Brian Kelly (coach)
Encyclopedia
Brian Keith Kelly is an American football
coach and former player in the United States. He is currently the head football coach at the University of Notre Dame
, a position he has held since the 2010 season. Kelly was previously head coach at the Grand Valley State University
(1991–2003), Central Michigan University
(2004–2006), and the University of Cincinnati
(2006–2009).
, and was raised in an Irish American
Catholic family in Chelsea, Massachusetts
. He attended St. John's Preparatory School in Danvers, Massachusetts
. His father was a Boston
politician. He was a four-year letter winner at Assumption College
as a linebacker. After graduating from Assumption in 1983 with a bachelor's degree in political science he served as linebackers coach, defensive coordinator, and softball coach from 1983–86 at Assumption.
staff in 1987 as a graduate assistant and defensive backs coach for Coach Tom Beck
and became the defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator in 1989. Kelly took over as head coach in 1991. In his final three seasons the Lakers went 41–2, at one point winning 20 consecutive games. The Lakers went 14–0 in 2002 en route to their first national title and went 14–1 in 2003 when they claimed their second National Championship. Kelly was named the AFCA Division II Coach of the Year after each of these championship years.
In his 13 years as head coach at Grand Valley State, the Lakers won five conference titles and made six Division II Playoff appearances. Grand Valley State never finished lower than third in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference under Kelly.
The 2001 team set 77 NCAA, GLIAC, and school records, including setting the all-time Division II scoring record, averaging 58.4 points per game.
His record in 13 years at Grand Valley State University was 118–35–2.
after the departure of Mike DeBord
following the 2003 season. Kelly inherited a team with limited success. Central Michigan had won more than 3 games only once in the previous four seasons. CMU finished with a 4–7 record in 2004. In Kelly's second year at Central Michigan
he coached the team to a 6–5 record, the first winning season in seven years for the Chippewas. In his third season, the Chippewas posted a 9–4 record under Kelly en route to winning the MAC Championship and qualifying for the Motor City Bowl
. At the end of the 2006 season, Kelly left to accept the Cincinnati coaching vacancy three days after CMU won the 2006 MAC Championship. He did not coach CMU in their bowl game. Kelly's record at Central Michigan in three seasons was 19–16.
. In an unusual move, Cincinnati elected not to appoint an interim coach and asked Kelly to assume his duties immediately by coaching the Bearcats in their bowl game. Central Michigan was also preparing for a bowl appearance, so while Kelly was in Cincinnati preparing the Bearcats, much of his staff remained at Central Michigan to coach the Chippewas. Following Central Michigan's 31–14 win in the Motor City Bowl
on December 26, most of his staff joined him in Cincinnati, where they went on to coach Cincinnati to a 27–24 victory over Western Michigan University
in that year's International Bowl
on January 6. Cincinnati's victory gave Kelly the unique distinction of having defeated the same team twice in a season as coach of two different teams (Central Michigan had defeated Western Michigan 31-7 earlier that season).
In his first full season, Kelly led Cincinnati to a competitive position in the Big East; the Bearcats' second ever 10-win season (its first since 1949); and a Top 25 ranking. On December 5, 2007, Kelly was named Big East
Coach of the Year after leading the Bearcats to a 9–3 record. Coach Kelly later led the Bearcats to a 31–21 victory in the PapaJohns.com Bowl
over Southern Miss
.
In 2008, Kelly led Cincinnati to its first ever outright Big East title with key wins over West Virginia
and Pittsburgh. The Bearcats had never defeated either team in Big East conference play. Kelly also became the first coach to win all three of the Bearcats' traveling trophies: the Victory Bell (Miami, OH), the Keg of Nails (Louisville), and the River City Rivalry Trophy (Pitt). The Bearcats played in the Orange Bowl versus the ACC
champion, Virginia Tech on January 1, 2009 but lost 20–7.
After beginning the 2009 season
unranked in all polls, Kelly's Bearcats reeled off 12 straight victories and finished the regular season undefeated. Going into the bowl season, they were ranked #3 in the BCS Standings and faced the Florida Gators
in the Sugar Bowl
. Kelly did not coach the team in the loss to the Florida Gators because of his departure to Notre Dame.
Among the honors that Cincinnati football achieved in 2009 is the highest academic rating among teams in the top 10 of the current BCS standings, according to the latest Graduation Success Rates, released Wednesday by the NCAA. Cincinnati, which is fifth in the BCS standings, checked in with a 75 percent NCAA graduation rate and a 71 percent federal government rate, the only team in the BCS top 10 to surpass the 70 percent plateau in both.
Kelly finished his tenure at Cincinnati with a 34–6 record.
as Notre Dame
's head coach. On December 10, Kelly announced that he had taken the position at Notre Dame
. He also made the decision to not coach the Bearcats in the 2010 Sugar Bowl on January 1, 2010 despite statements to his players to do so and an outside chance at a national championship.
He then got another loss at home against Stanford before beating Boston College, to put the Irish at 2-3.
On October 9, Kelly led the Fighting Irish to a 23-17 win over University of Pittsburgh, snapping Notre Dame's 2-game losing streak to the Panthers taking the Irish to a 3-3 record on the season.
Kelly led Notre Dame to a 44-20 win over Western Michigan to up the Irish's winning streak to three games. The next week they faced Navy losing 35-17 to drop to 4-4 overall.
When the Irish faced Tulsa, they were upset 28-27 following Dayne Crist's injury in the second quarter. They sent out second string QB Tommy Rees who threw an interception with 30 seconds left in the game. Two weeks later Notre Dame played against No. 14 Utah, who was heavily favored. Utah was leading 3-0 early, but a special teams touchdown after a deflected punt and three Rees TD passes lifted the Notre Dame lead to 28-3. The victory over Utah gave Kelly a 5-5 record. Notre Dame followed that win up with a 27-3 victory over Army to make Kelly and Irish bowl eligible. In the final game of the season, Notre Dame snapped an 8 game losing streak against its rival USC, winning 20-16 on strong defense and despite 4 Irish turnovers. In 2010, Notre Dame's regular season schedule was ranked the most difficult schedule in the nation with a Team Opposition Record Percentage of .6529 (the poll published by the NCAA only includes wins against Division 1 teams).
**Departed Cincinnati for Notre Dame before bowl game
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach and former player in the United States. He is currently the head football coach at the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, a position he has held since the 2010 season. Kelly was previously head coach at the Grand Valley State University
Grand Valley State University
Grand Valley State University is a public liberal arts university located in Allendale, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1960, and its main campus is situated on approximately west of Grand Rapids...
(1991–2003), Central Michigan University
Central Michigan University
Central Michigan University is a public research university located in Mount Pleasant in the U.S. state of Michigan...
(2004–2006), and the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
(2006–2009).
Early years
Kelly was born in Everett, MassachusettsEverett, Massachusetts
Everett is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, near Boston. The population was 41,667 at the 2010 census.Everett is the last city in the United States with a bicameral legislature, which is composed of a seven-member Board of Aldermen and an 18-member Common Council...
, and was raised in an Irish American
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
Catholic family in Chelsea, Massachusetts
Chelsea, Massachusetts
Chelsea is a city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States directly across the Mystic River from the city of Boston. It is the smallest city in Massachusetts in land area, and the 26th most densely populated incorporated place in the country.-History:...
. He attended St. John's Preparatory School in Danvers, Massachusetts
Danvers, Massachusetts
Danvers is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Located on the Danvers River near the northeastern coast of Massachusetts, Danvers is most widely known for its association with the 1692 Salem witch trials, and for its famous asylum, the Danvers State Hospital.-17th century:The land...
. His father was a Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
politician. He was a four-year letter winner at Assumption College
Assumption College
Assumption College is a private, Roman Catholic, liberal arts college located on 185 acres in Worcester, Massachusetts. Assumption has an enrollment of about 2,117 undergraduates...
as a linebacker. After graduating from Assumption in 1983 with a bachelor's degree in political science he served as linebackers coach, defensive coordinator, and softball coach from 1983–86 at Assumption.
Grand Valley State
Kelly joined the Grand Valley State UniversityGrand Valley State University
Grand Valley State University is a public liberal arts university located in Allendale, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1960, and its main campus is situated on approximately west of Grand Rapids...
staff in 1987 as a graduate assistant and defensive backs coach for Coach Tom Beck
Tom Beck
Tom Beck is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Illinois Benedictine College, now Benedictine University, from 1970 to 1974, Elmhurst College from 1976 to 1983, and Grand Valley State University from 1985 to 1990...
and became the defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator in 1989. Kelly took over as head coach in 1991. In his final three seasons the Lakers went 41–2, at one point winning 20 consecutive games. The Lakers went 14–0 in 2002 en route to their first national title and went 14–1 in 2003 when they claimed their second National Championship. Kelly was named the AFCA Division II Coach of the Year after each of these championship years.
In his 13 years as head coach at Grand Valley State, the Lakers won five conference titles and made six Division II Playoff appearances. Grand Valley State never finished lower than third in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference under Kelly.
The 2001 team set 77 NCAA, GLIAC, and school records, including setting the all-time Division II scoring record, averaging 58.4 points per game.
His record in 13 years at Grand Valley State University was 118–35–2.
Central Michigan
Kelly became the 24th head coach at Central Michigan UniversityCentral Michigan University
Central Michigan University is a public research university located in Mount Pleasant in the U.S. state of Michigan...
after the departure of Mike DeBord
Mike DeBord
-External links:*...
following the 2003 season. Kelly inherited a team with limited success. Central Michigan had won more than 3 games only once in the previous four seasons. CMU finished with a 4–7 record in 2004. In Kelly's second year at Central Michigan
Central Michigan
Central Michigan, often called Mid Michigan, is a region in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. Southern Michigan can be considered as a subregion of Central Michigan. As its name implies, it is the central area of the Lower Peninsula. Lower Michigan is said to resemble a mitten, and...
he coached the team to a 6–5 record, the first winning season in seven years for the Chippewas. In his third season, the Chippewas posted a 9–4 record under Kelly en route to winning the MAC Championship and qualifying for the Motor City Bowl
Motor City Bowl
The Little Caesars Pizza Bowl is a post-season college football bowl game certified by the NCAA that has been played annually since 1997. The first five games were played at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan. Starting in 2002, the game was moved to 65,000-seat Ford Field in downtown...
. At the end of the 2006 season, Kelly left to accept the Cincinnati coaching vacancy three days after CMU won the 2006 MAC Championship. He did not coach CMU in their bowl game. Kelly's record at Central Michigan in three seasons was 19–16.
Cincinnati
Kelly was named Cincinnati's head coach on December 3, 2006, following the departure of Mark DantonioMark Dantonio
Mark Dantonio is the current head football coach at Michigan State University. He was hired on November 27, 2006 and became the 24th head coach at Michigan State. He is credited for winning the 2010 Big Ten Championship and his 4 game win streak over arch-rival Michigan...
. In an unusual move, Cincinnati elected not to appoint an interim coach and asked Kelly to assume his duties immediately by coaching the Bearcats in their bowl game. Central Michigan was also preparing for a bowl appearance, so while Kelly was in Cincinnati preparing the Bearcats, much of his staff remained at Central Michigan to coach the Chippewas. Following Central Michigan's 31–14 win in the Motor City Bowl
Motor City Bowl
The Little Caesars Pizza Bowl is a post-season college football bowl game certified by the NCAA that has been played annually since 1997. The first five games were played at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan. Starting in 2002, the game was moved to 65,000-seat Ford Field in downtown...
on December 26, most of his staff joined him in Cincinnati, where they went on to coach Cincinnati to a 27–24 victory over Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University is a public university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2010 semester, its enrollment is 25,045....
in that year's International Bowl
2007 International Bowl
The 2007 International Bowl, held on January 6, 2007 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada, was one of the college American football bowl games that ended the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The game pitted the University of Cincinnati against Western Michigan University...
on January 6. Cincinnati's victory gave Kelly the unique distinction of having defeated the same team twice in a season as coach of two different teams (Central Michigan had defeated Western Michigan 31-7 earlier that season).
In his first full season, Kelly led Cincinnati to a competitive position in the Big East; the Bearcats' second ever 10-win season (its first since 1949); and a Top 25 ranking. On December 5, 2007, Kelly was named Big East
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
Coach of the Year after leading the Bearcats to a 9–3 record. Coach Kelly later led the Bearcats to a 31–21 victory in the PapaJohns.com Bowl
2007 PapaJohns.com Bowl
The 2007 PapaJohns.com Bowl was a postseason college football match between the Cincinnati Bearcats and the Southern Miss Golden Eagles at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. The University of Cincinnati represented the Big East Conference and the University of Southern Mississippi represented...
over Southern Miss
Southern Miss Golden Eagles
The Southern Miss Golden Eagles represent The University of Southern Mississippi in Division I athletics. The teams compete in Conference USA....
.
In 2008, Kelly led Cincinnati to its first ever outright Big East title with key wins over West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
and Pittsburgh. The Bearcats had never defeated either team in Big East conference play. Kelly also became the first coach to win all three of the Bearcats' traveling trophies: the Victory Bell (Miami, OH), the Keg of Nails (Louisville), and the River City Rivalry Trophy (Pitt). The Bearcats played in the Orange Bowl versus the ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
champion, Virginia Tech on January 1, 2009 but lost 20–7.
After beginning the 2009 season
2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on September 2, 2009, progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Pasadena, California on January 7, 2010, featuring the...
unranked in all polls, Kelly's Bearcats reeled off 12 straight victories and finished the regular season undefeated. Going into the bowl season, they were ranked #3 in the BCS Standings and faced the Florida Gators
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
in the Sugar Bowl
2010 Sugar Bowl
The 2010 Sugar Bowl Game was an American college football bowl game that was part of the Bowl Championship Series for the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season and was the 76th Sugar Bowl...
. Kelly did not coach the team in the loss to the Florida Gators because of his departure to Notre Dame.
Among the honors that Cincinnati football achieved in 2009 is the highest academic rating among teams in the top 10 of the current BCS standings, according to the latest Graduation Success Rates, released Wednesday by the NCAA. Cincinnati, which is fifth in the BCS standings, checked in with a 75 percent NCAA graduation rate and a 71 percent federal government rate, the only team in the BCS top 10 to surpass the 70 percent plateau in both.
Kelly finished his tenure at Cincinnati with a 34–6 record.
Notre Dame
In December 2009, Kelly agreed to replace Charlie WeisCharlie Weis
Charles Joseph "Charlie" Weis is an American football coach. He currently serves as offensive coordinator for the Florida Gators. For five years, from December 2004 through 2009, he was the head football coach at the University of Notre Dame...
as Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
's head coach. On December 10, Kelly announced that he had taken the position at Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
. He also made the decision to not coach the Bearcats in the 2010 Sugar Bowl on January 1, 2010 despite statements to his players to do so and an outside chance at a national championship.
2010 Season
In 2010, Brian Kelly beat Purdue 23-12 in his first game at Notre Dame, but lost to arch-rival Michigan 28-24 the following week and then proceeded to lose his next game the following week on a fake field goal in overtime against Michigan State 34-31.He then got another loss at home against Stanford before beating Boston College, to put the Irish at 2-3.
On October 9, Kelly led the Fighting Irish to a 23-17 win over University of Pittsburgh, snapping Notre Dame's 2-game losing streak to the Panthers taking the Irish to a 3-3 record on the season.
Kelly led Notre Dame to a 44-20 win over Western Michigan to up the Irish's winning streak to three games. The next week they faced Navy losing 35-17 to drop to 4-4 overall.
When the Irish faced Tulsa, they were upset 28-27 following Dayne Crist's injury in the second quarter. They sent out second string QB Tommy Rees who threw an interception with 30 seconds left in the game. Two weeks later Notre Dame played against No. 14 Utah, who was heavily favored. Utah was leading 3-0 early, but a special teams touchdown after a deflected punt and three Rees TD passes lifted the Notre Dame lead to 28-3. The victory over Utah gave Kelly a 5-5 record. Notre Dame followed that win up with a 27-3 victory over Army to make Kelly and Irish bowl eligible. In the final game of the season, Notre Dame snapped an 8 game losing streak against its rival USC, winning 20-16 on strong defense and despite 4 Irish turnovers. In 2010, Notre Dame's regular season schedule was ranked the most difficult schedule in the nation with a Team Opposition Record Percentage of .6529 (the poll published by the NCAA only includes wins against Division 1 teams).
Awards and honors
- Home Depot National Coach of the Year 2009
- Big EastBig East ConferenceThe Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
Coach of the Year (2007, 2008, 2009) - Grand Valley State Athletics Hall of Fame (June 7, 2009)
- Assumption College Alumni Athletics Hall of Fame (August 22, 2006)
- American Football Coaches Association Division II Coach of the Year (2003)
- American Football Coaches Association Division II Coach of the Year (2002)
Head coaching record
*Departed Central Michigan for Cincinnati before bowl game**Departed Cincinnati for Notre Dame before bowl game