Mike Kelly

Mike Kelly brings 45 years of eclectic experience to the Continental Football League as Commissioner. He is a former college player that has held roles in coaching, administration, scouting, player personnel, the business of sport, player representation, and education.

Kelly spent the decade of the 80’s building a reputation as a successful recruiter and innovative offensive mind, rebuilding programs and appearing in the NCAA Play-offs as an offensive coordinator, leading him to become Associate Head Coach at San Francisco State University in 1990/91 befriending former Head Coach Vic Rowen the 1985 President of the American Football Coaches Association.

Professional Football

In 1992 Kelly entered professional football when he was appointed as the Offensive Playcaller with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL) where he coached from 1992-96 under legendary Hall of Fame Coach/General Manager Cal Murphy. While in this role, Coach Kelly’s offense set 29 club records, including the still standing record for passing yards in a single game set by Matt Dunigan with 713 yards. Kelly also helped the team to achieve three Eastern Division Championships and two Grey Cup appearances. Kelly was named Director of Canadian Player Personnel in 1992 and in that same year, the CFL office appointed him as the Director of the CFL Draft Evaluation Camp designing the workouts and overseeing every aspect from player invites, to transportation, meals, charitable visits of the players to local children’s hospital wards, and coach’s gatherings held in Winnipeg from 1992-96.

After spending the summer of 2000 as a guest coach with the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL primarily working under Hall of Fame Coach Don Matthews to help evaluate the coaching staff and implement an efficient pattern of communication from the pressbox to the sideline, Kelly was named Offensive Coordinator/QB coach of the Orlando Rage by Head Coach Galen Hall in the original XFL of Vince McMahon. The Rage went a league best 8-2 during that year winning the Eastern Division and Kelly’s offense led the league in red zone scoring with quarterback Jeff Brohm, now Head Coach at the University of Louisville, named First Team All-XFL. Kelly served as the Draft Day Coordinator for the Rage working closely with Will McClay, now the Vice President of Player Personnel with the Dallas Cowboys.

Following his season with the Rage, Kelly spent five years in the National Football League (NFL) working in pro personnel for the Philadelphia Eagles, where he also was an Offensive Assistant/Quality Control Coach, and the Washington Redskins as Assistant Director of Pro Personnel advancing games in all three phases, working on free agency, draft preparation for both Steve Spurrier and Joe Gibbs. While with the Eagles, working alongside Head Coach Andy Reid (now of the Kansas City Chiefs), the club won two NFC East Championships and Kelly coached in the 2003 Pro Bowl in Hawaii’.

In 2008 Kelly returned to the CFL as the receivers coach under Head Coach/GM Danny Maciocia with the Edmonton Eskimos. Kelly’s receiving corps allowed quarterback Ricky Ray to throw for over 5000 yards that season. Slot receiver Kamau Peterson was named Most Outstanding Canadian Player, with over 100 passes caught, and Kelly Campbell led the CFL averaging 23.7 yards per reception. In 2009, Kelly returned to Winnipeg as the Head Coach and General Manager. Calling the offense for the first half of the season, Runningback Fred Reid set a Bomber record of 260 yards rushing in a single game breaking the old record of 249 yards set by Blaise Bryant in 1994 in Kelly’s first stint with the Blue and Gold. In his executive role, he managed the entire football operation, including the $8.2MM budget, and saw five of his players sign as free agents with the NFL.

College Football

Kelly has served as the Head Football Coach at two of the most storied small college football programs in the country bringing Valdosta State University (GA) their 100th program victory and Widener University (PA) their 700th win. He holds a career college coaching record of 50-35 going 44-24 in conference play.

As an Educator

From 2005-2007, Kelly was drawn back to the academic world, serving as a Professor of Sport Management at Drexel University in Philadelphia.

In 2006-07 Drexel University Student/Athletes Committee presented Kelly with the MAKE A DIFFERENCE AWARD for outstanding mentoring and teaching.