Kelly Accepts Offer to Become Men's Lacrosse Coach

Top Offensive Assistant on Hannan's Staff for Five Years

TOWSON, Md. — He is Goucher's new head men's lacrosse coach, but he is not new to the school's men's lacrosse program.

Brian Kelly, hired five years ago to be the top offensive assistant on Kyle Hannan's staff, is now succeeding Hannan as head coach at Goucher, according to a statement made this afternoon by Geoffrey M. Miller, the institution's athletics director.

"We are genuinely excited by the prospect of Brian Kelly taking over our men's lacrosse program," Miller said in announcing the hiring. "Following a national search, we feel we found the person internally who can sustain the progress made in recent years and propel us forward to an even higher level. He is, without a doubt, the best fit for Goucher and the intercollegiate athletics department. 

"We have observed Coach Kelly's work teaching, mentoring and developing the players in our program since Coach Hannan brought him onboard, and Brian has been a big part of this lacrosse program's success. He has a proven business track record as a leader and salesperson. He is well connected in the lacrosse community, particularly the Baltimore lacrosse community. And he knows the players on our team, as well as many of our prospects, well. This, we trust, will make the transition a relatively seamless one."

Kelly attended Johns Hopkins and while there played on two teams that advanced to the national semifinals of the NCAA Division I men's lacrosse playoffs. In addition to being an honorable mention Division I All-American by the USILA in 1993, he was the recipient of the Turnbull-Reynolds Award given to a men's lacrosse player for outstanding character and leadership.

"I am extremely humbled and honored to have been selected as the next men's lacrosse coach at Goucher College," Kelly commented after accepting the offer.  "I am grateful to President (Sanford) Ungar, (Dean of Students) Gail Edmonds, and Geoff Miller for providing me the opportunity to continue my association with this highly regarded academic institution and its first-class athletics department.

"I am excited to go to work on continuing and furthering the legacy of success at Goucher College established most recently by Kyle Hannan. Also, I need to thank my family, most specifically my wife Holly, son Will and daughter Grace for their support during this process. We are all extremely excited to be Gophers!"

Kelly becomes only the fourth head coach in the 21-year history of Goucher's men's lacrosse program.

Hannan, who resigned in August to become the head men's lacrosse coach at Mercer, a Division I institution located in Macon, Georgia, guided the Gophers to 121 wins during his 12-year tenure. In 2012, his team captured its second Landmark Conference championship in three years and defeated Washington (Md.), 5-4, in the opening round of the NCAA Division III playoffs on the way to an 18-2 record.