Coach Who Always Attempts Onside Kicks, Never Punts Lands Division I Job

Sometimes unorthodox thinking pays off. The high school football coach who almost never punts, and always goes for onside kicks has landed a college head-coaching job. According to multiple reports, Pulaski Academy head coach Kevin Kelley is leaving the Little Rock, Arkansas-based high school for Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina.

Presbyterian has a Division I football program that competes at the FCS level in the Pioneer Football League.

Via Kark.com:

“Pulaski Academy has announced that Kevin Kelley, head coach for the high school football team has accepted a new position and will leave the school.

Kelley has accepted a position as the head Football Coach at Presbyterian College in Clinton South Carolina, according to Matt Walsh, President and Head of School.

Kelley coached for PA dating back to 1997 when he took an assistant coaching job. During that time Kelley won 9 state championships with the Bruins.”

Pulaski Academy Head Football coach leaves, announces new college coaching job https://t.co/5Y2UjiXNLK

— KARK 4 News (@KARK4News) May 6, 2021

When the score is within three touchdowns, Kelley’s team attempted an onside kick “100 percent of the time,” according to Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wetzel

“Kelley believes, and has data to back it up, that the “opportunity to create a turnover” via an onside kick is greater than the loss of field position from a failed kick. There’s more. His teams also never (or almost never) punt because the chance to run four downs worth of plays is seen as more valuable than field position (especially with high school punters). Pulaski also receives kicks with unusual formations, creating space and limiting penalties and injuries. It blitzes often because “sacks change the game” more than allowing a first down.”

Football is all about field posisition,  so this thinking definitely is against the grain.

Sounds more like a novelty than a solid strategy. So far it’s working for him.

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