Mike Kelly (Canadian football)
Encyclopedia
Mike Kelly is a professional football coach who most notably served as head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League for one season in 2009.
Kelly played quarterback for Bluffton College (Ohio
) from 1978 to 1980 and earned his bachelor's degree in health, physical education and recreation.
He later earned a master's degree in education at Edinboro, Pennsylvania. When he graduated, Kelly ranked third in career completions (95), fourth in career attempts (242) and fifth in career passing yardage (1,028). He was just the sixth player in BC history to pass for over 1,000 yards and Bluffton College Hall of Fame inductee.
In 2002, Kelly was honoured by his alma mater, and inducted into the Bluffton College Hall of Fame.
(GA) from 1997-1999. In his three seasons there, Kelly coached 23 players to all-conference honours and had two players earn All-American status. His VSU teams set 13 school records during Kelly's tenure.
In 2000, Kelly added the XFL to his coaching resume, where he worked as the offensive coordinator for the Orlando Rage. The Rage went a league best 8-2 during that season, winning the Eastern Division. Kelly's offence led the league in red zone scoring percentage, with QB Jeff Brohm named First-Team All-XFL.
Kelly became a professor of sports management at Drexel University in Philadelphia instructing both undergraduate and graduate courses in coaching and leadership. In 2006-2007 Kelly was recognized by Drexel University as he was awarded a 'Make a Difference Award' for outstanding mentoring and teaching.
Kelly spent five years in the NFL working as an advanced pro scout for the Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles where he also was an offensive assistant/quality control. During his time with the Eagles, while working alongside one of the NFL's great coaches Andy Reid, the club won two Eastern Division Championships, while Kelly also coached in the 2003 Pro Bowl.
In 2008 Kelly was the receivers coach for the Edmonton Eskimos.
A Blue Bomber record was set during his tenure when Fred Reid rushed for 260 yards against the B.C. Lions surpassing Blaise Bryant's old record of 249 yards in a single game set in 1994 against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Kelly's first tenure with the Blue Bombers. The Bombers as a team ran for 393 yards in that game against the B.C. Lions in 2009.
Kelly was released from his head coaching position after one year despite plans to come back for a second season. His time in Winnipeg had been controversial, and "marred by a number of outbursts." At one point in the 2009 season, Kelly was fined $2000 dollars by the CFL for a "continued pattern of disrespectful behaviour towards the media."
Playing Career
Kelly graduated Muncie Northside High School in 1976, where as a senior he set a school record for passes attempted and completed in a single season. (In 1996, In 1996 Kelly was inducted into the Delaware County, Indiana Athletic Hall of Fame.)Kelly played quarterback for Bluffton College (Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
) from 1978 to 1980 and earned his bachelor's degree in health, physical education and recreation.
He later earned a master's degree in education at Edinboro, Pennsylvania. When he graduated, Kelly ranked third in career completions (95), fourth in career attempts (242) and fifth in career passing yardage (1,028). He was just the sixth player in BC history to pass for over 1,000 yards and Bluffton College Hall of Fame inductee.
In 2002, Kelly was honoured by his alma mater, and inducted into the Bluffton College Hall of Fame.
Early teaching and coaching experiences
Kelly was the head coach at Valdosta State UniversityValdosta State University
Valdosta State University, also referred to as VSU, or Valdosta State, is an American public university and is one of the two regional universities in the University System of Georgia. Valdosta State is located on a campus at the heart of the city of Valdosta...
(GA) from 1997-1999. In his three seasons there, Kelly coached 23 players to all-conference honours and had two players earn All-American status. His VSU teams set 13 school records during Kelly's tenure.
In 2000, Kelly added the XFL to his coaching resume, where he worked as the offensive coordinator for the Orlando Rage. The Rage went a league best 8-2 during that season, winning the Eastern Division. Kelly's offence led the league in red zone scoring percentage, with QB Jeff Brohm named First-Team All-XFL.
Kelly became a professor of sports management at Drexel University in Philadelphia instructing both undergraduate and graduate courses in coaching and leadership. In 2006-2007 Kelly was recognized by Drexel University as he was awarded a 'Make a Difference Award' for outstanding mentoring and teaching.
Kelly spent five years in the NFL working as an advanced pro scout for the Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles where he also was an offensive assistant/quality control. During his time with the Eagles, while working alongside one of the NFL's great coaches Andy Reid, the club won two Eastern Division Championships, while Kelly also coached in the 2003 Pro Bowl.
CFL Coaching Career
Kelly was the offensive play-caller with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers between 1992 and 1996, as part of the teams that captured three regular season division titles and appeared in the Grey Cup twice. Kelly’s offence set 29 club records during his tenure in Winnipeg, including Matt Dunigan’s record 713 yards passing in a game.In 2008 Kelly was the receivers coach for the Edmonton Eskimos.
CFL Head Coach
Kelly served as the head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2009, after close to 30 years of professional football experience. He was required to rebuild a roster that saw five players leave the team to sign with the National Football League in the option year of their Canadian Football League contract. Kelly also coordinated the offense for half of the season.A Blue Bomber record was set during his tenure when Fred Reid rushed for 260 yards against the B.C. Lions surpassing Blaise Bryant's old record of 249 yards in a single game set in 1994 against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Kelly's first tenure with the Blue Bombers. The Bombers as a team ran for 393 yards in that game against the B.C. Lions in 2009.
Kelly was released from his head coaching position after one year despite plans to come back for a second season. His time in Winnipeg had been controversial, and "marred by a number of outbursts." At one point in the 2009 season, Kelly was fined $2000 dollars by the CFL for a "continued pattern of disrespectful behaviour towards the media."
CFL coaching record
| Team | |Regular Season | WPG 2009 Winnipeg Blue Bombers season The 2009 Winnipeg Blue Bombers season was the 52nd season for the team in the Canadian Football League and their 77th overall. The Blue Bombers were in the playoff hunt until the last game of the season, at home, against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, but lost the game and failed to qualify for the... |
2009 2009 CFL season The 2009 CFL season was the 56th season of modern professional Canadian football. Officially, it was the 52nd season of the Canadian Football League. The Montreal Alouettes won the 97th Grey Cup on November 29 with a last second 28–27 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders... |
7 | 11 | 0 | .389 | 3rd, East | - | - | Missed Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 7 | 11 | 0 | .389 | 0 Division Championships |
- | - | 0 Grey Cup Grey Cup The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals... s |
|||
Coaching career
| Years | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Head coach/Offensive coordinator/Quarterbacks coach | Winnipeg Blue Bombers Winnipeg Blue Bombers The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded... |
| 2008-2009 | Receivers coach | Edmonton Eskimos Edmonton Eskimos The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895... |
| 2006–2007 | Professor, Sports Management | Drexel University Drexel University Drexel University is a private research university with the main campus located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. It was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a noted financier and philanthropist. Drexel offers 70 full-time undergraduate programs and accelerated degrees... |
| 2006–2007 | Consultant | NFL Films NFL Films NFL Films is a Mount Laurel, New Jersey-based company devoted to producing commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentaries on the National Football League, as well as other unrelated major events and awards shows... |
| 2003–2005 | Pro Personnel Assistant | Washington Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... |
| 2002 | Offensive assistant/quality control coach | Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
| 2001 | Advance scout | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 2001 | Offensive coordinator | Orlando Rage Orlando Rage -Statistical leaders:* Rushing yards: 387, Derrick Clark* Receiving yards: 659, Dialleo Burks* Passing yards: 998, Brian Kuklick-Awards:-Honors:... (XFL XFL The XFL was a professional American football league that played for one season in 2001. The league was founded by Vince McMahon, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of WWE... ) |
| 1997–1999 | Head coach | Valdosta State University Valdosta State University Valdosta State University, also referred to as VSU, or Valdosta State, is an American public university and is one of the two regional universities in the University System of Georgia. Valdosta State is located on a campus at the heart of the city of Valdosta... |
| 1992–1996 | Offensive coordinator | Winnipeg Blue Bombers Winnipeg Blue Bombers The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded... |
| 1990–1991 | Associate head coach | San Francisco State University San Francisco State University San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges... |
| 1987–1989 | Offensive coordinator | Capital University Capital University Capital University is a private liberal arts university of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in Bexley, Ohio, founded in 1830. In addition to its rigorous liberal arts program, the university also offers a reputable adult degree program in Columbus, Ohio. It is one of the oldest... |
| 1986 | Offensive coordinator | Ohio Wesleyan University Ohio Wesleyan University Ohio Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college in Delaware, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1842 by Methodist leaders and Central Ohio residents as a nonsectarian institution, and is a member of the Ohio Five — a consortium of Ohio liberal arts colleges... |
| 1983-1985 | Running backs coach | Marietta College Marietta College Marietta College is a co-educational private college in Marietta, Ohio, USA, which was the first permanent settlement of the Northwest Territory. The school offers 42 majors along with a large number of minors, all of which are grounded in a strong liberal arts foundation... |
| 1982 | Receivers coach | Edinboro University of Pennsylvania Edinboro University of Pennsylvania Edinboro University is a public liberal arts university located in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, USA and one of 14 schools associated with the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. The town is named after Edinburgh, Scotland. It is also not to be confused with the University of Edinburgh... |
| 1980-1981 | Running backs and secondary coach | Ridgedale High School (Morral, Ohio) Ridgedale High School (Morral, Ohio) Ridgedale High School is a public high school in Morral, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Ridgedale Local School District.- Academics :In order to graduate, students must obtain 24 credits by the end of their senior year... |
External links
- Bluffton College career, www.Bluffton.edu