom Kelsey 04/17/2014

Quick hitter to get the ball on the block. Make defense decide how they will guard wing to post screen in the post. Wing sets a cross screen then gets a quick downscreen for the shot. Important the wing sets a good, hard screen in the paint in order to occupy defender. See More

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#1 Up

Tom Kelsey 04/16/2014

Utliize if you have a Point Guard that can post up. Can get a quick basket if offensive player will set his man up on the screen. Good set to get a shooter open off a double screen. Also good to use against teams that switch because both post men can slip the screen. See More

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Backcourt Trapping

Tom Kelsey 04/15/2014

Drill for ballhandling as well as defensive quickness and trapping. Ballhandler tries to get to the half court line with the being trapped or getting the ball knocked away. Defenders try to get a trap set or get a 10 second count. See More

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#5

Tom Kelsey 08/21/2013

#1 dribbles off of 4's ballscreen. 3 sets an upscreen for 5 to get open on the block. Immediate look into the post for 5. If 5 is not open 1 hits 4 up top. 4 swings the ball to 3. 2 sets a cross screen for 5 on the block. 3 looks for 5 on the block. If 5 is not open, then 2 gets a down screen from 4. 2 should be open at the FT line or top of the key. See More

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Butler vs. Zone

Tom Kelsey 08/20/2013

Good action vs. the zone and getting defenders to move out of position. See More

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Cleveland

Tom Kelsey 08/19/2013

1 looks to go left on the dribble. 4 comes up to set the ball screen but back cuts to the rim. 5 circles up and sets the ball screen. 1 immediately turns back to the right and uses 5 for the ball screen. Quick lob for 4 at the rim. If not there, swing to 5 and look to go hi-low. See More

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Position Defense Drill (part 1)

Tom Kelsey 08/16/2013

Good drill to get your players into a defensive stance and in a proper position from different spots on the floor. Can use in individual workouts, pre-practice and pre-game warmups. Can make the drill competitive by using players in the position of the coach. Also, have teams compete against each other while still working on the fundamentals. See More

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Position Defense Drill (part 2)

Tom Kelsey 08/16/2013

Adding in options to the drill by allowing the offense to try and score. See Part 1 Here. See More

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Warrior Drills: Banana Run

Tom Kelsey 08/08/2013

Effective individual workout drill from Herb Livsey's Warrior Drills. Each of the drills focuses on footwork and going at game speed. This is a very good drill for pre-season and individual workouts. Use with 1 to 4 players. Any more and there is too much rest in each set. See More

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Warrior Drills: Catch-Drive-Shoot

Tom Kelsey 08/05/2013

Have players work on being low and ready on the catch. Explode off the dribble to designated spot on the floor. Pete Maravich said use the final dribble before going up for a shot as a momentum dribble. Use it with power to go up high on the jump shot. Have players dribble low to the ground, but powerful. Use drill going right and left throughout the season will help players being tough to guard. See More

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Tap outs

Tom Kelsey 07/30/2013

Pre-practice/warmup drill to get your players moving and active. Teaching them to be aggressive and attack the ball in the open court. See More

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Charges on the drive

Tom Kelsey 07/30/2013

These are effective defensive drills to be used in pre-practice or as warmup drills. Got the idea from the New Orleans Saints a couple of years ago. They tried to replicate situations that would occur with their defense. Situations would be worked on at the beginning of practice to get the team in the mindset of thinking defense. You can use different aspects of your defense or schemes to you need to work on for an upcoming opponent. Take a 10 minute segment to start practice each day or a couple days a week and you will notice improved intensity on the defensive end of the floor. See More

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Chase down loose ball throw to teammate

Tom Kelsey 07/29/2013

Try to create loose ball situations that will occur in the game. Especially effective in helping players communicate and becoming more aggressive. Teach to find ways to get extra baskets each game with hustle. See More

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