Ex-Coach Brian Kelly is inducted into Grand Valley Hall of Fame

The 2009 Hall of Fame class at Grand Valley State University (GVSU) featured six individuals including their former head coach, Brian Kelly.

In his illustrious career at GVSU, Kelly earned five Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) championships, six playoff appearances, one runner-up championship, and two Division II Championships.

He also received honors for GLIAC coach of the year, and was voted as the American Football Coaches Association Coach of the year for Division II football back-to-back in 2002 and 2003, in which he also won both of his championships.

“I am honored and proud to be inducted into the GVSU Hall of Fame. There are so many people I want to thank that have been directly responsible for this opportunity,” Kelly said in a statement about his induction. “The support of my family, coaches and players has been tremendous throughout my career. I share this accomplishment with them.”

His long time assistant coach, Jeff Quinn was very proud to be a part of all of this.

“I am happy and proud for Brian Kelly to be inducted in the GVSU Hall of Fame,” Quinn said. “He deserves to be recognized for this honor.”

Kelly departed GVSU for a shot in Division I football at Central Michigan University.  In his three years at Central, he led the team to three winning seasons, including Central’s only bowl win in school history.  His teams won the MAC West championship and a MAC Championship while he was here.

After his three years at Central, Kelly set out for a new start with the University of Cincinnati Bearcats.  His first ever game as head coach was a bowl victory over Western Michigan in the International Bowl in Toronto, making him the only coach in NCAA history to beat the same team twice as a head coach with two different teams.

In his following years with Cincinnati, his teams have won the Papajohns.com bowl and made an appearance in the first BCS bowl game in Cincinnati’s history, in which they lost to Virginia Tech.

But Kelly will never forget his roots at Grand Valley.  He knows that GVSU was where it all started and that was where his life started for him.

“When we started at GVSU in 1989, who would’ve known we would accomplish two national championships,”  Quinn said.  “I appreciate all of the tremendous administrators, fellow coaches, championship players, and loyal fans who supported us in our years there.”