KENNETH KELLY

Kenneth A. Kelly was born June 1, 1905 in Bowling Green, Ohio. His family moved to Mount Pleasant where he won nine varsity letters at Mount Pleasant High School in football, basketball, track and tennis. He went on to Central Michigan College and won 13 varsity letters. Kelly was named second team all-conference in basketball (1928-29) and was captain of the tennis team for three years. He once threw five touchdown passes (still a Chippewa record) against Toledo and passed for a then-record 336 yards. In 1929-30, he was Senior Class and Student Body President as well as editor of the school newspaper. After graduating in 1930, Kelly began his coaching career at Cass City High School where he had an eight-year run before returning to Mount Pleasant High School where he coached four years. He continued his prep coaching career at Arthur Hill High School from 1942 to 1951. Kelly won the Class A state basketball championship in 1944 and his Lumberjack teams won seven Saginaw Valley League cage titles and a total of 25 district and regional championships. He coached the track team just one season and the Lumberjacks won the state title in 1944. His career coaching record in football at both Cass City and Arthur Hill was 128-47-8. As a Fordney Club member he was instrumental in helping finance and build Arthur Hill High School’s Memorial Stadium. He returned to Central Michigan and coached the football team for 15 years, compiling an 86-53-2 record and six first-place finishes. One of his top teams was the 1956 squad that went 9-0. He also coached basketball two years (23-21-11) and tennis 13 years (83-50), leading the Chippewas to a pair of first place finishes. He was named Michigan Small College Coach of the Year in 1959, and was the Central Michigan athletic director from 1959-66. He is in the Michigan High School Coaches Hall of Fame and was elected into the Central Michigan University Hall of Fame in 1985. The school’s Kelly-Shorts Stadium was named in his honor. He died at the age of 78 in Lakeland, Florida.