Kelly moving on from George Mason
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By Dave Utnik
Published: April 16, 2008
After spending one season as an assistant for the George Mason University women’s team, Kelly is pursuing a position as a high school coach after the Patriots announced Wednesday that Rad-ford’s Jeri Porter has been hired as a replacement for Debbie Taneyhill.
Kelly, who did not apply for the Mason head coaching vacancy, was not offered a spot on Porter’s staff.
“I didn’t go for the position. I thought about possibly doing it, but they knew who they wanted and, honestly, I’m not ready to take over a college program yet,” Kelly said. “I think I still have a lot to learn before someone pays me that kind of money to be a coach. I think high school is where I belong.”
High school is where Kelly established her reputation. In seven years at Forest Park, she led the Bruins to a pair of Group AAA state championships and five consecutive state tournament appear-ances — transforming a new program into an instant winner with a foundation of family and pres-sure defense.
So when all three of George Mason’s first-year assistants were informed Wednesday afternoon that Porter would assemble her own staff, Kelly left the Fairfax campus intent upon returning to the high school game.
“One door closes and another opens,” she said. “There is someone who values what I’ve done the past seven years [as Forest Park’s girls coach] and last year at Mason. It won’t be college.”
And it won’t be the Bruins.
Kelly applied, and interviewed, for the boys basketball position there but it was filled on Monday when the Bruins chose former Heritage coach Mark Mallisham to replace Kirby Overman.
“I would have loved to go back to Forest Park. That’s where my roots are. I think I proved enough to be considered for a boys’ position, especially there,” Kelly said. “But they decided to go with a more qualified person I guess.”
Few coaches possess Kelly’s resume, passion or her ability to put players in a position to succeed on the basketball court.
Her Forest Park teams went a combined 143-43 but Kelly’s lasting impact was more evident in the loyalty and devotion she had for the players she coached. Three of them — Deidre Richardson, Amber Epps and Briana Scott — accepted scholarship offers to play at George Mason mostly be-cause Kelly recruited them.
“It was a big comfort knowing that she was going to be there,” Scott said. “That was one of the reasons for going to Mason but even though it’s not a possibility now Mason is still the right place for me.”
After touring campus earlier this week, Porter felt the same way about the Patriots.
She left behind a Radford squad that went 23-12 last season and reached the Big South Tourna-ment championship game for the second straight season.
“I was so impressed with the growth and the expansion that is taking place everywhere and the undeniable excitement of everyone that I met,” said Porter, who was 93-85 in six seasons at Radford and led the Highlanders to the WNIT in 2007-08 — their first postseason berth since 1996.
“The potential for this women’s basketball program is unlimited,” she said. “I can’t wait to get started.”
Porter is no stranger to rebuilding programs. She’s done it at North Alabama and Radford. The task she faces now is to transform a Mason squad that has gone 17-42 the past two seasons and hasn’t enjoyed a winning campaign since 2003-04.
“I’m not as stressed as I was,” Scott said. “I think it will be good for the basketball team. I’m a lot better now knowing who the coach is going to be.
“From what I’ve heard and seen she’s a really good coach and a good person. I’m excited to see how Deidre and Amber do there next year.”
Scott had hoped that Kelly would be part of the rebuilding too. But her former coach probably won’t be far away. Like the Patriots, she is starting over, too.
“They are going to be in good shape,” Kelly said. “I like [Porter] a lot. I think she’ll do great things. And I’ll be close enough that I can stop by and watch them play.”
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