Kevin Kelly Position: Head Coach Experience: 4th Season

When Kevin Kelly was named head football coach at Georgetown University in January 2006, one of his chief goals was to help lay the foundation for what he hopes will not only be a successful program in the Patriot League and at the Division I-AA level, but a program that will be a model off the field as well.

Kelly hit the ground running when he started on the Hilltop, securing his staff over the course of two months, pounding the pavement for a 30-man recruiting class and gearing the returning players up for 15 practices over four weeks. The coaching staff preached of a "Fanatical Effort" to the team, helping to keep the student-athletes focused on a successful season.

Throughout the course of the last three seasons, Kelly and his staff have emphasized the building of a complete program. Members of the team joined together to visit children in the Intensive Care Unit at the Georgetown University Hospital at the start of the 2006 season and participated in walks to benefit brain cancer research as part of the Students of Ailing Mothers and Fathers (AMF), a support group organized by 2006 graduate David Fajgenbaum. Fajgenbaum, who created what is now the National Students of AMF, was a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship and was named to the American Football Coaches Association All-Good Works Team.

In 2006-07, members of the team joined then-junior Jon Cassidy as he was among a group of players who ventured to Arlington National Cemetery to lay wreaths on the graves of fallen soldiers as part of Wreaths Across America. Also during this time, members of the football team have participated in the annual Relay for Life on campus, an overnight event that allows participants to fight in the battle against cancer.

In the classroom, Georgetown football players have excelled. Last year, senior defensive end Ataefiok Etukeren and wide receiver Brent Tomlinson earned College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-District honors, while more Georgetown players (32) were selected to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll than any other team in the league.

On the field, the Hoyas win-loss record has not been what the team had hoped for, but two-straight recruiting classes with at least 25 student-athletes have provided the program with a young two-deep depth chart that has the coaches excited for the coming years of Georgetown Football.

Along the way, there have been several strong individual performances for the team. Former defensive end Alex Buzbee capped off a spectacular career in 2006 by earning honorable mention All-America honors and first team All-Patriot League kudos. He signed a free agent contract with the Washington Redskins during the summer and was moved to the team's active roster during the 2007 season.

One of Kelly's first recruits, running back Charlie Houghton, was named the 2006 Patriot League's Rookie of the Year, the first Georgetown player to win a major conference award since GU joined the league in 2001. In 2008, senior fullback Kyle Van Fleet was named Second Team All-Patriot League and was named the league's Scholar-Athlete of the Year. In addition, Van Fleet was the recipient of Georgetown's Robert A. Duffey Scholar-Athlete Award, presented to the student-athlete who best embodies academic and athletic excellence. Quarterback Matt Bassuener, a seldom-used player during his first two seasons, came off the bench in 2006 and started seven games and threw for 1,359 yards and 15 touchdowns. He started every game in 2007, graduated as the all-time leader in completion percentage and among the top 10 all-time in passing yardage and signed to play with the Louisville Fire of Arena Football 2.

After the Hoyas finished the 2006 regular season, Kelly and his staff had the opportunity to coordinate off-season workouts on the Hilltop for the first time. Members of the squad split into six different teams and the coaching staff coordinated the "Super Star Olympics" at the end of the sessions, an event that included sprint relay races, a dunking contest and a hot-dog eating contest. The "Super Star Olympics" were held again following the 2007 season and have now become a highlight of the off-season training sessions.

Kelly came to the Hilltop after four years as the special teams coordinator/linebackers coach at the United States Naval Academy, where he helped lead the Midshipmen to tremendous success during that span. Navy advanced to three bowl games and posted a 26-11 record during the last three seasons (2003-05).

"Providing the students at Georgetown with an outstanding opportunity to grow and learn about themselves through competition is the central objective of all of our athletic programs here at Georgetown," Georgetown University President John J. DeGioia said. "Coach Kelly brings a wealth of experience, ability and energy to achieving that objective in the sport of Football."

"This is a great opportunity and I'm excited to take over as the Georgetown head coach," Kelly said. "There is a tremendous amount of potential for football in Washington and we're confident that we can guide the Hoya program to the top of the Patriot League."

Navy won three Commander-in-Chief's titles during his time in Annapolis (2003-05), won the 2004 Emerald Bowl, the 2005 Poinsettia Bowl and participated in the 2003 Houston Bowl. In 2004, Kelly's efforts helped Navy finish 26th in the country in scoring defense (19.83) as the team won a school record-tying 10 games; in 2003, he helped the defense finish 14th in the nation in pass defense, 42nd in pass efficiency defense (116th the year before), 34th in total defense and 34th in scoring defense (108th the year before) as Navy won eight games.

"Kevin played a vital role in helping us get the program turned around at Navy and we certainly appreciate the effort of both he, and his family, and we look forward to watching him be successful at Georgetown," Navy Head Football Coach Paul Johnson. "He's a highly motivated and organized individual and I'm sure he will do a great job for Georgetown football."

Prior to joining Navy, Kelly spent two years (2000-01) at Marshall, one of two coaching stints with the Thundering Herd, where he was the defensive coordinator. In 2000, Marshall won the Mid-American Conference Championship and the Motor City Bowl and they followed that up with a win at the 2001 GMAC Bowl.

Kelly also worked at Marshall from 1996-98, when the team was making the transition from the I-AA level to I-A. In 1996, the team won the Southern Conference en route to the Division I-AA National Championship. They won back-to-back Mid-American Conference Championships in 1996-97, reaching the Motor City Bowl in both years, and winning it the second time. His most successful season was in 1998 when Marshall's defense ranked 23rd nationally, including 16th in scoring defense, 14th against the pass and 25th against the run.

Kelly spent a year at Syracuse (1999), where he was the defensive backfield coach when the team won the Music City Bowl. That was his second stint with the Orangemen, as he was a graduate assistant/assistant linebackers coach there from 1986-88, when the team won the 1987 Lambert Cup and reached the 1988 Sugar Bowl. Kelly's other Division I-A experience came at Tulane (1992-94), where he was the linebackers coach.

He also spent time at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, where he served as the offensive backfield coach and the linebackers coach. The Big Green won the 1991 Ivy League title. Kelly has also had coaching stints at Northeastern (1989-90), Bowdoin College (1998) and Southern Connecticut State University (1984-85).

A 1982 graduate of Springfield (Mass.) College, Kelly earned a bachelor of science degree in physical education and played football for three years as an undergraduate. He earned a master's degree in physical education from Southern Connecticut State in 1986.

His first coaching job was at Longmeadow High School in Massachusetts, where he was the defensive coordinator and defensive backfield coach in 1981.

After graduating from Springfield in 1982, Kelly went to The Fieldston School, where he was the head coach for two years. He also served as a junior varsity basketball coach and the head track and field coach.

During Kelly's 20-plus years of experience in coaching at the collegiate level, he has recruited numerous players who have gone on to professional careers, including former Marshall quarterback (and Washington, D.C. native) Byron Leftwich, who played in the National Football League with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Kelly has predominantly recruited on the East Coast, with emphasis in Washington, Maryland and New Jersey.

Kelly and his wife, Kathy, live in McLean, Va. They have a daughter, Alexandra, who is a senior at Notre Dame, and two sons, Patrick, who is a freshman at West Virginia, and Ryan (17).