VINCENT ASKEW, Head Coach

Vincent Askew spent three successful years with the Patroons, setting league and team scoring records. He also won the CBA's Most Valuable Player award twice, making him only the third player in CBA history to earn multiple league MVP awards. While with the Patroons, Askew spent two seasons under head coach George Karl (1988-89, 1990-91) and Gerald Oliver (1989-90). The Patroons' 1990-1991 season was one of the greatest regular season runs in basketball history, as head coach George Karl coached the Patroons to an incredible 50-6 regular season record with a perfect 28-0 record on their home court, the only pro basketball team to go undefeated on their home court in the regular season.

Vincent Askew, a 6'5 guard-forward from Memphis State University was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2nd round (39th overall) of the 1987 NBA Draft. Askew went on to play in nine NBA seasons for eight different teams, including the 76ers, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, Seattle SuperSonics, New Jersey Nets, Indiana Pacers, Denver Nuggets and the Portland Trail Blazers. He played in 467 games and scored a total of 3,313 points during his NBA career. While in the NBA, Askew played for coaching greats such as George Karl, Larry Brown and Mike Dunleavy.

Askew joins the Albany Patroons after serving as head coach for the Tacoma Navigators of the American Basketball Association.

Assistant Coach: Tim Moseman

KEVIN KEATHLEY, Head Coach

Coach Kevin Keathley has spent eight years coaching basketball on the college and pro levels. Keathley began his career as an assistant coach at Lees College in his home state of Kentucky. He served as the Lees College top assistant and later interim head coach. Following his stint at Lees, Keathley joined the coaching staff at Saint Catharine College, where the Patriots averaged 95.6 points per game in 2002. After two years at Saint Catharine, Keathley was named Head Coach and Director of Basketball Operations for the Louisville Eagles of the UPBL. Keathley guided Louisville to the 2003 UPBL championship. 

In 2004, Keathley was named Head Coach of the ABA's Kentucky Colonels. The Keathley-coached Colonels finished the 2005 season 21-12, falling to eventual champion Arkansas in the second round of the playoffs. The Colonels ranked fourth in the Massey Ratings. Keathley was named the ABA Coach of the Year following the 2005 season. At the time, he was the youngest head coach in all of pro basketball. In 2006, Pro Basketball News ranked Keathley as one of the top 10 young coaches in America. Most recently, Keathley was the top assistant coach of the ABA's Rio Grande Valley Silverados.

The East Kentucky Miners Coach has authored a book on basketball, entitled Hardwood Constitution - A Blueprint to Coaching Success. Keathley has returned to coach in Eastern Kentucky, where he spent most of his childhood.   

Contact Coach Kevin Keathley at coachkeathley@ekminers.com

MICHAEL SANDERS , Head Coach

Michael Sanders begins this season as the Minot Skyrocket’s head coach. Before joining the Skyrockets, he was an assistant coach in the NBA under Sam Vincent with the Charlotte Bobcats.

Sanders began his coaching career in 1998 with a one-year stint as an assistant coach with the Wisconsin Blast of the International Basketball Association. He then spent one season as the head coach of the Black Hills Gold of the IBA (1999-2000) before accepting a head coaching position with the Washington Congressionals (2000) of the United States Basketball League. He moved to the Detroit Pistons as an assistant coach (2000-2001). He returned to the USBL, serving two seasons as the head coach of the Adirondack Wildcats (2002-2004).

Sanders’ successful 11-year NBA playing career began in 1982. His career included stays in San Antonio, Phoenix, Cleveland, and Indiana. He averaged 8.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists over 648 career games.

A native of DeRidder, Louisiana, Sanders was inducted into the Louisiana Hall of Fame on June 24th, 2000. He graduated from UCLA in 1982 with a bachelor’s degree in History.

Sanders has a son, Lamar, and a daughter Kendra.

Email Coach Sanders at info@minotskyrockets.com

CARLOS KNOX, Head Coach

Knox brings CBA head coaching experience to the Xplosion. Last year, he led the Indiana Alley Cats to a 23-25 record in his first season.

Knox began his coaching career at IUPUI in 2001 and helped lead his alma mater to its first ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2003 as an assistant. In 2005-06, Knox was an Alley Cats’ assistant as the team went 28-4 in the ABA.

As a player, Knox became the most prolific player in IUPUI history. He holds the school’s career records for points, points-per-game and steals. He played professionally in the NBA with the Indiana Pacers and internationally in Croatia, Germany and Venezuela, before suffering a career-ending knee injury.

Assistant Coach: Pablo Redwood
Assistant Coach: Devaughn Halsel

MICHAEL RAY RICHARDSON, Head Coach

Michael Ray Richardson was born in Lubbock, Texas but grew up in Denver, Colorado.  He played basketball for Manual High School where he lead them to a 25-1 record. After high school, he went on to attend the University of Montana on a basketball scholarship where he graduated in ’78 with a B.A in Physical Education. 

Michael serves as the all-time leading scorer at the University of Montana and was also named First Team All-Defense in the Big Sky Conference all four years of college.  They just recently inducted Michael into the Hall of Fame in 2004 at the University of Montana. 

In 1979, Michael Ray was drafted number 4 in the first round by the New York Knicks, making history at Montana as the first and to this day, only basketball player to be drafted into the NBA.  He played for the Knicks for the next four years where he became a rising star being selected to the NBA All-Defensive Team in ’79-’80 and ’80-’81 and earning a spot on the NBA All-Star Team in ’80, ’81, and ’82.  Michael not only lead the NBA in assists in ’79-’80 with 10.1 average assists per game but also in steals during the same season of ’79-’80 plus in  ’82-’83 and ’84-’85.

During his career with the Knicks, Michael recorded 810 steals in four seasons which is 2nd in all-time Knicks history, only behind to Patrick Ewing. He has the most steals in a season for three consecutive years, more than any other Knicks player in history.  Michael also is listed 2nd in assists in Knicks history with a record of 832 assists earned from ’79-’82. 

After leaving the Knicks, Michael Ray went on to play a partial season with Golden State in October 1982 before being traded to New Jersey Nets in February 1983. Michael continued his NBA career with the Nets through 1986 where he made his 4th and final All-Star appearance during the season of ’84-‘85 and became the first player to win three NBA steals titles. During this season he was named NBA Comeback Player of the Year.  Michael Ray currently ranks 3rd on the Nets all-time assists list with 1,410 assists and 5th on the Nets all-time steals list with 552 steals.

After leaving the NBA, Michael began playing professional basketball again in 1988 overseas.  He played for Kinder Bologna for the next three years winning la Coppa dogli Coppas in ’89 and the Euro Cup in ’90.  Michael moved around playing for Split Cor. Croatia from ’91-’92 and Livorno Italia from ’92-‘94 before settling with OAJLP Antibes France from ’94-’97 only to win the French Championship in ’95. France seemed to be a place that he clicked well with and the country loved him as he brought home the French Cup while playing for the Cholet France team in ’97-’98.  Michael concluded his professional basketball career overseas while playing his last two seasons with Forli Italy from ’98-’99 and Livorno Italy from ’99-’00. 

Once retired from playing basketball professionally, Michael’s love and passion for basketball kept him in the industry.  He worked in the Public Relations Department for the NBA Paris office from 2000-2001 while also scouting and recruiting new talent worldwide for Interperformance Italy from 2000-2003.  After returning to the United States in 2003, Michael Ray scouted for the Denver Nuggets and served as a Community Ambassador for the team until 2005. 

Michael began his professional coaching career in 2005 serving as head coach of the Albany Pattroons in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA).  During 2006- 2007 Michael lead his team to the CBA Championships and lost to the returning champions, Yakama Sun Kings.  Due to his success that year, he was asked to serve as head coach of the Eastern CBA All-Star Team which they lost in overtime.  He also earned CBA Coach of the Month in December 2006. 

Currently, Michael resides in Lawton, OK where he serves as head coach of the new CBA expansion team, Lawton Fort Sill Cavalry.  He has joined forces with his dear friend and former teammate of the NJ Nets, Otis Birdsong who is the current President and General Manager, and the two are determined to win a championship together.

Michael is currently married and has five children ranging from 5 to 30 years of age. 

Email Coach Richardson at michaelray@lfscavs.com