Mike Kelly

Mike Kelly (born February 11, 1958) is an American gridiron football coach and former player, scout, and executive. He served as the head football coach at Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Georgia from 1997 to 1999 and Widener University in Chester, Pennsylvania from 2014 to 2018. In 2009, Kelly was the head coach and general manager for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He has worked as an assistant coach at the high school football level, for several college football teams, and for professional teams in the CFL, XFL, and the National Football League (NFL). Kelly played college football as a quarterback at Bluffton College—now Bluffton University—in the late 1970s. Kelly was the inaugural commissioner of the 2026 revival of the Continental Football League.

Playing career and education Kelly was born on February 11, 1958, in Waterbury, Connecticut. He graduated from Muncie Northside High School in Muncie, Indiana in 1976, where as a senior he set a school record for passes attempted and completed in a single season. In 1996, Kelly was inducted into the Delaware County, Indiana Athletic Hall of Fame. Kelly's father was a high school football coach in Waterbury, Connecticut.

Kelly played quarterback for Bluffton College—now known as Bluffton University—in Bluffton, Ohio from 1976 to 1979 and earned his bachelor's degree in health, physical education and recreation. 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. In 2002, Kelly was inducted into the Bluffton College Hall of Fame.

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 2000, Kelly was the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach for the Orlando Rage of the XFL. Kelly also coordinated the offense for half of the season, in which the team went 7–11 missing a home playoff berth by a single game. On December 17, 2009, Kelly was arrested in Bridgeport, Pennsylvania and charged with assault and harassment following a domestic dispute at his home. Kelly was fired from his post with Winnipeg later that day. Ken Hildahl, chairman of the Blue Bombers, indicated that Kelly's dismissal was due to the performance of the team, not the incident earlier that day. The charges were dropped after Kelly took anger management counseling.

In his first season with Widener, Kelly led the Pride to its record-setting 20th Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) championship and appearance in quarterfinals of the NCAA Division III Football Championship. His record 12 consecutive wins broke a school record that had stood since 1912 for wins by a first-year coach. For his efforts he was named the MAC Coach of the Year and the ECAC South Co-Coach of the Year. In 2017, Kelly was named the East Coast Football Officials Association (ECFOA) Division III Coach of the Year. He was fired after the 2018 season.

In 2019, Kelly joined Next College Student Athlete, a for-profit organization that connects middle and high school student-athletes with college coaches. In 2024, he was selected as the head coach of the United States national football team competing in the International Federation of American Football's U20 World Junior Championships held in Edmonton.

Kelly was the inaugural commissioner of the 2026 revival of the Continental Football League.

Teaching career Kelly is a former professor of sports management at Drexel University.

Head coaching record College

CFL Team Year Regular season PostseasonWonLostTiesWin %Finish Won Lost ResultWPG20097110.3893rd, East - - Missed playoffsTotal7110.389 0 DivisionChampionships - - 0 Grey Cups