Kevin Kelly Kevin Kelly enters his eighth year in Happy Valley in 2020, overseeing the Nittany Lion men’s jump and multi-events, as well as men’s and women’s pole vault. During his time at Penn State, Kelly has coached 17 All-Big Ten selections and six first team All-America finishes.
In the Penn State record book, Kelly has seen his student-athletes set eight school records. Overall, he has coached 23 student-athletes to top-10 marks at PSU, which includes 14 student-athletes etching their name into top-five placements at Penn State.
Kelly mentored Katie Jones to a school record (13-11.25, 4.25m)and just the second Big Ten Championship in the pole vault in program history in 2020. Alongside Jones, freshman Erica Ellis moved into the top-five in Penn State history in the pole vault event. On the men’s side, Noah Swaby moved into fifth place all-time in the heptathlon (5,292 pts.).
In 2019, Kelly oversaw freshman Noah Swaby qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the decathlon. Swaby’s performance at the Big Ten championships placed him eighth all-time in Penn State history with 7,411 points. Swaby earned a third-place medal at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships. Devin Bradham (men’s high jump) and Carena Nottoli (women’s pole vault) qualified for the NCAA East Prelims in 2019 under Kelly. Bradham height of 7-15. (2.17m) ranks seventh all-time in Penn State history in the men’s high jump. In the women’s pole vault, Nottoli (13-2.25) and Greer Gumbrecht (12-10) rank fourth and seventh respectively all-time in Penn State history.
Under Coach Kelly in 2018 a pair of Nittany Lions recorded medal finishes at the Big Ten Indoor Track & Field Championships, as Malik Moffett took second in the long jump (24- 6.25/7.47m) and Hannah Mulhern placed third in women’s pole vault (13-8.5/4.18m).
At the national level, Bryce Williams finished 15th overall at the 2018 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in the men’s triple jump with his mark of 50-7.50/15.43m.
During the 2018 indoor season, Williams set the school record in the triple jump (53-3.50/16.24m) and three Nittany Lion women pole vaulters set top-five marks in school history. Mulhern, a senior, recorded the No. 2 height (13-8.50/4.18m) in school history, while freshman Katie Jones tallied the No. 4 height (13-5/4.09m) and Greer Gumbrecht, a sophomore, posted the No. 5 height (13-2.50/4.03m).
Not only did the women’s pole vaulters set record book marks during the indoor season, they carried the momentum into the outdoor season. Jones and Mulhern each cleared a school-record height of 13-6.25/4.12m and Gumbrecht finished the outdoor season tied for the No. 9 height at Penn State (12-7.50/3.85m).
Coach Kelly was a huge part of helping Penn State capture indoor and outdoor Big Ten Championships in 2017. At the indoor Big Ten meet, Kelly’s athletes posted fifth and eighth-place finishes to add to the women’s total score of 96.5-points to claim their fourth Big Ten indoor title in program history. The men posted the highest finish at any championship in program history scoring 84-points to finish second securing the highest combined finish at any Big Ten meet in Penn State history.
Bryce Williams took silver with his jump of 51’-7” (15.72m) - just short of his personal best mark of 15.75m set earlier that season. Williams was honored as the Mid-Atlantic Men’s Field Athlete of the Year for his efforts during the indoor season. During the outdoor season, Kelly coached a few athletes to school records.
Malik Moffett recorded the longest jump in program history - the sixth longest in the NCAA during 2017 - as Moffett captured the Big Ten title in the long jump with his mark of 26’-3” (8.00m) that erased a 32-year-old record. For his performance, Moffett was named Big Ten Field Athlete of the Championships.
Hannah Mulhern earned her school record with a clearance of 13’-5.50” (4.10m) that punched her ticket to the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The men captured the Big ten title scoring 117-points. Kelly qualified two athletes through to the meet as Hannah Mulhern competed in the pole vault and Malik Moffett qualified in the long jump.
In 2016, Kelly coached three of his women’s vaulters to the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 4 marks in program history in the indoor pole vault as Lexi Masterson (13-9.25/4.20m), Hannah Mulhern (13-6.50/4.13m), and Kasey Kemp (13-1.75/4.01m) all posted marks over four meters. Mulhern and Kemp returned during the outdoor season to post the No. 2 and No. 4 marks in program history while teammate Megan Fry joined in recording the ninth best jump in the pole vault clearing 12-6 (3.81m).
For the men’s jumpers, Brian Leap in the triple jump (53-4.50/16.27m) and Malik Moffett in the long jump (24’-11.50/7.60m) highlighted the group with the No. 3 and No. 9 marks in program history. Leap would cap his Nittany Lion career earning All-American Honors in the triple jump at the NCAA Championships. Big Ten medalist for Kelly included Chisom Ifedi in the high jump, both indoor and outdoor, clearing 2.15m (7’-0.50”) in Lincoln, Neb. - the No. 7 mark in program history. Brian Leap captured the conference title in the triple jump at 16.27m (53’-4.5”).
In 2015, senior Steve Waithe would garner his third All-American honor in his two-year career as a Nittany Lion for his eighth-place performance in the triple jump 16.26m (53’ 4.25”w) at the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships - the third best outdoor mark in Penn State history.
Brian Leap recorded a 13th-place in the triple jump with his distance of 15.65m (51-4.5) at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships, garnering second-team All-American honors.
During Big Ten competition, Waithe was named second-team All-Big Ten following the Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships, while Leap, who finished second in the triple jump at the Big Ten Indoor Championships with his personal-best leap of 16.02m (52-6.75) - the second-best mark all-time at Penn State – received second-team Big Ten honors.
The 2014 season saw redshirt freshman Robert Cardina move up the record books in the multi-events and end the year with First Team All-American honors. Cardina owns the school record in the heptathlon (5,511) and his score of 7,666 in the decathlon ranks second all-time at Penn State. His score of 7,666 gave him an eighth-place finish in the decathlon at the 2014 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships garnering him First Team All-American honors.
Joining Cardina in Eugene, Ore., was junior Waithe and junior Brian Leap. Waithe transferred to Penn State and made an immediate impact in the triple jump event. In the indoor season, Waithe tallied a distance of 52-6 (16.00) in the triple jump, which ranks tied for second all-time. In the outdoor Penn State record books, Waithe ranks fourth in the triple jump 52-8.75 (16.06).
At the Big Ten and NCAA levels, Waithe enjoyed major success. At the 2014 Big Ten Indoor Track & Field Championships, he finished second in the triple jump (51-7.25) and eighth in the long jump (51-10.5). At the 2014 Outdoor Big Ten Track & Field Championships, Waithe claimed the triple jump title (52-0) and placed fourth in the long jump (24-0.25).
Waithe tallied first team All-America honors at both 2014 NCAA Championship meets. At the 2014 Indoor NCAA Track & Field Championships, Waithe placed sixth in the triple jump (51-10.5) and at the 2014 Outdoor Track & Field Championships, he finished fifth in the triple jump (52-11.5).
Leap also qualified for the 2014 Outdoor NCAA Track & Field Championships in the triple event. Leap went on to finish 16th in the triple jump (51-6.5) and was named a Second Team All-American. His lifetime-best mark of 51-6.5 ranks seventh all-time at Penn State.
In the pole vault, freshman Lexi Masterson set the second-best mark (13-1.75) all-time at Penn State during the indoor season. Masterson went on to set the pole vault school record in the outdoor season with her height of 13-3.5.
On the men’s team, Dylan Bilka moved into fifth (16-8.75) all-time at Penn State during the outdoor season.
Kelly enjoyed a productive opening campaign with the Nittany Lions in 2012-13, coaching one USTFCCCA Honorable Mention All-American, three NCAA Eastern Preliminary Round qualifiers, two Big Ten medalists, and one Penn State record holder.
Under Kelly, he coached a trio of high flyers in the high jump during the 2013 campaign with senior Sean Reilly, junior Jon Hendershot, and sophomore Michael McClelland all bettering the seven-foot barrier during the indoor season. McClelland was a top Nittany Lion during the indoor season, clearing a lifetime-best 7-1 (2.16).
Hendershot and Reilly continued to improve during the outdoor season, led by Hendershot’s school-record tying leap of 7-3.25 (2.22) at the Jim Thorpe Invitational. Reilly would enjoy a stellar final season in the Blue and White, clearing a career-high 7-2.25 (2.19) at the LSU Battle on the Bayou. Reilly continued to excel into the postseason, qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the event, where we would finish 19th overall to earn USTFCCCA Honorable Mention All-America status. Both Hendershot and Reilly were consistent throughout the year, as the pair of Nittany Lions turned in scoring finishes at both the Big Ten Indoor and Outdoor Championships.
Horizontal jump specialist Leap also shined under Kelly’s watch in 2013, earning bronze-medal finishes in the triple jump at both the Big Ten Indoor and Outdoor Championships. Kelly guided Leap to outstanding improvements during the year, as the then-sophomore improved his lifetime-best effort in the triple jump to 50-10.25 (15.50) during the indoor season. Leap also made great strides in the long jump, ending the season with a personal-best 24-0.25 (7.32) at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships, which was also good for a fifth-place finish in the competition.
Prior to Penn State...
Kelly signed on at Penn State in the summer of 2012 after enjoying a highly successful 11-year coaching stint at Rutgers. Prior to his departure from New Brunswick, he was overseeing the efforts of all the Scarlet Knights’ field event athletes.
Kelly was also successful on the recruiting trail in 2013, adding in transfer triple jump standout Steve Waithe from Shippensburg University. Waithe was the PSAC Indoor and Outdoor Champion in the his signature event, and went on to All-America finishes at both Divison II Championships in 2013. Kelly also welcomed in-state sensation Cody Minnig from Neshaminy High School. With a PR of 10.73, Minnig was the No. 6 ranked Pennsylvania prep in the 100 meters in 2013, coming away with a fifth-place finish at the PIAA Outdoor Championships.
On the women’s side, Kelly added standout pole vaulter Lexi Masterson from Hempfield Area. Masterson was the PIAA runner-up in the event as a senior and owns a lifetime-best clearance of 12-0.
Kelly arrived at Rutgers in 2001, helping the Scarlet Knights to outstanding success in the Big East Conference, including three conference team titles. Individually, Kelly guided 19 Big East Champions, as well as 45 All-Big East performers. In 2004, his athletes swept the top three spots in the decathlon at the Big East Outdoor Championships.
Kelly, who was elevated to Associate Head Coach for the Scarlet Knights in 2008, has undoubtedly made a mark on the Rutgers’ record books as Kelly-coached athletes set eight school records. Off the track, Kelly maintained the role of the Scarlet Knights’ Recruiting Coordinator, while also serving as the men’s track and field coaching staff liaison to Academic Support.
An outstanding athlete in his own right, Kelly was a three-time All-American in the decathlon while competing at Kutztown University, earning runner-up honors at the 1998 NCAA Outdoor Championships. In 1998, Kelly, who still owns Kutztown school records in the decathlon and 110-meter hurdles, was named Pennsylvania State Athlete Conference (PSAC) Athlete of the Year. He is also a Kutztown Hall of Fame inductee, and a member of the Golden Bears’ “Top 30 Athletes of the 20th Century.” Kelly earned his B.A in Political Science in 1999.
Prior to Rutgers, Kelly spent several seasons at Lehigh University, coaching all Mountain Hawk throwers. He is married to Maisha Kelly, who is a Senior Associate Director of Athletics and Senior Woman Administrator at Bucknell University, and have a son, Gregory, and a daughter, Kennedy.