John Welch

Biography

Longtime NBA assistant coach John Welch was named the associate head coach for Fresno State men’s basketball in April 2024. Welch spent the 2023-24 season on John Calipari’s staff at Kentucky. He helped the Wildcats to a 23-10 record, tying for second in the SEC. The ‘Cats earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. He was tasked with serving as a vital part of Calipari’s offensive strategy, while being a primary contributor to UK’s scouting and game-planning. Welch was integral in the development and implementation of all individual on-court player training. This included individual workouts and film sessions to improve skills, decision making and efficiency. With Welch, Kentucky’s offense ranked as one of the best in the nation, finishing first in 3-point percentage (40.9%), second in scoring offense (89.0 PPG), fourth in fastbreak points (15.4 PPG) and sixth in field goal percentage (49.5%). Welch has served as an assistant coach in the NBA for nearly 20 years and spent almost 10 years on a collegiate staff prior to moving into the professional ranks. He has worked under notable coaches such as Doc Rivers, George Karl, Jason Kidd, Hubie Brown and Jerry Tarkanian. In his last NBA role, he was a part of the Los Angeles Clippers staff that advanced to the playoffs twice, including moving on to the Western Conference semifinals in 2020. Prior to his stop in Los Angeles, he spent time with the Sacramento Kings (2015-16). He was also a part of staffs with the Brooklyn Nets (2013