Professor Mike Kelly leaving to coach in CFL
Mike Mazzeo
Issue date: 2/1/08 Section: Sports
Kelly even sought advice from the Eagles head coach during a 20-minute phone conversation.
"The bottom line is if you want to coach, you've got to go coach," he said.
Despite his liking for his teaching job Kelly understood that if he waited any longer to get back into coaching, it may have been too late.
Kelly inherits a receiving core which includes ex-Baltimore Raven Clarence Moore.
Moore, who caught five career NFL touchdown passes, will be Kelly's main project, as he must adapt to a brand new style of football.
"It's a whole different game," Kelly said.
While communicating with Moore might come with relative ease, trying to find different ways to instill knowledge into dozens of students was hard work.
The challenge of teaching, Kelly said, was, "Presenting material in a variety of ways so that everyone grasped some idea of the concept."
Often he would refer to real life experiences, going against the grain in terms of lecturing right out of a textbook.
"There's a lot to be said about real life experience and bringing it to the classroom," Kelly said. "I'm more of 'show me what you've done' over 'show me what you've studied.'"
His outside-the-box approach as a professor may have proved successful, but his greatest success may have claim shaping the sport management major.
Kelly took a fledging program and created new courses such as "Monday Night Football" while adding a sport management advisory board that features the likes of ex-Eagle Super Bowl quarterback Ron Jaworski and Greg Cosell, executive director of NFL films.
"It was exciting to come in and get the program on its feet and get some recognition," he said.
Kelly was grateful for the chance that Drexel gave him.
"I am so happy that I had this opportunity, he said. "It was a wonderful experience."
Asked about what type of advice he would give his students Kelly said, "Sport management is all about networking. It's not being afraid to call people, or going up to someone and shaking their hand."
While he would consider a move back to the NFL if the right situation occurred, he feels content in the CFL.
"If an NFL job opens and I'm with the right people, great. If not, I'm happy with the CFL. It's a high level of competition. It's professional football."
"The bottom line is if you want to coach, you've got to go coach," he said.
Despite his liking for his teaching job Kelly understood that if he waited any longer to get back into coaching, it may have been too late.
Kelly inherits a receiving core which includes ex-Baltimore Raven Clarence Moore.
Moore, who caught five career NFL touchdown passes, will be Kelly's main project, as he must adapt to a brand new style of football.
"It's a whole different game," Kelly said.
While communicating with Moore might come with relative ease, trying to find different ways to instill knowledge into dozens of students was hard work.
The challenge of teaching, Kelly said, was, "Presenting material in a variety of ways so that everyone grasped some idea of the concept."
Often he would refer to real life experiences, going against the grain in terms of lecturing right out of a textbook.
"There's a lot to be said about real life experience and bringing it to the classroom," Kelly said. "I'm more of 'show me what you've done' over 'show me what you've studied.'"
His outside-the-box approach as a professor may have proved successful, but his greatest success may have claim shaping the sport management major.
Kelly took a fledging program and created new courses such as "Monday Night Football" while adding a sport management advisory board that features the likes of ex-Eagle Super Bowl quarterback Ron Jaworski and Greg Cosell, executive director of NFL films.
"It was exciting to come in and get the program on its feet and get some recognition," he said.
Kelly was grateful for the chance that Drexel gave him.
"I am so happy that I had this opportunity, he said. "It was a wonderful experience."
Asked about what type of advice he would give his students Kelly said, "Sport management is all about networking. It's not being afraid to call people, or going up to someone and shaking their hand."
While he would consider a move back to the NFL if the right situation occurred, he feels content in the CFL.
"If an NFL job opens and I'm with the right people, great. If not, I'm happy with the CFL. It's a high level of competition. It's professional football."
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