Hall of Fame
Kelly attended Northwest in 1947 and 1948 and participated in football, basketball, and baseball. He led the Ranger baseball squad to the state championship in 1948 after receiving Most Valuable Player honors for his accomplishments during the football season.
Forty years of Kelly's life have been spent teaching in the high school ranks, 39 of those at Ripley High School in Ripley, Tenn. In 19 years as the head football coach, he amassed a 132-66-2 record and made eight postseason appearances. In 21 years as the head baseball coach, Kelly totaled 302 wins to go along with only 94 losses. He also led the Tigers to eight district titles. In 1992, he was inducted into the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association's Hall of Fame.
A native of Oxford, Kelly graduated from University High School in Oxford before attending Northwest. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Mississippi in 1950.
