Morehead State hires prominent Kentucky basketball figure as its new athletics director

Turning to one of its own, Morehead State University announced Friday that it has hired Kelly Wells as its new athletics director.

A 1995 graduate of MSU and a championship-winning basketball coach at both the high school and college levels in the state of Kentucky, Wells will leave his current position as AD at the University of Pikeville.

Wells, 51, is replacing Jaime Gordon, who stepped down as MSU AD to assume the role as executive director of the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

“Coming home to MSU is a dream come true and an incredible honor,” Wells said in a Morehead State news release. “I look forward to serving our university and being a part of (MSU President) Dr. Jay Morgan’s team. I am so thankful for my experiences at MSU and look forward to sharing my passion and commitment for the Blue and Gold.”

The ties Wells has to Morehead State University run much deeper than the three seasons (1992-1995) he spent playing basketball at MSU for Dick Fick.

Wells’ father, Mickey Wells, is the all-time winningest women’s basketball coach in Morehead State history and is a member of the university’s Athletics Hall of Fame. Kelly Wells’ mother, Doris Wells, was a long-serving administrative assistant on the MSU campus.

Both of Wells’ parents died in 2021 from complications associated with the coronavirus.

Kelly Wells also met his wife, former MSU women’s basketball player Shawne Marcum, at Morehead State.

“Morehead State and its community have been my whole history, and I am so proud to step into this next chapter,” Wells said in the MSU news release.

An All-State boys’ basketball player at Rowan County High School, Wells initially signed to play collegiately at Tulsa. After one year there, he transferred home to Morehead State and earned three varsity letters while averaging 8.8 points a game for his MSU career.

Once his playing days ended, Wells built a highly successful coaching career in Kentucky. Hired directly out of college as head boys’ hoops coach at Marion County, he led the Knights to the 1997 Boys’ Sweet Sixteen.

He parlayed that success into the Mason County head coaching job. Led by future Tennessee Volunteers star Chris Lofton, Wells coached Mason County to the 2003 state championship and the 2004 state finals.

After leaving the commonwealth to coach for two years at Hawaii Pacific, Wells returned to Kentucky as men’s head basketball coach at the University of Pikeville.

At UPike, Wells led the Bears to 20-win seasons in 12 out of his 13 years as head coach, highlighted by winning the 2011 NAIA Division I national championship. Wells is Pikeville’s all-time men’s basketball wins leader (333-123).

After moving into administration at UPike, Wells added swimming and wrestling programs; oversaw the completion of an indoor hitting/pitching facility and renovations to facilities for football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, and women’s soccer; and created the UPIKE Sports Network, a streaming service for athletic events and coaches’ shows.

Wells will officially assume the Morehead State AD’s position on July 1. A news conference introducing him will be held Monday at 2 p.m. in the Academic-Athletic Center on the MSU campus. It is open to the public.

“As MSU moves forward, we are increasing our strength and competitiveness in athletics,” Morehead State President Jay Morgan said in the university’s news release. “We are confident that Kelly Wells is ready to lead that charge.”