A promotional graphic used by UMass in the two days between Pat Kelsey agreeing to become the new head basketball coach -- and when he backed out of the deal.
UMass officials seem to have a learned a lesson, after the school's first choice for men's basketball coach backed out of his deal.
Shortly before his introductory press conference last month, coach Pat Kelsey told UMass athletic director Ryan Bamford that he'd changed his mind and didn't want the job.
That evening, a clearly distraught Bamford told reporters that Kelsey had signed a memorandum of understanding -- essentially a pre-contract -- and might owe UMass a lot of money for backing out of the deal.
"For the first two years of the execution, it was a million dollar buyout," Bamford said.
A section of Pat Kelsey's memorandum of understanding with UMass.
Bamford declined to comment for this story, but UMass appears to have learned from the Kelsey affair. A week later, when UMass had Chattanoga Coach Matt McCall sign a memorandum of understanding, it used different language, so the buyout clause would begin immediately.
Credit PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST / UMASS AMHERST
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UMASS AMHERST
A section of Matt McCall's memorandum of understanding with UMass.
Sam Hudzik oversaw local news coverage on New England Public Media from 2013 to 2025. He managed a team of about a dozen full- and part-time reporters and hosts.
Pat Kelsey has backed out of an agreement to take over the men's basketball program at UMass, citing personal reasons.UMass athletic director Ryan Bamford…
No word yet from UMass on whether it will try to force Pat Kelsey to pay a $1 million buyout contained in his agreement with the school.Kelsey signed a…
