(Submitted for publication by Dan White)
PIKEVILLE – 
Kelly Wells, already the all-time winningest coach in University of Pikeville men’s basketball history through 12 seasons, has a coaching tree of former assistants and players than spans all levels of the sport.
Entering the 2018-19 season, 20 coaches will be on the sidelines who got their start with Wells, who also spent 11 seasons coaching at Kentucky high schools.
In his 22 seasons as a head coach, Wells has collected a collegiate and high school championship with the help of many talented people.
At the NCAA Div. I level, Wells’ tree includes Richie Riley who was recently named head coach at South Alabama. Riley spent three seasons at Pikeville from 2006-09.
Other coaches in NCAA Div. I at the assistant coach spot include Clemson’s Nick Bowman, IUPUI’s Matt Bringman, Coastal Carolina’s Matt Hurt and Trey Rakes, Winthrop’s Brian Kloman and Nicholls State’s Matt Taylor and Bradlee Yoder.
Wells’ mark in the JUCO ranks includes Kyle Morris at NE Mississippi College and Steve Sickler at Milwaukee Area Tech. At the AAU level, Donnell Dobbins and Donald Thomas are former players and colleagues running Team Thrill out of Maryland.
Adding some local flavor are five coaches at Kentucky high schools, including Elisha Justice at Pikeville and Ryan Whitaker at Pike Central as head coaches in Pike County. Corey Hoskins is the head man at Buckhorn and Landon Slone recently took over at Paintsville.
Kentucky high school assistant coaches include Kane Belcher at Pendleton County and Chris Puckett at Pike Central.
Randy Casey, who was head coach at Belfry before joining Wells’ staff at UPIKE in 2013, is currently the head coach at TNG Prep Academy in Tennessee.
Kelly Wells’ Coaching Tree
Kane Belcher, Asst. Pendleton County HS
Nick Bowman, Asst. at Clemson
Matt Bringman, Asst. at IUPUI
Randy Casey, Head Coach TNG Prep Academy
Donnell Dobbins, Team Thrill AAU Maryland
Corey Hoskins, Head Coach Buckhorn HS
Matt Hurt, Asst. at Coastal Carolina
Elisha Justice, Head Coach Pikeville HS
Brian Kloman, Asst. at Winthrop
Kyle Morris, Asst. at NE Mississippi College
Chris Puckett, Asst. Pike Central HS
Trey Rakes, Graduate Asst. at Coastal Carolina
Richie Riley, Head Coach South Alabama
Steve Sickler, Asst. Milwaukee Area Tech
Landon Slone, Head Coach Paintsville HS
Anthony Smith, Asst. Bishop Manogue Catholic HS (Nev.)
Matt Taylor, Asst. Nicholls State
Donald Thomas, Team Thrill AAU Maryland
Ryan Whitaker, Head Coach Pike Central HS
Bradlee Yoder, Asst. at Nicholls State