Presbyterian College to offer a major announcement - the new football coach is Kevin Kelley of Arkansas, according to ESPN.
MEDIA ADVISORY: Invitation to a Press Conference
What: Presbyterian College (PC) invites you to be part of a major news announcement regarding Blue Hose athletics.
When: Friday, May 7, 2021 at 2 p.m. ET
Where: Bailey Memorial Stadium, Mezzanine Level
Presbyterian College
Clinton, SC
Why: Prominent national figures will provide commentary. PC, a nationally ranked liberal arts college, offers NCAA Division I sports on its 240-acre campus. PC’s location in Laurens County situates it in the middle of the Greenville-Spartanburg-Columbia triangle near the intersection of the Upstate and the Midlands.
Interviews: Featured guests will be available to answer media questions.
Announcement:
CLINTON, S.C. – After coaching Pulaski Academy to nine State Championships and compiling over 200 wins in 18 years, Kevin Kelley will take over as head coach of the Presbyterian College football team, it was announced Friday afternoon at a press conference at Bailey Memorial Stadium in Clinton, S.C. Kelley becomes the 16th head coach in PC football's 108-year history and third since the school's move to NCAA Division I in 2007.
"I am so honored and excited about becoming head coach at PC," said Kelley. "The reputation that this school has is something I want to be a part of. I want to join this team in their pursuit of wins on the field, while representing their name, and the school's name in all areas."
Kelley comes to PC after spending the last 18 seasons as head coach of Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, Ark., and as offensive coordinator for the Bruins six years prior to being named to the top spot.
As head coach at Pulaski, Kelley took a team with only three trips to the semifinals in school history, and not beyond, to one with 17 quarterfinal, 14 semifinal, and 11 championship appearances. The team has taken home nine state championships, the last one this past December, its second in a row, to cap a perfect 13-0 season.
Under his tutelage, Kelley's players and teams have broken 15 national high school football records, with the Bruins compiling a 216-29-1 mark in 18 seasons. In 2015 Kelley was featured on ESPN after his team snapped Dallas Highland Park's winning streak of 84 games, the longest in the nation at the time.
"Coach Kelley's application immediately caught my attention because of his incredible success at winning football games, his notoriety, and his national following," said Director of Athletics Rob Acunto. "Once I had the opportunity to speak with him, I quickly realized he was more than just an exceptional coach. He is a person of tremendous character, possesses strong moral values, and builds lifelong relationships that transcend the sport of football. We feel fortunate to have Kevin become a part of the PC family and lead our football program to new heights."
The 2016 USA Today National Football Coach of the Year is also a motivational speaker, traveling across the country speaking at several billion-dollar companies, including adidas, Ticketmaster, Halliburton, and Team SI. He has also served twice as a panelist at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference and was named Tribecca Film Festival Disruptive Innovator of the Year in 2014.
Kelley approaches the game of football in a different way, as documented by many media outlets such as ESPN, HBO Real Sports, and Fox Business News, along with having a unique ability on the offensive side of the ball.
NFL Head Coach Bill Belichick is one of those coaches that has reached out to the new PC head coach and has called Kelley 'probably the top high school coach in the country.'
His philosophy and tactics have been featured in articles in several publications such as the New York Times and Sports Illustrated, as well as in the book "Sportscasting."
Kelley graduated from Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Ark., in 1992, and is married to Dana, they have a son Zack (24), who played football at Ouachita Baptist, and a daughter, Kara (17).
Kevin Kelley Coaching Career
2003-2019 - Head Coach – Pulaski Academy
1997-2002 - Assistant Coach – Pulaski Academy
1993-1997 – Head 7th Grade Coach/Senior High Scout – Carrollton ISD (Texas)
