Skip to content
NOWCAST WYFF News 4 at 11
Live Now
Greenville, SC29601
72°
Fair
Chance of precipitation 2%
MORE
1 / 1
Advertisement

Presbyterian College coach Kevin Kelley brings unique brand of football to Clinton

Kelley won nine state titles in 18 years at Pulaski Academy (AR.)

Presbyterian College coach Kevin Kelley brings unique brand of football to Clinton

Kelley won nine state titles in 18 years at Pulaski Academy (AR.)

Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
Duration 4:28
Loaded: 2.23%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time 4:28
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • default, selected
    ON THE BLUE HOSE AND THEIR NEW COACH MARK. KEVIN KELLEY SPENT TWO DECADES BUILDING IN ARKANSAS HIGH SCHOOL DYNASTY BY SHUNNING NORMS EMBRACING ANYTALICS AND CALCULATING CHANCES. TH SISUMMER. HE EMBRACED A NEW CHALLENGE FINDING SUCCESS AT A PROGRAM WITH THREE WINNING SEASONS SINCE JOINING DIVISION ONE IN 2007. KEVIN KELLY’S A GAMBLERND A HE’S BETTING IT ALL ON BLUE. KNOW THE GIRL GONNA GUARD THE CURL, I GUESS PRESBYTERIAN ENDED UP ON MY RADAR WHEN THEY GAVE ME A CALL. OH, I HATE TO SAY THAT WASN’T EVEN AWARE WHO THEY WERE. THE SMALLEST SCHOOL IN DIVISION ONE FOOTBALL GO. LET’S GO. LET’S GO TOOK A MIGHTY BIG SWING WAIT, WE PLAYEDHE T GAME AS NON-TRADITIONAL. I MEAN, THERE’S A LOT OF 80% OF ITHE T SAME AS EVERYTHING ELSE. BUT THAT 20% VASTLY DIFFERENT. HEARING THAT. HE DOESN’T PUNT. YOU KNOW, YOU’RE LIKE WELL, THAT’S A BIG PART OF THE GAME OF FOOT BALL KEVIN. KELLY HAD NEVER COACHED COLLEGE FOOTBALL BEFORE HE CAME TO CLINTON THEUM SMER. THAT’S PERFECT JACK AND HE KNOWS WHAT HE’S DOING RICK. TIMOSH. I DON’T EVEN IF WHAT HE’S DOING DOESN’T LOOK THE SAME PROGRAM. I WAS AT THEY’D NEVER BEEN PAST THE SEMIFINALS IT ONLY BEEN THERE TWICE IN THE HISTORY THIS GOAL WHEN I GOT TREHE WE ENDED UP WINNING NINE STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS IN 18 YEARS THE ARKANSAS NATIVE BUILT A HIGH SCHOOL POWERHOUSE A PULKIAS ACADEMY IN LITTLE ROCK BY STEPPING OUT OF HIS FOURTH EAFRKING DON’T EVER PUT ONE UP, ESPECIALLY ON FOURTH DOWN AND THINKINGUT OSIDE OF THE BOX. WE WEREN’T GOING TO BE THE BIGGEST FASTEST AND STRONGEST. WE HAD TO PLAY THE GAME A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY THE NO PUN IN THE ONSIDE KICKING. ALL THOSEHI TNGS ARE BASED ON ANALYTICAL INFORMATION THAT SOME COACHES JUST AREN’T READY TO GRAB ONTO YET, BUT I AM LET’S GO. I WAS KIND OF SKEPTALIC AT FIRST BUT NOW AFTER SEEING THE NUMBERS IN HOW COACH KELLY EXPLAINS IT. I’M BOUGHT IN. IT’S BEEN LESS SPECIAL TEAMS. OBVIOUSLY, WE PRACTICE OURWN O SIDES AND EVERYTHING OBVIOUSLY HAVEN’T PLANTED ONE. THERE’S NO PUNTER ON PC’S ROSTER. OH GOOD. THIS COULD BE THE CLOSEST THING THEY HAVE AND EVEN THAT UP FOR INTERPRETATION. WE TEACH OUR GUYS TO CATCH THE BALL LE IKTHIS. I CANTAND S LIKE THAT AND IAN C REACH FURTHER OUT WITH BALANCE. THAT’S WHAT THAT GUY’S DOING. HE WAS JUST AHEAD OF THE GAME. THE SEAM COULD BE SAID FOR COACH KELLY. AND HIS PLAYERSRE A BUYING IN MORE POSSESSIONS EQUALS MORE SCORES MORE SCORES. ARE GOING TO WIN MORE BALL GAME. YOU KNOW ONCE HE TOLD US THAT AND EVERYTHING, WE REALLY WERE LIKE OKAY. YEAH, LET’S DO THIS THING. LET’S TRY AND WIN. AS MANY GAMES AS POSSIBLE WHEN THE GAMES IN HAND. WE PLAN ON SITE KICKING. THAT’S A CHANCE TO GAIN A POSSESSION. THEY DON’T EVEN COUNT THAT AS A TURNOV.ER YOU KW,NO IT’S NOT IN THE STATISCSTI ANYWHERE, BUT WHEN WE RECOVER ON-SITE KKIC OUR RECORD AT HIGH SCHOOL WAS A HUNDRED THIRTY SIX AND FIVE PRESBYTERIAN DIDN’T HAVE TO WAIT EITHER. KEVIN KELLY ERA BEGAN WITH AN ON-SIDES KIT I’M GONNA CORRECT THEM. IT’S GONNA BE LOUD. I’M GONNA PRAISE HIM. IT’S GONNA BE LOUD TOO. HE’S AN EXTREME COMTIPETOR AND HE’S GONNA PUSH ME TO BE MY BEST EVERY DAY. ANYBODY WHO IS A THET GAME SATURDAY CAN STILL HEAR HIM YELLING AT ME YELLING AT RED HEFFLEY AS THE QUARTERBACK SAID IN FCS RECORD WITH 10 TOUCHDOWN PA SSIVELY TAKES THE SNAP TO THROW DEEP BALL TOW. ARDS, THEY’RE GONNA HAND IT TO HIM. HE’GOS NNA THE THROW HE THROWS ONE OUT WIDE KELLY’S NOT SHYING AWAY FROAM NEW STANDARD. I THINK THAT WE CAN WIN THE CONFERENCE AND I THINK WE GO FAR IN THE PLAYOFFS AND I REALLY BELIEVE THAT AND I FEEL LIKE A LOT OF GUYS ON THIS TEAM. I DON’T WANT TO SAY SOMETHING SO FAR OFF TTHA THE KIDS THINK HE’S CRAZY AND DON’T WANT TO BUY IT. YOU KNOW, I DON’T WANT TO SAY HEY WE CAN WALK ON WATER WHEN WE CAN’T WALK ON WATER, BUT I DO THINK WE CAN ACCOMPLISH THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF WINNING NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. 84OI PNTS AND NO PUNTS. A SUNNYAT SURDAY AT THE SMALLEST SCHOOL IN DIVISION ONE FOOTBLAL OUR NEW COACH N'I’T AFRAID. THE DREAMIG B SOME PEOPLE ARE SCARED OF WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IF THEY TRY SOMETHING. SOME PEOPLE LOOK AT WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF I GET TO TRY SOMETHING AND I’VE ALWAYS BNEE THAT GUY. I’VE ALWAYS THOUGHT I’VE LOOKED AT THE POSITIVE SIDE OF IF I TAKE THIS CHANCE OR IF I TRY SOMETHING NEW IF I’VEOT G GOOD SCIENCE BEHIND IT GOOD MH,AT AND IT DOESN’T WIN. YOU KNOW I CAN DEAL WITH WHAT COMES AFTER THAT. HEY MAKE IT. QUARTERBACK RYAN HEFFLEYHO W ACTUALLY PLAYED FOR KELLY AT PULASKI ACADEMY AND BACKUP. TYLER HUFF COMBINED TO BREAK A DIVISIONNE O RECORD WITH 12 TOTAL PASSING TOUCHDOSWN IN A SINGLE GAME THEIR HOME A
    Advertisement
    Presbyterian College coach Kevin Kelley brings unique brand of football to Clinton

    Kelley won nine state titles in 18 years at Pulaski Academy (AR.)

    The smallest school in Division I football took a mighty big swing.This summer, Presbyterian College hired Kevin Kelley to run their football team. Kelley had never coached college football, but brought a wealth of success as one of the sport's most unconventional minds. Kelley won nine state titles in 18 seasons at Pulaski Academy in Arkansas, garnering a national reputation for never punting and repeatedly trying onsides kicks after scores."You hear he doesn't punt, you're like well that's a big part of the game of football," says linebacker Evan Murphy."I was kind of skeptical at first," admitted offensive lineman Michael Jubran. "But after seeing the numbers, I'm bought in.""We weren't gonna be the biggest, fastest, strongest, we had to play the game differently," recalls Kelley of his norm-shattering decisions at Pulaski. "The no punting, the onside kicking, all those things are based on analytical information that some coaches really aren't ready to grab onto yet. But I am."So far, so good in Clinton. The Blue Hose kickstarted the Kelley era with an onsides kick, and scored 84 points in his coaching debut. Quarterback Ren Hefley, who played for Kelley at Pulaski Academy, set an FCS record with 10 passing touchdowns."Some people are scared of what might happen if they try something, some people look at what could happen if I get to try something, and I've always been that guy." said Kelley. "I look at the positive side of, if I take this chance, or try something new, what are the great things that could happen? And if I've got good science behind that, and good math, and it doesn't win, I can deal with what comes after that."

    The smallest school in Division I football took a mighty big swing.

    This summer, Presbyterian College hired Kevin Kelley to run their football team. Kelley had never coached college football, but brought a wealth of success as one of the sport's most unconventional minds.

    Advertisement

    Kelley won nine state titles in 18 seasons at Pulaski Academy in Arkansas, garnering a national reputation for never punting and repeatedly trying onsides kicks after scores.

    "You hear he doesn't punt, you're like well that's a big part of the game of football," says linebacker Evan Murphy.

    "I was kind of skeptical at first," admitted offensive lineman Michael Jubran. "But after seeing the numbers, I'm bought in."

    "We weren't gonna be the biggest, fastest, strongest, we had to play the game differently," recalls Kelley of his norm-shattering decisions at Pulaski. "The no punting, the onside kicking, all those things are based on analytical information that some coaches really aren't ready to grab onto yet. But I am."

    So far, so good in Clinton. The Blue Hose kickstarted the Kelley era with an onsides kick, and scored 84 points in his coaching debut. Quarterback Ren Hefley, who played for Kelley at Pulaski Academy, set an FCS record with 10 passing touchdowns.

    "Some people are scared of what might happen if they try something, some people look at what could happen if I get to try something, and I've always been that guy." said Kelley. "I look at the positive side of, if I take this chance, or try something new, what are the great things that could happen? And if I've got good science behind that, and good math, and it doesn't win, I can deal with what comes after that."