UMass hires Chattanooga's McCall after last pick backed out

By AP
Published

AMHERST, Mass. (AP) UMass has hired Matt McCall as its next basketball coach.

The 35-year-old McCall spent the previous two seasons in Chattanooga, where he led the school to the NCAA Tournament in 2016.

The hiring is the second in two weeks for the Minutemen, after Winthrop coach Pat Kelsey backed out of an agreement to coach the program just minutes before he was set to be introduced.

McCall replaces Derek Kellogg, who was fired this month after nine seasons with the Minutemen.

In announcing the hire Wednesday, athletic director Ryan Bamford called McCall ''a rising star.''

McCall spent 11 seasons, over two stints, as a member of Billy Donovan's staff at Florida. He was part of four SEC titles, a Final Four and two NCAA finals with the Gators.

He also spent three seasons as an assistant at Florida Atlantic.

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