Grand sporting stage nothing new for Kentucky player’s family
It was St. Patrick’s Day. The year: 1944. The scene: the Boston Garden. Coleman “Coley” Welch, an orphan since age 8, raised by a sister and schooled on the streets of Boston, fought famed middleweight Jake LaMotta.
Later immortalized in the movie “Raging Bull” starring Robert De Niro in the title role, LaMotta won in a unanimous decision.
In a sense, Welch won, too.
“It went the distance,” John Welch said recently with unmistakable pride in his voice.
Coley Welch, who had been the third-ranked middleweight in the world the year before, went the full 10 rounds against LaMotta despite breaking a bone in a hand early in the fight.
John Welch is an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Clippers. His son, Riley Welch, transferred from the College of the Desert and will be a walk-on player for Kentucky this season.
Now, in a follow-up 75 years after his grandfather, Riley Welch will find himself on a grand sporting stage. He took a circuitous route to get there.
An all-conference player for a high school in Littleton, Colo., the younger Welch played as a freshman walk-on for UC Irvine in 2017-18. He averaged 5.3 minutes in 27 games.
“Then he wanted to earn a scholarship,” John Welch said of his son. So Riley Welch transferred to the College of the Desert. He averaged 8.2 points and 5.0 assists for the junior college.
A 6-foot guard, Riley Welch intended to transfer to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. But late in the process, he learned the program did not have a scholarship to offer.
“It was, like, heck, what am I going to do?” John Welch said. “To end up at Kentucky, for us is amazing.”
John Welch had known UK Coach John Calipari since the two worked in Memphis a decade earlier, Calipari as the University of Memphis coach and Welch as an assistant coach with the Grizzlies.
Welch called Calipari. He described his message to the UK coach succinctly. “Help!” he said he said. “Help!”
With Brad Calipari transferring from UK to Detroit Mercy, there was a spot for Riley Welch.
“I just feel we got lucky,” John Welch said, “and very fortunate.”
Landing at Kentucky continues what Riley Welch said has been a run of good fortune. It’s good to be the son of a coach who has worked on NBA staffs for approaching 20 years.
“I’m lucky because I’ve been exposed to so many great basketball minds and great basketball players,” Riley Welch said. The NBA coaches his father has called boss include George Karl, Jason Kidd and now Doc Rivers. As a college player and then assistant coach, John Welch played and worked for Jerry Tarkanian.
“I kind of grew up around people who had really cool experiences with basketball,” Riley Welch said. “And being around those people, I’ve had really cool experiences myself.”
For example, Riley Welch recalled dozing at a Clippers’ practice a few years ago. When he woke up, he saw Chris Paul approaching with a question. “Hey, you want to hop in (a workout) with me?”
To which, Riley Welch recalled thinking, “This is Chris Paul. Of course, I want to hop in.”
That was the first of many times Paul was “super nice to me,” Riley Welch said. “Just things like that are special. And I know most people don’t get the opportunity to have.”
Riley Welch wants to follow his father into the coaching profession. Being on the Kentucky team and getting instruction from a Hall of Fame coach should be instructive.
“It’s a game I love,” he said. “I’ve been around it since, well, I can’t remember not being around it. It gives me something to do. It gives me a purpose. I’m passionate about it.”
Having two years of college experience, Riley Welch envisions being able to contribute by putting things in perspective for younger teammates.
“You’re not a kid anymore,” he said. “This is big-time college basketball. … I know about how seriously people take these things. How much it affects you and your loved ones.”
John Welch advised his son to try to help UK basketball in any and all ways possible.
“Riley is going to benefit from this a lot more than Kentucky, obviously,” John Welch said. “His job is to be as useful as he can be. Just look for opportunities to be helpful. If it needs to be done, do it.
“Try to learn as much as you can. We’re just so fortunate.”
Important upcoming dates
Sept. 27: Big Blue Madness ticket distribution
Oct. 1: Media Day
Oct. 6: Pro Day
Oct. 11: Big Blue Madness
Oct. 16: SEC Media Day
Oct. 18: Blue-White Scrimmage
Oct. 27: Exhibition opener vs. Georgetown College
Nov. 1: Exhibition vs. Kentucky State
Nov. 5: Season opener vs. Michigan State
