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Bobbie Kelsey enters her second season as a member of the Stanford women's basketball coaching staff. Kelsey, a four-year letterwinner with the Cardinal from 1991-96, spent three years as an assistant coach at Virginia Tech before returning to her alma mater prior to the 2007-08 campaign. "We are thrilled to have Bobbie as a part of our staff," Head coach Tara VanDerveer said upon Kelsey's return in 2007. "Bobbie brings tremendous experience to our program and obviously has a great connection with Stanford. She is extremely positive and upbeat, a super motivator and an excellent recruiter. Bobbie is passionate about both basketball and Stanford, and that makes her a fun person to be around." A native of Decatur, Ga., Kelsey helped the Cardinal to three Final Four appearances in five years and was a member of the 1992 national championship team. Kelsey was a team co-captain in 1995 and 1996, voted the team's Most Inspirational Player in 1992 and 1996, and named the team's most improved player in 1993. She earned her B.A. in communication from Stanford in 1996. "I am just so excited and honored to be a part of this staff," said Kelsey. "I love Stanford, so the decision to come back was an easy one to make. Also, having won a national championship team also brings instant credibility with the team." Her first season on the Stanford coaching staff saw the Cardinal make its seventh appearance in the Final Four, and first since 1997. The Cardinal also reached the national championship game for the first time since 1992, Kelsey's first season as a player. The basketball acumen, positive attitude, and work ethic that Kelsey brought to the Cardinal during her five years as a player were once again vital components in helping guide Stanford back to the Final Four as a member of the coaching staff in 2007-08. It was no surprise how quickly the Stanford players responded to Kelsey's coaching and contagious enthusiasm, considering that she was voted Stanford's Most Inspirational Player following the 1992 season despite missing the entire year due to a knee injury. Kelsey's contribution to the coaching of the Cardinal defense in 2007-08 saw Stanford finish the year by limiting opponents to just 56.4 points a game and an overall shooting percentage of just 35.5, both marks good for second in the Pac-10. Teaming up with former teammate and current fellow assistant coach Kate Paye, Kelsey's work bore more fruit as Stanford's defense also limited opponents to a three-point shooting percentage of 29.2, and led the Pac-10 with a +2.72 turnover margin last season. That figure ended up being 1.52 turnovers better than the second-best mark in the conference. During her appointment at Virginia Tech, Kelsey helped guide the Hokies to three consecutive postseason appearances, including NCAA Tournament berths in 2005 and 2006. From 2002-04, Kelsey served as an assistant coach at Western Carolina and worked primarily with the post players while assisting with recruiting and camps. She coached 2002-03 Southern Conference Player of the Year Tiffany Hamm as well as Jennifer Gardner, the league's most accurate shooter that same year, making over 51 percent of her shots. Kelsey spent the 2000-02 seasons as the top assistant and recruiting coordinator at Evansville. Prior to her stint with the Aces, she was an assistant coach at Florida for two seasons where she was responsible for film exchange, scouting and coaching the posts. Kelsey helped the Lady Gators to back-to-back postseason appearances, including an NCAA Tournament trip in 1999 and a trip to the WNIT championship game in 2000. Prior to her tenure at Florida, Kelsey served as a practice player for the Atlanta Glory of the American Basketball League for one year and as an assistant at Boise State for one season. | |||||||||||||||
