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Winthrop coach Pat Kelsey gives emotional speech after Ohio State game in wake of Newtown shooting

Pat Kelsey

Winthrop coach Pat Kelsey used the power of his microphone after his team played No. 4 Ohio State Tuesday night to voice his opinion in the wake of the elementary school shootings in Newtown, Conn.

Kelsey made an emotional reference to his daughters in his comments, also calling on the country’s leaders to bring about change.

“I didn’t vote for President Obama, ok, but you know what? He’s my president now. He’s my leader,” he said. “I need him to step up. Mr. Boehner, the Speaker of the house, he’s a Xavier guy. He’s a Cincinnati guy. He needs to step up...This has to be a time for change.”

“I know this microphone is powerful right now because we’re playing the fourth best team in the country. I’m not going to microphone like this the rest of the year, maybe the rest of my life. And I’m going to be an agent of change with the thirteen young men that I get to coach every day and the two little girls that I get to raise.”

Kelsey is the second Division I coach to publicly speak about the gun issue since the Newtown shooting. Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim did the same after winning his 900th game Monday night.

Daniel Martin is a writer and editor at JohnnyJungle.com, covering St. John’s. You can find him on Twitter:@DanielJMartin_