Thomas Kelley (born c. 1888) was an American college football player and coach, college basketball coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Muhlenberg College from 1911 to 1913, the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy—now known as the Missouri University of Science and Technology—in 1914, the University of Alabama from 1915 to 1917, the University of Idaho from 1920 to 1921, and the University of Missouri in 1922, compiling a career college football head coaching coaching record of 56–24–3 (.693). Kelley was also the head basketball coach at Muhlenberg from 1912 to 1914 and Alabama for the 1916–17 season, tallying a career college basketball record of 18–23 (.439). In addition, he served as the athletic director at Alabama in 1915 and Idaho from 1920 to 1922.
 Kelly, c. 1908 | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1888 Du Quoin, Illinois, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1906, 1908–1909 | Chicago |
| Position(s) | Tackle |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1911–1913 | Muhlenberg |
| 1914 | Missouri Mines |
| 1915–1917 | Alabama |
| 1919 | Missouri (assistant) |
| 1920–1921 | Idaho |
| 1922 | Missouri |
| Basketball | |
| 1912–1914 | Muhlenberg |
| 1916–1917 | Alabama |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1915 | Alabama |
| 1920–1922 | Idaho |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 56–24–3 (football) 18–23 (basketball) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Records | |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1917–1918 |
| Battles / wars | World War I |
Playing career
editKelley played college football at the University of Chicago as a tackle for the Maroons under head coach Amos Alonzo Stagg.[1]
Coaching career
editIn 1915 at Alabama, Kelley coached only the first half of season (4–0) before he came down with typhoid fever. Athletic director B. L. Noojin and former Alabama quarterback Farley Moody took over the head coaching duties for the remaining four games of the season.[2] The 2–2 mark achieved in Kelly's absence is still credited to his record at Alabama of 17–7–1 (.700).
Kelley served in the U.S. Army in World War I and returned to coaching as an assistant at Missouri in 1919.[3] He moved west in March 1920 and accepted the dual position of athletic director and head football coach at Idaho;[4][5][6][7] under his leadership the Vandals were admitted to the Pacific Coast Conference in 1922.[8][9] In addition to his duties at the university, he was also the state's boxing commissioner.[10] After two years in Moscow,[11] Kelley accepted the position of head football coach at Missouri in June 1922 at a salary of $4,500 per year,[1] but resigned prior to the completion of his first season.[12][13]
Kelley also coached college basketball for three seasons, two at Muhlenberg College (1912–14) and one at Alabama (1916–17), with an overall record of 18–23.
Head coaching record
editFootball
edit| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muhlenberg Mules (Independent) (1911–1913) | |||||||||
| 1911 | Muhlenberg | 5–4 | |||||||
| 1912 | Muhlenberg | 6–3 | |||||||
| 1913 | Muhlenberg | 6–2–1 | |||||||
| Muhlenberg: | 17–9–1 | ||||||||
| Missouri Mines Miners (Independent) (1914) | |||||||||
| 1914 | Missouri Mines | 9–0 | |||||||
| Missouri Mines: | 9–0 | ||||||||
| Alabama Crimson Tide (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1915–1917) | |||||||||
| 1915 | Alabama | 6–2 | 5–0 | ||||||
| 1916 | Alabama | 6–3 | 4–3 | ||||||
| 1917 | Alabama | 5–2–1 | 3–1–1 | ||||||
| Alabama: | 17–7–1 | 11–4–1 | |||||||
| Idaho Vandals (Northwest Conference) (1920–1921) | |||||||||
| 1920 | Idaho | 4–2 | 2–2 | 4th | |||||
| 1921 | Idaho | 4–3–1 | 1–2–1 | 5th | |||||
| Idaho: | 8–5–1 | 3–4–1 | |||||||
| Missouri Tigers (Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1922) | |||||||||
| 1922 | Missouri | 5–3 | 4–3 | 4th | |||||
| Missouri: | 5–3 | 4–3 | |||||||
| Total: | 56–24–3 | ||||||||
References
edit- ^ a b "Kelley quits as Idaho coach; will go to U. of Missouri". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). June 8, 1922. p. 24.
- ^ Groom 2000, p. 26.
- ^ "Kelly to coach Missouri squad". Youngstown Vindicator. (Ohio). June 28, 1922. p. 8.
- ^ "Thomas Kelley is new coach" (PDF). University Argonaut. (Moscow, Idaho). (University of Idaho). March 2, 1920. p. 1.
- ^ "Big reception for Idaho coach". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). May 7, 1920. p. 17.
- ^ "Wild applause greets Kelley" (PDF). University Argonaut. (Moscow, Idaho). (University of Idaho). May 11, 1920. p. 1.
- ^ "Football: 1920 season". Gem of the Mountains 1922, University of Idaho yearbook. April 1921. p. 108.
- ^ "Conference to handle east-west games in future; Idaho admitted". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). December 11, 1921. p. 1, sports.
- ^ "Kelley quits as coach of Idaho". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). June 9, 1922. p. 14.
- ^ "Kelley looks at battle site". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). June 9, 1921. p. 20.
- ^ "Thomas Kelley is new coach" (PDF). University Argonaut. (Moscow, Idaho). (University of Idaho). March 2, 1920. p. 1.
- ^ "Missouri coach has resigned position". Christian Science Monitor. November 16, 1922. p. 12. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013. Retrieved April 22, 2012.
- ^ "Tom Kelley resigns as Missouri coach" (PDF). University Argonaut. (Moscow, Idaho). (University of Idaho). November 22, 1922. p. 4.
Sources
edit- Groom, Winston. The Crimson Tide – An Illustrated History. Tuscaloosa: The University of Alabama Press, 2000. ISBN 0-8173-1051-7-.