He moved into coaching after retiring as a player, where he served as a college assistant for seven years before returning to the NBL in 2013.

He was appointed head coach of the South East Melbourne Phoenix in 2023 but left in October 2024 after starting the 2024–25 NBL season with a 0–5 record.

[1] He attended Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California, and helped the basketball team earn the 1985 CIF Championship with a 29–0 record before beginning his collegiate career at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa.

[3] Following his college career, Kelly spent one year in Taiwan playing for the Lucky Cement Basketball Team before moving to Australia.

[1] He first played for the Griffith Demons in New South Wales state league division two[4] before playing in the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) for the North East Melbourne Arrows (1991–1993) and the Nunawading Spectres (1994–1995).

[6][7] Kelly debuted in the National Basketball League (NBL) during the 1993 season with a two-game stint with the Hobart Devils.

[4] After his final NBL season, Kelly returned to the U.S. for seven years, where he served as assistant coach in the college ranks.

[24] On 26 July 2021, Kelly was announced as the associate head coach of the Perth Wildcats on a two-year contract.

[25] On 30 March 2023, Kelly was appointed head coach of the South East Melbourne Phoenix.

[28] On 23 January 2025, Kelly was appointed head coach of the Otago Nuggets of the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL) for the 2025 season.