June 18, 2009



June 18, 2009

Brian Kelly

UC Football Coach

Named the University of Cincinnati's head football coach on December 4, 2006, Brian Kelly has set the bar high at UC and achieved a great deal of success in a short period of time.  Entering his third year at the helm of the UC program, Kelly boasts a 22-6 record and led the Bearcats to their first BIG EAST Conference Championship in 2008.  Following the close of the regular season, Kelly was named the BIG EAST Coach of the Year for the second-straight season. He also was named the American Football Monthly Schutt Sports Football Bowl Subdivision Coach of the Year and earned American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Region 1 Coach of the Year honors, and was named BIG EAST Coach of the Year by The Sporting News.

Under Coach Kelly, UC reached its highest ranking yet: #12. This includes a six game winning streak and victory among River City rivals regionally during which UC beat Miami of Ohio and obtained the Victory Bell and the Keg of Ale from the battle over U. Pitt.

Coach Kelly began by saying he realizes that he is following Rob Portman as he speaks to Rotary today. He told a good story on Rob as he described the neighborhood in which they both live just two doors from one another. As the Portmans put their house up for sale, Coach Kelly’s wife became interested in it saying it was “perfect” for their family. Soon after, the Kellys came to see the Portman’s home and much to Coach Kelly’s surprise, Rob had tastefully decorated throughout with UC Bearcat memorabilia. “What a smart politician Rob Portman is!” announced Coach Kelly.

The Coach said, “We, Rotarians, have an opportunity to be great because we have the opportunity to lead others. What is more, the fabric of our being is leadership.” As a result that is the very topic that he would like to address as he speaks this day. “We are all the same. It’s about service and about seeing the future.” We battle getting caught in the day-to-day details, yet opportunities are all about in front of us. He said he could see a great opportunity at UC. “A good leader must see through the day-to-day and into the future.” He wanted to win the championship, but in order to do so he had to win every day. Yet he also wanted to win for each player by educating them as well.

He set goals and followed them. First, he wanted to engage and to develop the interpersonal communication skills of each player. He thought he had better eliminate confusion so he works directly with the young men that he is trying to educate and to develop. He serves them by engaging face to face. He said he must educate every day and not let the technology bog him down by simply delivering the message by power point or by defaulting to emails alone. He said he must reinvent continuously. He must be change-ready to meet the opportunities that lie directly ahead. Even in today’s economy the prepared can achieve by seizing new opportunities. They ARE out there! He said he wants to change the vision of UC’s football program; that is, it must be relevant and it must provide great products on the field, then they will be successful. They have to work within the changes. UC used to mean “under construction.” It was not ready for the Orange Bowl, but Cincinnati was! He recalled being blown away as the team walked into the stadium in Miami, Florida and saw 20,000 fans who had come all the way from Cincinnati to see them play! Finally, because he values relationships, he wants the team to reach out to the community. He wants to embody the values and walk the talk every day. He must live it so the 100+ players aged 18 – 22 will act it. He asked, “You can lead without character, but will they truly follow during adversity without it?” He is intent upon the players living it and upon their learning relationship building skills. He said he operates with a sense of urgency because he only has 3-4 years with each player. He plans to build leadership every day. He wants to build roots for recruitment from within 100 miles of UC’s campus. He says there is a unique profile here: we are passionate about our own. He has a unique circumstance because there are “really good football players locally!”

Off-season conditioning (running and lifting) begins Monday, June 22, with no coaches. He requires the players to take summer school classes to either get ahead or to make life a little easier during football season, or to make up deficiencies. The season begins on August 9th. They meet West Virginia at home. This year they have learned a lesson. Last year the business students waited in tents overnight in a ticket sales line to be sure and get the best UC seats for the West Virginia game. Yet on the day of the game he was shocked to see West Virginia fans seated on the fifty yard line in the UC section. As it turned out the business students sold their prized-seat tickets to West Virginia fans at cost plus premium prices! (Love that entrepreneurial spirit, don’t you?) Coach Kelly said this will not happen this year! UC will play Illinois on Thanksgiving Day weekend and will also meet U. Conn. and Louisville.

He concluded by saying, “It’s a 24/7 job!”

In the Question/Answer period Rotarians asked……

1. Are the football players involved with low income kids? Coach Kelly said, “Yes, they did 32 service projects last year. Look on Cats Link to see their work sites.”

2. How will UC fare against six highly ranked competitors? Coach Kelly said, “Six teams have the ability to win at the national level. Two are in transition. UC will win again this year!”

3. One of the polls, picked U. Pitt to win. Describe their program.

Coach Kelly said, “Their Quarterback is questionable. They lost a running back. The winner depends upon being the ‘best team.’”

4. What are the “red shirt” rules? He answered, “Every player has eligibility for 5 years and among them four years of competition. It starts when the student first enrolls on campus. Nine out of ten players will ‘red shirt.’”

5. Are you planning any changes in defense? Coach Kelly said, “We have cultivated depth. We now have some that are comparable if not better. Remember, it’s not what we lost, but whom we have returning.”

He said he is very excited about the 2009 season. “UC WILL be ready for the Orange Bowl this year!” (Let’s go, Rotary!)

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