West Chester University of Pennsylvania Men's Basketball

Blair enters his ninth season at West Chester University continuing to build upon a program that has reached the conference finals in three of the past five seasons and has grown into a perennial conference power. The school's second all-time leading scorer has authored an overall record of 148-79 (.652) in his eight years on West Chester's bench with six postseason tournament appearances, four conference semifinal appearances (2012, 2013, 2014, 2016) and three PSAC Championship Game appearances (2012, 2014, 2016). Under Blair's tutelage, West Chester has posted a 20-win season in three of the last four campaigns. Last season, Blair guided his charges to a 23-7 mark, a spot in the PSAC Championship Game and a second trip to the NCAA Tournament in the past three campaigns. He did all of that with a pair of freshmen in his back court running the offense. Along the way, senior forward Matt Wiseley was named NABC All-Atlantic Region while also taking home PSAC East Defensive Player of the Year honors. Malik Jackson was the PSAC East Freshman of the Year as well. West Chester cracked into the NABC national poll for the first time since 2009 and rose as high as 16th in the country. That marked the Golden Rams' highest national ranking since 2003. Two years ago, the Golden Rams finished in second place in the highly competitive PSAC Eastern Division and reached the postseason tournament. A first-round loss at home to Kutztown ended their campaign prematurely. In 2013-14, West Chester cracked the 20-win plateau for the first time in a decade and the first time under Blair's watch. The Golden Rams finished with a 20-8 record and finished second in the PSAC East with a 17-5 mark. WCU's 17 conference wins also set a record for most in a single season in school history. The Golden Rams defeated Millersville in the PSAC Quarterfinals, before falling to eventual champion Indiana, Pa., in the semifinals.The 20 wins set a new season record in Blair's five years at his alma mater while the team's appearance in the conference semifinals was West Chester's second straight. In 2011-12, Blair guided his charges to a 19-win season and helped the Golden Rams finish third in the PSAC Eastern Division. The Golden Rams upset Bloomsburg in the first round of the conference tournament, and when East Stroudsburg upset top-seeded Kutztown, West Chester earned the right to host the conference semifinals and finals as the highest remaining seed in the East. Blair engineered an upset win over conference favorite and nationally ranked Indiana (Pa.) in the semifinals, landing the.Golden Rams in the PSAC Championship Game. West Chester came up short in the title game, but the taste of having a conference crown within his grasp has Blair itching to get another crack at the title. In 2009-10, Blair led the Golden Rams to a 18-9 overall record and a 5-9 conference mark during one of the most competitive league slates in quite some time. That seasons Eastern Division champion suffered five losses in conference play. It is Blairs mission this winter to orchestrate a return to the PSAC semifinals and with it a shot at a PSAC championship. Blair led West Chester to the PSAC postseason tournament in his first season on the sideline in 2008-09, after inheriting a squad that had not reached the playoffs the previous two campaigns. One of the top guards in school history, Blair made a big splash in his first season as head coach at his alma mater. The Golden Rams finished 18-10 overall and 9-5 in conference play, finishing third overall in the Eastern Division and leading the Rams to the quarterfinals of the PSAC postseason tournament. A loss to cross-town rival Cheyney ended Blairs inaugural season prematurely. In his first two seasons on the bench, Blair mentored three first-team All-PSAC players and four all-leaguers total. Former all-league selection, Ralph Hegamin, continued his basketball career overseas in Portugal. Hegamin was also an All-ECAC pick and two-time Herb Good all-star selection under Blairs tutelage. Additionally, one former Golden Rams player, Kenneth St. George, was named to the PSAC academic honor roll both years with Blair while also being named a two-time recipient of the Arthur Ashe Scholar-Athlete Award. The programs second all-time leading scorer during his playing days, Blair became the programs fifth head coach since 1960 and the first African-American mentor in program history in July 2008. He made the leap into the college game from the high school ranks where he led nearby Downingtown High School to the Ches-Mont League boys basketball championship -- the first title in school history -- in 2007 and a spot in the PIAA state playoffs for the fourth time during his tenure. Overall, Blair compiled a high school career coaching record of 173-78 (.689). Blair left Downingtown High as the schools all-time winningest boys basketball coach. He was named the coach of the year as well as Ches-mont League coach of the year his final season. During his collegiate playing career, Blair set seven individual scoring records on the career, season and game levels. His 2,025 career points stands second all-time at West Chester University and ninth all-time in PSAC history.   The flashy guard was a two-time PSAC East player of the year (1994, 1995) and four-time all-league selection, including three first-team nods, during his illustrious playing career. Blair was inducted into the Messikomer Mens Basketball Hall of Fame at West Chester University in 2001. Blair played semi-professional basketball with the Delaware Blue Bombers of the United States Basketball League for a brief stint after his college career came to a close and was even invited to the Philadelphia 76ers tryout camp in 1996. Blair received his bachelors of science degree in Education from WCU in May 2006 and is a certified Health & Physical Education instructor in the state of Pennsylvania. He completed his masters in Athletic Administration from WCU in May 2007. Blair resides in Downingtown, Pa., with his wife, Carolyn, a 1997 graduate of West Chester University and former womens basketball player under former womens head coach Deirdre Kane. The couple has four children: Hunter (15), Dylan (13), Autumn (11) and Hayden (9).

Head Coach Damien Blair completed his 17th season at the helm of the Golden Rams in 2024-25. In his 17 years with the Purple & Gold, Blair boasts a 304-160(.655) overall record with five NCAA Tournament appearances in the last 10 years. Blair has orchestrated a 209-111(.653) mark in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) contests throughout his tenure, and under his tutelage, the Golden Rams have landed inside the top-three of the PSAC East standings nine times, including an outright PSAC Title in 2024-25 and a share of the regular-season title in 2022-23 along with six second-place finishes. West Chester has advanced to the PSAC Championship Game on three occasions. The West Chester University alum boasts a 12-14 record in the PSAC Tournament and a 1-5 record in the NCAA Tournament. Last season, Blair earned PSAC East Coach of the Year honors for the first time in his career after leading the Golden Rams to a record of 23-7 overall and 18-3 in league action, culminating in the teams first outright PSAC East Regular Season crown since 2006. West Chester enjoyed a 12-game winning streak during this season, which began in Mid-November and lasted into early January, which was the team's longest winning streak since the 2019-20 season. With three All-League selections in Davante Dennis, Elijah Allen, and Joshua Walker, West Chester returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018-19, falling to third-seeded Virginia State at West Liberty by an 80-64 final in the Round of 64. During this historic season, Blair also notched his 300th career win, becoming just the second WCU coach to reach this milestone when the Golden Rams toppled Mansfield by an 84-76 final on Senior Day on February 8.  In 2023-24, Blair guided West Chester back to the PSAC Tournament as the fourth seed in the PSAC East and after defeating Shepherd in the First Round of the PSAC Tournament before falling to Lock Haven and ending the year with a record of 19-11 overall and a mark of 15-7 in league action. Blair saw two of his players eclipse the 1,000-point plateau in 2023-24 as Robert Smith did so first as part of a 100-97 road victory over No. 9 and previously unbeaten California (Pa.) before Elijah Allen accomplished the feat on January 10 vs Shepherd. Smith became the first WCU player to score all 1,000 points at WCU since Matt Penecale and Jackson Hyland in 2018-19. On the Golden Rams regular-season finale and Senior Day, Blair and the Golden Rams made national headlines after orchestrating a surprise reunion for graduate student forward Jordan Kellier and his parents, who were visiting from Jamaica to watch him play for the first time in his collegiate career. Kellier earned PSAC East Defensive Player of the Year honors and First Team All-Conference recognition nad was joined on the First Team by Allen while Smith was named Second Team All-League for the third year in a row.  In his 15th season, Blair guided West Chester to its seventh 20+-win season, ending the campaign with a record of 21-8 overall and a mark of 16-6 in PSAC East action en route to a share of the squad’s first PSAC East Regular Season title since 2006. This effort, which included a sweep of East Stroudsburg for the first time since the 2008-09 season, also saw the Golden Rams score the most points they ever have against the Warriors in a 106-98 victory in Hollinger Field House. Blair also mentored a pair of All-PSAC East honorees once again as Kyle McGee secured First Team honors while Robert Smith was named Second Team All-League for the second year in a row. Coming off a shutdown of athletics due to the COVID-19 pandemic that wiped out the 2020-21 campaign, Blair guided his squad to a 17-12 overall record and a fourth-place finish and an opening round win in the PSAC Tournament that pushed West Chester into the quarterfinals. Two Golden Rams were named all-conference in the postseason announcements. He did all of this without a senior on his roster. The 2019-20 campaign saw West Chester finishing the regular season with a 20-10 record, including a 13-game win streak to start the year, to earn third place in the PSAC East standings. With West Chester sitting at 13-0 to start the winter, the Golden Rams climbed to as high as eighth in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division II national poll - it's highest ranking since 1983 - the school's first year at Division II, after re-classifying from Division I the previous year. West Chester continued its upward projection in 2018-19, as the Golden Rams broke multiple records on their way to the 2019 NCAA DII Atlantic Regional. After starting the season at 6-5, WCU went on to win its next 15 straight contests to set a new school record for most consecutive victories in program history. In the midst of all the winning, Blair became just the second West Chester men's basketball coach in history to eclipse the 200-win plateau, which secured Blair the No. 2 spot on WCU's all-time wins list behind his former mentor and Messikomer Hall of Famer, Dick Delaney, who ended his 21-year career with 370 victories - a number that stands as the fourth most by any PSAC coach in conference history. The Golden Rams capped off the 2018-19 season as one of the most dominating rebounding units in the entire country. Heading into the postseason, West Chester paced NCAA DII in total rebounds per game (45.3) and offensive rebounds per game (18.1), while sitting fourth in the nation in both total rebounds (1,359) and rebounding margin (+10.5).  Individually, the 2018-19 Golden Rams featured three All-PSAC selections in Jackson Hyland (First Team), Matt Penecale (Second Team) and Malik Jackson (Second Team). Hyland ended his illustrious career as a two-time All-PSAC selection and his 1,448 career points are the 10th most by a Golden Ram in program history. He continued his basketball career overseas in England for a season following graduation. A two-time Academic All-District selection by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), Penecale capped off his career with the Purple & Gold as the program's all-time career leader in assists (505) and No. 2 on the West Chester all-time career free throw percentage list (.869). A former PSAC East Freshman of the Year, Jackson's 81 triples in 2018-19 were the third most makes by any WCU men's basketball player in history. Jackson graduated in 2020 as the school's fourth all-time leading scorer with 1,826 career points. West Chester tallied a 22-7 overall record in 2017-18 to qualify for the NCAA Atlantic Regional for the second time in the last three years. Entering the tournament as the sixth seed. West Chester managed to clip the favored Cardinals, 82-77, inside the Virginia State University Multi-Purpose Center to give the Golden Rams their first NCAA Tournament win in nine appearances. During the 2015-16 campaign, Blair guided his charges to a 23-7 mark, a spot in the PSAC Championship Game and a second trip to the NCAA Tournament in the past three campaigns. He did all of that with a pair of freshmen in his backcourt running the offense. Along the way, senior forward Matt Wiseley was named NABC All-Atlantic Region while also taking home PSAC East Defensive Player of the Year honors. Malik Jackson was the PSAC East Freshman of the Year as well. West Chester cracked into the NABC national poll for the first time since 2009 and rose as high as 16th in the country. That marked the Golden Rams' highest national ranking since 2003. In 2013-14, West Chester cracked the 20-win plateau for the first time in a decade and the first time under Blair's watch. The Golden Rams finished with a 20-8 record and finished second in the PSAC East with a 17-5 mark. WCU's 17 conference wins also set a record for most in a single season in school history. The Golden Rams defeated Millersville in the PSAC Quarterfinals, before falling to eventual champion Indiana, Pa., in the semifinals. The 20 wins set a new season record in Blair's five years at his alma mater while the team's appearance in the conference semifinals was West Chester's second straight. In 2011-12, Blair guided his charges to a 19-win season and helped the Golden Rams finish third in the PSAC Eastern Division. The Golden Rams upset Bloomsburg in the first round of the conference tournament, and when East Stroudsburg upset top-seeded Kutztown, West Chester earned the right to host the conference semifinals and finals as the highest remaining seed in the East. Blair engineered an upset win over conference favorite and nationally ranked Indiana (Pa.) in the semifinals, landing the Golden Rams in the PSAC Championship Game. In 2009-10, Blair led the Golden Rams to a 18-9 overall record and a 5-9 conference mark during one of the most competitive league slates in quite some time. That season’s Eastern Division champion suffered five losses in conference play. It was Blair’s mission that winter to orchestrate a return to the PSAC semifinals and with it a shot at a PSAC championship. Blair led West Chester to the PSAC postseason tournament in his first season on the sideline in 2008-09, after inheriting a squad that had not reached the playoffs the previous two campaigns. One of the top guards in school history, Blair made a big splash in his first season as head coach at his alma mater. The Golden Rams finished 18-10 overall and 9-5 in conference play, finishing third overall in the Eastern Division and leading the Rams to the quarterfinals of the PSAC postseason tournament. A loss to cross-town rival Cheyney ended Blair’s inaugural season prematurely. In his first two seasons on the bench, Blair mentored three first-team All-PSAC players and four all-leaguers total. Former all-league selection, Ralph Hegamin, continued his basketball career overseas in Portugal. Hegamin was also an All-ECAC pick and two-time Herb Good all-star selection under Blair’s tutelage. Additionally, one former Golden Rams player, Kenneth St. George, was named to the PSAC academic honor roll both years with Blair while also being named a two-time recipient of the Arthur Ashe Scholar-Athlete Award. The program’s second all-time leading scorer during his playing days, Blair became the program’s fifth head coach since 1960 and the first African-American mentor in program history in July 2008. He made the leap into the college game from the high school ranks where he led nearby Downingtown High School to the Ches-Mont League boys’ basketball championship -- the first title in school history -- in 2007 and a spot in the PIAA state playoffs for the fourth time during his tenure. Overall, Blair compiled a high school career coaching record of 173-78 (.689). Blair left Downingtown High as the school’s all-time winningest boy’s basketball coach. He was named the Daily Local News coach of the year as well as Ches-Mont League coach of the year his final season. During his collegiate playing career, Blair set seven individual scoring records on the career, season and game levels. His 2,025 career points stands second all-time at West Chester University and 12th all-time in PSAC history.   The flashy guard was a two-time PSAC East player of the year (1994, 1995) and four-time all-league selection, including three first-team nods, during his illustrious playing career. Blair was inducted into the Messikomer Men’s Basketball Hall of Fame at West Chester University in 2001. Blair played semi-professional basketball with the Delaware Blue Bombers of the United States Basketball League for a brief stint, after his college career came to a close and was even invited to the Philadelphia 76ers tryout camp in 1996. Blair received his bachelor’s of science degree in Education from WCU in May 2006 and is a certified Health & Physical Education instructor in the state of Pennsylvania. He completed his master’s in Athletic Administration from WCU in May 2007. Blair resides in Downingtown, Pa., with his wife, Carolyn, a 1997 graduate of West Chester University and former women’s basketball player under former women’s head coach Deirdre Kane. The couple has four children: Hunter, Dylan, Autumn and Hayden. Hunter graduated from West Chester University while Dylan is a sophomore at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point where he plays basketball for ArmyWest Point. Autumn will attend the University of Florida on a women's lacrosse scholarship.   YEAR SCHOOL OVERALL PCT CONFERENCE PCT NOTES 2008-09 West Chester 18-10 .643 9-5 (3rd) .643 PSAC Quarterfinals 2009-10 West Chester 16-11 .593 5-9 (T, 6th) .357 2010-11 West Chester 14-12 .538 5-9 (T, 6th) .357 2011-12 West Chester 19-10 .655 14-8 (3rd) .636 PSAC Championship Game 2012-13 West Chester 20-8 .714 17-5 (2nd) .773 PSAC Semifinals 2013-14 West Chester 20-10 .667 11-5 (2nd) .688 PSAC Championship Game ; NCAA Tournament 2014-15 West Chester 16-13 .552 14-8 (T, 2nd) .636 PAC Quarterfinals 2015-16 West Chester 23-7 .767 17-5 (2nd) .773 PSAC Championship Game ; NCAA Tournament 2016-17 West Chester 14-15 .483 11-11 (T, 4th) .500 PSAC Quarterfinals 2017-18 West Chester 22-7 .759 17-5 (T, 2nd) .773 PSAC Quarterfinals ; NCAA Tournament 2018-19 West Chester 22-9 .710 17-5 (T, 2nd) .800 PSAC Semifinals ; NCAA Tournament 2019-20 West Chester 20-10 .667 13-9 (3rd) .591 PSAC Quarterfinals 2020-21 West Chester season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic 2021-22 West Chester 17-12 .586 10-11 (4th) .476 PSAC Quarterfinals 2022-23 West Chester     21-8 .724 16-6 (T, 1st) .727 PSAC Quarterfinals 2023-24 West Chester   19-11 .633 15-7 (4th) .682 PSAC Quarterfinals 2024-25 West Chester     23-7 .767 18-3 .857 PSAC Quarterfinals, NCAA Tournament, PSAC East Coach of the Year 16 years 304-160 .655 209-111 .653 5 NCAA Tournaments; 3 PSAC Champ. Game Apps.

Kay enters his second season as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for West Chester University.     During Kay's first year at West Chester produced a 23-7 record, playing in the conference championship game and receiving a bid to the NCAA tournament.  Kay assists with skill development, scouting reports, video coordination, X's and O's and operations.  During his first recruiting year they brought in seven new players to join the Golden Ram's Roster. Kay runs the West Chester University spring team camp as well, where over 32 high school teams attended. Additionally, he did the first ever West Chester University Elite Camp, where 100 student-athletes came to participate and take a tour of the campus.  Along with the team and elite camp, Kay helps coordinate the West Chester University varsity and junior varsity summer league.   Kay also started a mentoring program where each current player is matched up with West Chester University basketball alumni as well as a business professional.  The goal is to link players with successful alumni that may or may not vein their field of study, in hopes that they will learn the necessary skills to be productive after basketball.   Benjamin served as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at Immaculata University from 2011-15.  Benjamin worked with all facets of the program at Immaculata.  He led recruiting efforts in PA, NJ, NY, DE, MD, and FL while also aiding in the preparation of practice and game plans. Over the course of four years at Immaculata, Kay helped lead the team to four straight playoff appearances.   Over the summer, Kay is a director of the West Chester University day camps and skills camps.  He also worked as a co-director at the University of Pennsylvania Basketball Camp, the Herb Magee Shooting Camp, the Drexel University Basketball Camp, the Sixers Camp, the Nike Elite Camp, and Hoop Group events.   Kay also serves as the director of the AND 1 Treasure Beach Jamaican Youth Basketball Camp.  He oversaw all aspects of the program, including fundraising, organization, and staffing.  The camp raises over $30,000 each year to help bring basketball to Jamaica and give back to the game.   During the summer of 2010 and 2011, Kay was a head coach in the Sonny Hill College Basketball League. After that season, he has remained involved with the Sonny Hill League as a co-director.   Kay is a native of Ardmore, Pa., attended Harriton High School, where he was a three-year member of the varsity team and captain during his senior year. Benjamin also played in the Narberth Basketball League for six seasons, while being named the league's most dedicated player and a three-time all-star.   Kay completed the five-year co-op program at Drexel University with a bachelor's degree in business and marketing in June of 2012. He is currently working towards his master's in Sport Administration at West Chester University.

Ben Kay enters his fourth year in as the program's top assistant after rejoining Coach Blair's staff in September of 2021, succeeding Dane Watts who had stepped down from his post in August of 2021. Kay, who is no stranger to the Golden Rams, having served as an assistant coach during the 2015-16 and 16-17 seasons,  returns to the Golden Rams staff after spending the last two seasons as the Director of Basketball Operations at Division I Rider University after serving as the Director of Player Development for the Broncs during the 2018-19 season. Kay spent 2017-18 as Head Coach at Penn State Brandywine, leading the Lions to one of the top seasons in program history. During the 2017-18 campaign, Kay led Brandywine to its first-ever conference championship after reaching the title game for the first time since 1991 and an appearance at the USCAA Tournament. Kay was named Sam Cozen Small College Coach of the Year after leading the Lions to more than 20 games for the first time in 12 years. The Lions became the first men's team from Brandywine to win a national tournament game when they knocked off NHTI, reaching the national semifinals. Brandywine led the conference in points scored (86) and turnovers forced (23). Under Kay's tutelage, three players garnered USCAA All-American awards. Kay's first season began with a regular-season game at the Palestra against Penn, Brandywine's first-ever against an NCAA Division I opponent. Overall, the Lions posted a 21-8 record, finishing second in the PSUAC during the regular season before ousting Penn State Wilkes Barre in the conference championship game.   After two successful seasons as an assistant men's basketball coach and recruiting coordinator at West Chester University, Kay joined the Brandywine athletic staff. During his first season at West Chester, Kay helped guide the Golden Rams to a top-25 ranking, and the best record in program history as West Chester reached the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament championship and received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament.   Included among his duties at West Chester was scouting opponents, game planning both offensive and defensive strategies, running team and individual film sessions, and fundraising. Kay was also the lead recruiter for the team, scouting high school and AAU games and working with coaches to recruit some of the most talented student-athletes in the mid-Atlantic region.   While at West Chester, Kay began a mentoring program for the men's basketball team, matching student-athletes with basketball alumni and business professionals. The goal of the mentoring program was to build relationships while also teaching student-athletes professional skills and lessons necessary for a successful career outside of basketball following graduation.   Kay also co-directed West Chester's summer day camps and skills camps, some of the largest of their kind on the east coast, while also co-directing a team camp and high school league during the summer, annually featuring 30 teams from the Greater Philadelphia area.   In 2012, Kay co-founded the Treasure Beach Jamaican Youth Basketball Camp and currently serves as the camp director. At the camp, which serves underprivileged youth in Jamaica, teaching basketball skills and teamwork, Kay oversees 25 counselors and over 400 campers annually during the week-long event. He also manages the finances for the camp, which has fundraised $50,000.   Before his time at West Chester, Kay served as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator for the Immaculata University men's basketball team. At Immaculata, he led recruiting in the tri-state area while also aiding in all aspects of player development, game-day preparation, and opponent scouting.   Kay began his coaching career as an undergraduate student at Drexel University, where he was a practice player and student assistant coach for the Dragons' women's basketball team for four seasons.   A 2012 graduate of Drexel, Kay earned his bachelor's degree in business and marketing. He's also earned his master's degree in public administration and sports management at West Chester University.  Coach Kay enjoys fishing in his spare time.  His family includes his wife Lindsey, Brody 3, Drew 6 months, and dog Hoops.