Local college basketball has pro Ed Kelly's attention

For the past two weeks, Cherry Valley Club head pro Ed Kelly has been giving lessons in patience, or taking them. Aside from being a golf pro, he is the father of a college basketball assistant coach who is trying to learn where he will wind up when the head coaching carousel stops spinning.

Mike Kelly was on Tom Pecora's staff at Hofstra (and his dad was a season-ticket holder), but all the assistants were thrust into limbo when Pecora left last week for Fordham.

"People come in and ask me, 'What's going on?' I don't know much. I might know a little, but I can't say," Ed Kelly said on the phone from the pro shop Friday. He is just hopeful that Mike, a former all-Nassau player for Carle Place, can keep working in the sport he loves most.

Like any pro's child, Mike did play a lot of golf when he was growing up, but it was clear to his father, once he saw the boy play CYO games at Our Lady of Hope, that basketball was his game. "You just like to see someone have a passion for something and follow it," the golf pro said.

He added that Pecora will still hold his fundraising golf outing Aug. 30 at Cherry Valley.

Kilmer moves to Wheatley

Speaking of career opportunities, one finally arrived for Jamie Kilmer, a longtime respected assistant pro at the Meadow Brook Club. He is starting his first season as head pro at Wheatley Hills.

Doug Mauch, whose contract was not renewed at Wheatley Hills, also is embracing a fresh start. He still has his PGA certification and still will do some teaching. But his full time job now is with JJT Energy in Rockville Centre. He doesn't miss the pro shop, he said, adding, "Now I can play golf on the weekends."