NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – Niagara University men’s basketball head coach Greg Paulus has announced the addition of Kevin Devitt as an assistant coach and Austin Kelley as the director of basketball operations to the coaching staff.

“We are excited to announce the additions of Kevin Devitt and Austin Kelley to our Niagara Basketball program,” Paulus said. “Kevin was highly recommended throughout the country and by those, he has worked for. Kevin has shown the ability to recruit at a high level, teach and develop players, and his work ethic is well respected.  Austin and I worked together at George Washington University. He is loyal, has a tireless work ethic, and an innate ability to connect and cultivate relationships with people and student-athletes.” 


Devitt

Kevin Devitt joins Niagara after spending the last four seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

From 2016-20, the Blazers won 76 games including consecutive 20-win seasons (2017-18 & 2018-19); the 2018-19 Blazers received an invitation to the College Basketball Invitational (CBI).  The 2016-17 Blazers were one of the best defensive teams in the nation, leading Conference USA and 25th in the NCAA with 4.9 blocked shots per game.  Forward William Lee became the first player in school history to win the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year award in consecutive seasons, finishing the year first in the league and 20th in the country with 2.4 blocks per game.

Devitt was also influential in bringing in two nationally-recognized mid-major recruiting classes during his tenure. UAB earned Academic Performance Public recognition for having its Academic Progress Rate (APR) ranked in the top 10 percent in 2018-19 and 2019-20.

“I am honored and appreciative for the opportunity to join Coach Greg Paulus and his staff at Niagara University,” Devitt said.  “I am excited to continue to help build this program while shaping our culture through genuine relationships and hard work.  Coach Paulus is an outstanding up and coming head coach. I am thrilled to continue to learn under his leadership.”  

Devitt spent the 2015-16 season at Wright State where he helped the Raiders win 22 games and advance to the Horizon League championship game.

Before his one season at Wright State, Devitt served on the UAB staff for three seasons (2012-15) in various roles (director of operations, administrative assistant, and associate director of operations). UAB won its first-ever Conference USA Tournament championship in 2015 to receive the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.  The Blazers defeated Iowa State in the Round of 64.

Devitt joined UAB’s staff after spending the previous three seasons as the top assistant and recruiting coordinator at Roosevelt University in Chicago. Devitt helped revive the basketball program, which had been dormant for the past 20 years, and helped guide the program to a 13-game win total improvement throughout three seasons.

Before Roosevelt, Devitt spent three years in the high school ranks, two seasons at Richards High School in Oak Lawn and one season at Lindblom High School of the Chicago Public League. Devitt’s coaching resume also includes working the Reebok Breakout Challenge in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as well as the Jim Whitesell Basketball Camp and the Dwyane Wade Skills Academy.

Devitt aided Chicago area players in promoting their skills to prospective colleges, organizing and maintaining the South Suburban Fall Showcase League from 2008-2010. Devitt also founded the Chicago High School Classic, a high school all-star game that recognized the top 30 graduating seniors in the state of Illinois. Devitt’s Chicago High School Classic featured future NBA players Robert Covington and Brandon Paul.

A DePaul University graduate, Devitt married the former Alex Ahlgren in June 2017 in Chicago.


Kelley

Austin Kelley spent two seasons (2018-20) on the George Washington men’s basketball staff as the director of operations and recruiting coordinator. Kelley was in charge of day-to-day operations, travel arrangements, organizing team schedules, and alumni engagement.

“I am beyond excited to be joining Coach Paulus and the rest of his great staff,” Kelley said. “I look forward to building lasting relationships with the student-athletes at Niagara University.” 

Kelley came to GW after spending two years as the Elite Director with Hoop Group, a basketball company in New Jersey that runs camps, clinics, leagues, and tournaments. In that role, Kelley directed over 25 camps including more than 3,500 players annually while managing the budget of his department and overseeing operations of events with staff and camp coaches.

Before his stint at Hoop Group, Kelley worked in coaching at the high school level in D.C. for four years. He was an assistant varsity basketball coach at Gonzaga College High School from 2012-16 and also held positions with local AAU programs, first working for the DC Blue Devils (2013-14) and then The District Basketball Club (2014-16).

A native of West Almond, N.Y., Kelley received his bachelor of science in physical education from St. Bonaventure in 2011 and earned his master of science in health education from the State University of New York at Cortland in 2012.