Ben Kelso

Ben Kelso

Kelso as a senior at Central Michigan
Personal information
Born	(1949-04-11) April 11, 1949 (age 75) Flint, Michigan
Nationality	American
Listed height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight	195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High school	Southwestern (Flint, Michigan)
College	Central Michigan (1970–1973)
NBA draft	1973: 8th round, 129th overall pick
Selected by the Detroit Pistons
Playing career	1973–1974
Position	Shooting guard
Number	5, 30
Career history
As player:
1973–1974	Detroit Pistons
As coach:
1976–1980	Eastern Michigan (assistant)
1984–1998	Cooley HS
1998–2002	Southfield HS
2004–2005	Central HS
2005–2006	Kansas State (assistant)
2007–2010	Central HS
2010–2011	Mumford HS
2013–2014	Waterford Kettering HS
2014–2018	Pontiac HS
2018–present	Mumford HS
Career highlights and awards
First-team All-MAC (1973) No. 30 retired by Central Michigan Chippewas
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball Reference

Ben Kelso (born April 11, 1949) is an American basketball player. He played as a shooting guard for the Detroit Pistons in 1972 and 1973.

Playing career

Kelso, a graduate of Central Michigan University, was drafted by Coach Ray Scott and the Pistons (in the 8th rounds of both 1972 and 1973 drafts), where he played from 1973 to 1974. In 1976, Kelso was hired by Scott as one of his assistant coaches at Eastern Michigan University. Over three seasons, he helped guide EMU to a 29–52 record. EMU fired Scott and his staff in March 1979.

Coaching career

After retiring, Kelso began coaching students at various schools. At Detroit's Cooley High School, where he coached for 14 years, Kelso lead the team to three (3) consecutive state championships in 1987, 1988 and 1989, which led to his appearance in the March 5, 1990 edition of Sports Illustrated . ^[1]

In 1998, Kelso transferred over to Southfield High School as coach and athletic director where he was credited with rejuvenating the girls' basketball program and winning two state championships.

On December 17, 2002, Kelso was fired by the Southfield Board of Education after being accused of allegedly misappropriating funds from school ticket and concession sales. Police and the District Attorneys Office concluded that there was insufficient evidence to arrest Kelso. 18 months later, the State Tenure Commission concluded that Kelso was wrongfully terminated and advised him to resume his job.

Kelso ultimately took a new job as gym instructor with Southfield's Arthur Ashe Academy after Southfield High School officials refused to speak with him and later refused to reissue his original job title. Kelso later became the head coach at Mumford High School.

On April 29, 2013, Kelso was offered and accepted the head coach position for the varsity boys' basketball team at Waterford Kettering High School in Waterford, Michigan. After leaving for one season at Waterford Kettering, he took the same position over at Pontiac High School. He also periodically conducts his own basketball training program for youth, collegiate and professionals players in Michigan.

Career statistics

Legend

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field goal percentage	3P%	3-point field goal percentage	FT%	Free throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high

NBA

Source ^[2]

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	MPG	FG%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1973–74	Detroit	46	6.5	.365	.682	.7	.4	.3	.0	1.8

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	MPG	FG%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1974	Detroit	1	1.0	.000	–	1.0	1.0	.0	.0	.0

References

1. "From wretched deprivation to Coach of the Year: the rise - 03.05.90 - SI Vault". web.archive.org. August 5, 2011. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
2. "Ben Kelso NBA stats". Basketball Reference . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 17, 2025.

External links

• Ben Kelso NBA profile provided by basketballreference.com
• Ben Kelso moves over to Arthur Ashe school, The Southfield Jay (October 17, 2004)
• Kansas State hires Ben Kelso
• Ben Kelso's Fundamental Basketball Training