Kelvin Lee Out At Chaminade After 16 Years As Basketball Coach

Late Tuesday afternoon, Chaminade College Preparatory School announced that longtime basketball coach Kelvin Lee "will be exploring other coaching opportunities" and will not be back on the Red Devil sidelines. 

Lee, coached 16 seasons at the Creve Coeur school, guided the program to a state championship in 2009, and this past season won conference and district championships.

The school named assistant Frank Bennett as his successor.

Lee spoke briefly with Patch by phone Tuesday and said he wasn't asked to leave. I've enjoyed 16 great years at Chaminade, he said, but added that he "felt in my heart, it was time."

Lee said he hadn't had a chance to talk with his players, including a nucleus which was bolstered by news that to play for his father Justin, newly named to coach at CBC. 

Multiple sources told STLhighschoolsports.com that Lee interviewed for the CBC position.

"Would love to land on my feet," Lee said in hoping that he would be back on a basketball sideline somewhere next season.

“I was prepared to coach under him for however long he would have me, and whenever he chose to take off I would seriously consider it," Bennett told STLhighschoolsports.com. "But it’s not something I saw coming like this.”

Players past and present weighed in via social media Tuesday and in some cases drew their own conclusions about what happened.

"My favorite coach, a mentor and my second father. Someone who did so much for me and always believed in me... Sad day," Tweeted senior guard Andy Kleinlein.

"Coach Lee was fired because....?" was how NBA rookie and 2011 Chaminade grad Bradley Beal put it on Twitter.

Chaminade Athletic Director Tom Fernandez could immediately be reached for comment.