Kelsey reintroduced by Winthrop after spurning UMass

Winthrop renamed Pat Kelsey its head coach Thursday evening, after the fifth-year boss backed out of his agreement with UMass at the last minute.

"UMass is an amazing program with a winning tradition and a bright future that any coach would be proud to be a part of," Kelsey said a Winthrop news release. "But after further reflection, I have decided to remain at Winthrop. I realized that at this point in my career Winthrop and Rock Hill is the best place for my family and me."

Kelsey was set to be unveiled by the Minutemen as their new head coach Thursday afternoon, but informed the program of his change of heart about 30 minutes before the scheduled press conference.

The 41-year-old led Winthrop to a Big South championship and NCAA tournament appearance this year, and owns a 102-59 record over the last five seasons.

It's still unclear why Kelsey changed his mind on UMass. He said earlier his decision was "in no way an assessment of the commitment UMass made to me or to the resources available at UMass to have a nationally-recognized program."

Kelsey initially agreed to join the Minutemen on Tuesday.