BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Kip Wellman has joined the Western Kentucky University men's basketball staff, head coach Ken McDonald announced Tuesday afternoon. Wellman will serve as a graduate intern coordinating film exchange for the Hilltoppers.
A 2005 graduate of Transylvania University, Wellman comes to WKU following three seasons at Syracuse. Serving as a graduate assistant manager with the Orange, Wellman earned his Masters of Science this past spring. In addition to his managerial duties, he coordinated film exchange with Syracuse's opponents while assisting with basketball operations.
Prior to his time at Syracuse, Wellman was the assistant basketball coach for Bourbon County High School, leading the Paris, Ky. program to the 2004-05 41st District Championship.
Wellman played collegiately at Embry-Riddle University, an NAIA school in Daytona Beach, Fla. A three-year letter winner with the Eagles, Wellman led Embry-Riddle to the 2000-01 Florida Sun Conference Regular Season and Tournament Championships, advancing all the way to the NAIA Final Four.
WKU finished the 2008-09 season ranked 41st in the RPI ratings as well as receiving votes in the final ESPN/USA Today Top 25 Coaches Poll after going 25-9 and winning the Sun Belt Conference East Division championship. The Toppers won the SBC Tournament and earned the program's 21st NCAA Tournament appearance, knocking off fifth-seeded Illinois 76-72 in the first round before falling at the buzzer to 10th-ranked Gonzaga 83-81, just missing the program's second-straight trip to the NCAA Sweet 16.
WKU returns four starters for the 2009-10 season including five of their top six scorers.
