Campbell University

Michael Kelly enters his ninth season at the helm of the Campbell track & field and cross country programs in 2020-21 since taking over as head coach in 2012.

Over the last eight years, Kelly has led both programs to new heights, garnering repeated attention on a national level. Kelly has led the cross country programs to nine conference championships, including five consecutive men’s championships and six individual titles. 
 
With Kelly's guidance he has coached eight NCAA All-American honorees, seven Big South runners of the year, six freshmen of the year, 39 all-conference honorees and one scholar-athlete of the year award in cross country.

With track & field, Kelly has led the Fighting Camels to the highest finish in program history with runner-up finishes at the 2017 & 2018 Big South indoor championships for both the men and women. The men’s squad have finished second at the indoor championships in six out of the last seven years, in addition to three straight runner-up finishes at the outdoor championships from 2017-19.                    
 
Under his direction, track & field student-athletes at Campbell have collectively won 16 All-American honors, 97 individual conference titles, six freshmen of the year honors and one scholar-athlete of the year award.

The Campbell distance program has flourished under Kelly’s tutelage.
 
Amon Terer concluded his Camel career in June of 2017 after earning his fourth career All-America accolade at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 5K. He had previously garnered All-America status in cross country (2016) and the indoor 3K and 5K (2017). Terer was also named the NCAA Southeast Regional Athlete of the Year and Big South Runner of the Year during the 2016 cross country season.
 
In Terer’s wake, Amon Kemboi and Lawrence Kipkoech established themselves in the Campbell history books during the 2017-18 campaign by both earning All-America laurels in cross country, indoor and outdoor track.  For his cumulative effort, Kemboi was recognized as the 2017-18 Big South Runner of the Year in addition to bringing home the league’s Male Athlete of the Year award.

Alongside Kemboi and Kipkoech, fellow Kenyan distance runners Meshack Kipruto, Jacob Kipserem, Kelvin Kirui and Joan Maritim have also excelled under the direction of Kelly. On the track, these athletes have won 19 Big South individual titles and 41 All-Conference honors. In cross country, these athletes have combined for three All-America honors, six All-Region accolades, 14 All-Conference awards and three Big South Runner of the Year honors.
 
Also in 2017-18, Sabina Allen became the first Campbell student-athlete to be named the Big South Women's Field Athlete of the Year and its first female All-America honoree. Along with being selected as the Women's Most Outstanding Field Performer of the Big South indoor and outdoor championships, she claimed five Big South titles, broke six conference records and was All-America during both the indoor and outdoor seasons.  
 
In 2018-19 Kemboi earned Big South Runner of the Year honors for the second straight season, despite redshirting the outdoor season. Kemboi earned All-American status after a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. During the indoor season Kemboi set Big South records in the mile (3:59.52) and the 3000m (7:47.77). His 3000m time ranks ninth all-time in the NCAA history. Kemboi capped off the season by earning First Team All-American honors in the 5000m and Second Team All-American honors in the 3000m. In cross country, Kemboi earned All-American honors with an eighth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. 
 
Kipkoech also had a stellar senior season during both the cross country and track seasons in 2018-19. The Eldoret, Kenya native secured his fourth straight NCAA Cross Country Championships berth and earned All-American honors, finishing 37th. Kipkoech also set personal bests in the 10,000m (28.41.19) and the 5000m (13:42.08) during the outdoor track season and qualified for the 10,000m race at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships. Kipkoech concluded his historic career by qualifying for every 10,000m race in cross country and track & field across eight opportunities.

In 2019-20, newcomer Athanas Kioko took the Camels by storm as he broke the cross country 8K school-record (22:28.5) in his first meet at the Louisville Classic. Kioko earned Big South Runner of the Year honors in cross country after capturing first-place at the Big South Championships. Kioko and Kemboi both earned all-region honors bids to the NCAA Cross Country Championships after Kioko placed second and Kemboi fourth at the NCAA Southeast Regionals while Godwin Kimutai earned all-regions honors after finishing 19th. At the NCAA Cross Country Championships, both Kemboi and Kioko earned All-American honors marking the fourth-straight season Campbell has had multiple All-Americans.  Kioko continued his success on the track, claiming Big South Most Valuable Athlete honors after first-place finishes in the mile, 3000m, 5000m and the DMR at the Big South Championships.

In all, 43 athletes have qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary and four have advanced to the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore. Since taking over program, 18 of his athletes have been named the Most Outstanding Athlete of the Year in their respective disciplines with six having earned Big South Runner of the Year honors.

With CU’s success during his tenure, Kelly has been named the Big South Coach of the Year on seven occasions. He was named the indoor Men’s Coach of the Year in 2014 and 2019, the outdoor Women’s Coach of the Year in 2016 and the indoor Women’s and Men’s Coach of the Year in 2017. In addition, Kelly was named the Big South Men’s Coach of the Year for cross country in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2019.

Kelly joined the staff in January of 2012 as an Assistant Coach overseeing the distance program. He was promoted to Interim Head Coach after former head coach Norbert Elliot accepted a position at Purdue in the summer of 2012. He was named the full-time Head Coach in August of 2012.

Prior to coming to the Creek, Kelly served as a volunteer assistant coach at Georgia from 2010-11, working with the cross country and distance programs. In 2011, the Bulldogs received their first at-large NCAA Cross Country Championships bid in seven years and several athletes earned All-America honors during the track & field season.

Kelly also served as an Assistant Coach at Mercer from the 2008-10, assisting the Bears cross country program and the distance runners during the outdoor seasons in the spring. He began his coaching career on the high school level as an Assistant Coach at Mandarin High School in his hometown of Jacksonville, Fla.

Kelly graduated from Florida in 2002 and is certified as a Level II USATF coach.