Genesee Valley grad Austin Kelley named assistant basketball coach at Niagara
Another Genesee Valley Central School basketball star is climbing the men's Division I basketball coaching ladder.
Austin Kelley has been named an assistant coach for Niagara University ahead of the 2023-24 season, Purple Eagles head coach Greg Paulus announced.
Kelley has been a member of the Niagara men's basketball staff since the 2020-21 campaign, serving as the director of basketball operations managing the program's day-to-day operations while overseeing travel arrangements.
Kelley's new spot on the bench will include coaching and scouting responsibilities.
"This position allows Austin to teach and coach on the court, including assisting in our player development, video breakdowns of self and opponent scouting, and impacting our program positively," said Paulus.
Kelley will be one of two former Jaguars serving as assistant coaches for Western New York DI basketball teams during the upcoming season.
Belmont's Jake Presutti, a 2004 Genesee Valley graduate, joined the University at Buffalo coaching staff in April.
Kelley is Bona grad, former assistant at GW
A West Almond native, Kelley is a 2007 graduate at Genesee Valley. He attended St. Bonaventure, where he earned a bachelor's degree in physical education. He later picked up a master of science in health education from the State University of New York at Cortland in 2012.
Kelley spent two seasons (2018-20) on the George Washington men’s basketball staff as the director of operations and recruiting coordinator. Kelley was in charge of day-to-day operations, travel arrangements, organizing team schedules and alumni engagement for the Atlantic 10 squad.
Kelley came to GW after spending two years as the Elite Director with Hoop Group, a basketball company in New Jersey that runs camps, clinics, leagues and tournaments. In that role, Kelley directed over 25 camps including more than 3,500 players annually while managing the budget of his department and overseeing operations of events with staff and camp coaches. Before his stint at Hoop Group, Kelley worked in coaching at the high school level in D.C. for four years. He was an assistant varsity basketball coach at Gonzaga College High School from 2012-16 and also held positions with local AAU programs, first working for the DC Blue Devils (2013-14) and then The District Basketball Club (2014-16).
Kelley currently resides in Grand Island, N.Y., with his wife and daughter.
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How to follow Kelley and the Purple Eagles this season
The Purple Eagles finished 16-15 last season and tied for fifth place in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference with a 10-10 record. Head coach Greg Paulus is a former standout point guard at Duke who went on to play quarterback for Syracuse University in 2009.
Niagara opens its 2023-24 season on Nov. 6 at Notre Dame of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The purple and white will travel to Syracuse on Dec. 21 to face the Orange.
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This article originally appeared on The Evening Tribune: Former Genesee Valley hoops star Austin Kelley named assistant at Niagara
