Wildcat Blue Nation
Fansided

Kentucky basketball: Is new assistant coach John Welch the answer?

By Mat Mlodzinski

Feb 3, 2019; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach John Welch does a pre-game workout with guard Sindarius Thornwell (0) before the start of their game against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. The Raptors beat the Clippers 121-103. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 3, 2019; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach John Welch does a pre-game workout with guard Sindarius Thornwell (0) before the start of their game against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. The Raptors beat the Clippers 121-103. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Longtime basketball coach John Welch is joining the Kentucky basketball coaching staff. Will he be a difference-maker for the Wildcats?

Kentucky basketball might be falling behind in the transfer portal this offseason, but they upgraded the coaching staff on Monday.

The Wildcats are bringing in John Welch to the coaching staff. While he isn’t a household name, Welch has an impressive background, especially in coaching some of the best players in the history of the NBA.

Welch’s coaching career spans over three decades, when he started as a graduate assistant under Jerry Tarkanian at UNLV. From there, Welch took an assistant coaching job at Long Beach State under Seth Greenberg, and then at Fresno State.

After seven seasons with the Bulldogs, Welch jumped to the NBA. Although he has never been a head coach, Welch spent time on the coach’s bench for the Memphis Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets, Brooklyn Nets, Sacramento Kings, and Los Angeles Clippers. He had been out of coaching since 2020.

Kentucky basketball issued a press release on Monday morning with a statement about Welch.

"“John Welch has been involved in every level of basketball and been an important part of the development of NBA careers for guys like Carmelo (Anthony), Pau Gasol, DeMarcus Cousins, Blake Griffin and Brook Lopez,” UK head coach John Calipari said. “He loves the game and will be a tremendous asset to our young players and our staff. John has worked closely for decades with Vance Walberg, who developed the dribble-drive offense, and was a pioneer of bringing it to the NBA. With the strength of our guards and perimeter players we need to get back to that style of play. John will be involved heavily in our offensive strategy and will be our lead coach in on-court player development. We’re excited to have him join our program.”"

Welch also made a statement about his new position.

"“I am thrilled to be joining the Kentucky basketball program,” Welch said. “I look forward to working with Coach Cal and his tremendous coaching and support staff. Helping players grow and develop has always been my passion as a coach, and I can’t wait to get in the gym with our team this summer. It is an honor to become a part of Big Blue Nation’s proud basketball tradition and have the opportunity to assist in the continued success of the premier program in college basketball.”"

Welch’s experience with young NBA stars should translate well at Kentucky

Arguably the most impressive part of Welch’s coaching career is the young NBA stars he has coached. His experience coaching a young Pau Gasol in Memphis and a young Carmelo Anthony in  Denver are proof that Welch can successfully work with talented young players.

Of course, with the incoming Kentucky basketball freshman class ranked as one of the best in history, Welch seems like a perfect fit. Justin Edwards, Aaron Bradshaw, DJ Wagner, and Robert Dillingham are all serious prospects to be first-round picks in the 2024 NBA Draft. Welch’s experiences with young NBA stars could help them improve even more during their time in Lexington.

Home/Kentucky basketball