Aaron Kelly was hired as an assistant coach for the George Mason men's basketball team on April 10, 2015. Instrumental in the resurgence of the Mason program, Kelly begins his third season with the Patriots in 2017-18.
Kelly serves as the Patriots' recruiting coordinator and has played an integral role in bringing Coach Paulsen's first wave of talented student-athletes into the program. Kelly’s tireless work as a recruiter has already paid dividends, as last season George Mason was one of the most improved teams in the country. The Patriots won 20 games and set a new school record for A-10 Conference wins.
Kelly is also widely respected for his player development skills and works primarily with Mason's post players. Kelly helped mentor and develop Jalen Jenkins into an elite big man in the Atlantic 10 in 2017-18. Jenkins posted career highs as a senior in scoring average (12.0 ppg), rebounding (6.1 rpg), field goal percentage (.612) and assists (65).
Prior to joining the staff at George Mason, Kelly spent seven years under Dave Paulsen at Bucknell University, where he served as the program’s recruiting coordinator beginning in 2012. During his seven years at Bucknell, Kelly helped to compile some of the most successful recruiting classes in program history. Kelly helped secure a total of fourteen All-League selections, three Patriot League Player of the Year winners, and five All-Rookie selections. In addition to his recruiting, Kelly mentored four all-league forwards, including future NBA player Mike Muscala, who is currently with the Atlanta Hawks. During his seven seasons at Bucknell the Bison won four Patriot League Championships, appearing in two NCAA Tournaments and two NITs.
Prior to Bucknell, Kelly was an assistant coach under Paulsen at Williams in 2007-08. Kelly served as Williams’ head junior varsity basketball coach in addition to his varsity duties in recruiting, scouting, player development, strength and conditioning and summer camp organization.
In 2006-07, Kelly was an assistant coach at Clarkson University, where he was part of a Golden Knights team that finished with a winning record (14-12).
Kelly is a 2006 graduate of Catholic University in Washington, D.C. He was a member of Cardinals teams that were consistently ranked in the top 25 nationally and produced a four-year record of 89-28. Kelly was elected team captain as a senior, and his team appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2003, 2004 and 2006.
A Capital Athletic Conference All-Academic Team honoree, Kelly graduated with a degree in history.
Coach Kelly and his wife, Katie, have two sons, Sean and Jack.
