Mike Kelly

Mike Kelly (born January 26, 1948) is an American former football coach. He was the head football coach at the University of Dayton from 1981 to 2007. In 27 years as the head coach at Dayton, he compiled a record of 246–54–1. He led the Dayton Flyers to the NCAA Division III Football Championship in 1989 and appearances in the title game three other times, in 1981, 1987, and 1991. Kelly ranks among the top 25 college football coaches of all time in winning percentage (.819). Among coaches with at least 25 years of experience, he has the fifth best winning percentage of all time.

Biography Kelly is a graduate of Milton-Union High School in West Milton, Ohio, and Manchester University in North Manchester, Indiana. He played both quarterback for the football team and catcher for the baseball team at Manchester University. He received a bachelor's degree in physical education and health from Manchester University.

Kelly remained Dayton's head football coach for 27 years and compiled a record of 246–54–1. Kelly is among the top 25 college football coaches of all time in terms of both winning percentage and wins. As of 2008, he ranked 21st among all college football coaches in all divisions with an .819 winning percentage over 27 seasons. Among coaches with at least 25 years of experience, Kelly's winning percentage of .819 ranks fourth best all time, trailing only Florida A&M's Jake Gaither (.844), Nebraska's Tom Osborne (.836) and Michigan's Fielding H. Yost (.828).

In total wins, Kelly ranks 20th all time with 246. In 1996, he described his motivation for staying at Dayton, "There is a very basic reason why I haven't put a great deal of effort in other jobs. I just love it here. I think we're accepted and respected in the community. Those things are all very valuable in your life. You want to feel wanted - that's pretty basic, I think - and we've always felt that."

Kelly was selected six times as the Coach of the Year in the Pioneer Football League and was honored seven times as the national Coach of the Year.

On July 16, 2011, Coach Kelly was inducted into the National Football Foundation’s College Football Hall of Fame. The ceremony was co-hosted by one of Coach Kelly's former players and former Super Bowl Champion head coach, Jon Gruden.

He is married to Jeanne Kelly, and they have two daughters, Jodie Beth and Nikki.

Head coaching record