ATLANTA (Jan. 14) – Georgia Tech head coach George O’Leary Thursday filled the remaining vacancy on his coaching staff, hiring one of the top recruiters in the Southeast in former LSU assistant David Kelly as Tech’s wide receiver coach.
Kelly, who spent the past four seasons as tight ends coach at LSU, replaces Stan Hixon, who left Tech for the position of assistant head coach at LSU.
“I’m very happy to be adding David Kelly to our coaching staff,” said O’Leary. “David Kelly is a widely respected coach and recruiter. He will help us in recruiting in the Southeast and especially in Georgia. He will also be a great addition to what is already a strong offensive staff.”
Kelly, who also spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Georgia (1994-95) and 10 years as head coach at Dunwoody (Ga.) High School, has coached no fewer than 10 players who have gone on to the National Football League including every tight end who completed his eligibility under Kelly at LSU.
“I’m very excited to be going to Georgia Tech,” said Kelly. “I’m very happy to be working at such a tradition-rich school as Tech and for George O’Leary, one of the top head coaches in college football and with Ralph Friedgen, one of the top offensive minds in the game at either the college or professional level. This is a tremendous opportunity, and I’m very grateful to Coach O’Leary to allow me to play a small role in the future success of the program.
“I consider this very much like coming back home as I had lived previously in Atlanta for almost 15 years.
During his college coaching career Kelly has coached such standouts as LSU all-America tight end David Lafleur, Denver Broncos standout Terrell Davis, Washington Redskins fullback Larry Bowie and former San Francisco 49’er standout Harris Barton.
While at Dunwoody High School, he was named the state high school coach of the year by the State of Georgia Hall of Fame, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association after leading his 1993 team to a perfect 15-0 record, the Georgia AAAA state championship and a final national ranking of No. 3 by USA Today.
A native of Union, S.C., Kelly played collegiately for Art Baker and Dick Sheridan at Furman, graduating from Furman in 1979. He stayed on with Sheridan as a graduate assistant coach for two seasons (1980-81) receiving his Master’s Degree from Furman in 1981.
He then spent three years (1981-83) as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator at Dunwoody High before assuming the head coaching duties for the 1984 season. In a 10-year stint at Dunwoody, he compiled an 80-36-1 record which included the 1993 state championship and three regional titles. In 1993, Dunwoody’s top running back Rod Perrymond was named the Georgia AAAA offensive player of the year and its top defensive lineman, Travis Stroud, was the national defensive prep player of the year.
He is married to the former Belinda Clowney of Spartanburg, S.C. and they have one daughter, Brittany Nicole.
