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.
He coached at the high school level from 1970 to 1974 while earning a master's degree in physical education from Ball State University.
[1] After four years as the defensive coordinator, Kelly took over as head coach of the Dayton Flyers football team in 1981.
He later recalled the day he learned that he had been selected: "The day I was informed that I would be the head football coach, I remember walking out of St. Mary's Hall and looking up at the chapel, and it was overwhelming to think that, golly, I'm the new head football coach at the University of Dayton.
"[2] Kelly remained Dayton's head football coach for 27 years and compiled a record of 246–54–1.
[4] 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).
[1] In 2007, Kelly's last as head coach, his team compiled an 11-1 record, won the Gridiron Classic and was crowned NCAA FCS Mid-Major national champions.
[1] Kelly was frequently considered for coaching positions at larger schools, including Yale, Dartmouth, Columbia, and Penn, but opted to stay at Dayton.
[6] 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.