ROCK HILL, SC—Winthrop men's basketball head coach Pat Kelsey has announced that Mark Prosser and Brian Thornton will join his staff as assistant coaches leaving one more assistant coaching position and the director of basketball operations slot yet to be filled.
 
Prosser, the son of the late Skip Prosser who coached Kelsey at Xavier and later served as his mentor at Wake Forest, was the head coach at Brevard College this past year following two different stints as an assistant coach at Wofford College totaling four years and five years at Bucknell University.
 
“Mark has been an integral part of two 'magical' basketball eras at both Bucknell University and Wofford College.  He helped both programs to multiple NCAA tournament appearances including back to back years at Bucknell in which they advanced beyond the first round,” said Kelsey.  
 
“His basketball pedigree under two phenomenal head coaches (former Bucknell head coach Pat Flannery and Wofford head coach Mike Young) and as the son of the late Skip Prosser speaks for itself. His name says 'integrity' in this business.  His experience as a head coach at the collegiate level will be invaluable as well.  Most importantly, Mark embodies the Winthrop Way which focuses on the overall development of our players on and off the court. He is a phenomenal person, teacher and coach. I recruited Mark very hard to join me at Winthrop. I am extremely lucky to have him.”
 
A native of Wheeling, WV, Prosser played collegiately at Marist College before a knee injury ended his career.  He served as a student assistant coach until his graduation in 2002. He and his wife Emily are the parents of a daughter, Ava Grayce.
 
“I am truly honored to have the opportunity to come to Winthrop University, an institution that carries such a tremendous reputation on and off the hardwood,” said Prosser.  “I am excited to have the chance to work for Pat Kelsey.  There is no one in this business that I admire more professionally, but more so, personally. I am equally excited to help Coach Kelsey continue and further the great tradition that has already been instilled in Rock Hill. My family and I look forward to joining the Winthrop community and Rocking the Hill.” 

Thornton served as an assistant coach this past year at Furman following two years as the director of basketball operations at Xavier.  Before beginning his coaching career, Thornton was an outstanding collegiate player, first at Vanderbilt (2001-2003) where he earned a spot on the Southeastern Conference All-Freshman team, and then at Xavier (2004-2006) where he was an All-Atlantic 10 selection, a two-time  Student-Athlete of the Year, and  the first player in Musketeer history to earn Academic All-American honors. 
 
Following his collegiate playing career, the Louisville, KY native played professional basketball in Germany for one year before returning to Xavier to serve as a volunteer coach while completing work on a master's degree in business administration.  He graduated cum laude with an undergraduate degree in liberal arts with an emphasis in business in 2005 from Xavier and also earned his MBA from XU in 2007.
 
“Brian Thornton is a rising superstar in our business.  I have always said, if his career of choice would have been politics, he may have been president in twelve years,” said Kelsey. “Working with him at Xavier for two years, I saw firsthand the caliber of his talent and character. I knew that when I became a head coach Brian was a 'no brainer' hire.   Brian is a passionate basketball coach and has a unique ability to relate with student athletes.  He is a terrific addition to the Winthrop family. “

Thornton says he is ecstatic about the opportunity to be a part of a program that has had such a history of success. “The heights this program has seen make it one of the "true gems" of college basketball,” he said.
 
“I've worked with Coach Kelsey before and I believe in his vision. His energy and love for basketball is contagious. He excites everyone around him from players, to coaches, to fans and members of the community. I'm looking forward to helping him take Winthrop basketball to the next level."