By: centraljersey.com
Brett Kelly, a 1998 graduate of Hopewell Valley Central High School, has been named head coach of the Gettysburg College’s mens soccer team.
The announcement of Mr. Kelly’s appointment was made Dec. 10 by Gettysburg athletic director David Wright.
Mr. Kelly, whose parents George and Karen Kelly still live in western Hopewell Township, was an All Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) soccer player in 1997, when he was a senior at Hopewell Valley Central High School. He graduated from Gettysburg College in 2003 and was an outstanding soccer player there, serving as captain of the team in 2001. The team posted a 65-15-3 record while he played for it from 1998-2001, winning two Centennial Conference Championships and competing in the NCAA Division III tournament three times.
He began his coaching career while completing his degree at Gettysburg, first as a student assistant in 2002 and as assistant coach in 2003.
He returns to Gettysburg following a two-year coaching stint at East Carolina University, which plays in Conference USA. He also has coached youth soccer for years, leading the 89 Greenville Stars, from North Carolina, to an undefeated season in 2005.
Mr. Kelly also has coached mens and womens tennis at Gettysburg, serving as co-coach of those teams for three years, during which time they had a combined record of 52-46. He will continue as an assistant tennis coach this year.
"I am honored to be named head men’s soccer coach here at Gettysburg College," Mr. Kelly said. "I want to thank athletic director Dave Wright for letting me work with such a quality group of student-athletes."
Mr. Wright coached Mr. Kelly in his playing days and hired him as a student assistant in 2002.
"My respect for Coach Kelly has grown by the day, and working hand-in-hand with him this past fall solidified what I already knew – he is prepared and ready," Mr. Wright said. "Brett’s intimate knowledge of, and passion for, his alma mater make him an excellent choice to re-establish the Bullets’ soccer program as a Centennial Conference frontrunner. He has proven himself as a dedicated and loyal coach who cares deeply about the student-athletes he works with. He understands that soccer is an important part of the overall college experience, but the growth and maturation of the individual student is even more critical."

