He takes average teams and turns them into contenders. Kelly doesn't just build players, he builds programs. It's time to give the man some respect.
In the NFL, players often get the credit for a team's success. This is not the case in college, where coaches get the majority of the accolades. However, Kelly, a Massachusetts native, is the exception. In terms of the national media, Kelly seems to get shockingly little credit for the job he has done.
Often times, new head coaches have an initial wave of success based on the players that were already on the team when they took over. In other words, these new coaches receive much of the glory from the previous coaches' hard work. (See: Charlie Weis in his first year at Notre Dame.) After those holdover players graduate, though, the team often takes a precipitous nosedive.
But having Kelly at the helm is different. In 2004, Kelly was named head coach at Central Michigan. When he started, the Chippewas had a total of 12 wins over the previous four seasons. Three years later, they were 10-2 and MAC conference champs.
After the 2006 season, Kelly left Central Michigan to become the head coach at Cincinnati. Before he took over, the Bearcats had a total of one 10-win season in their history. In other words, he did not inherit a roster full of All-Americans. Now in his third year, Kelly is poised to lead the Bearcats to their third consecutive 10-win campaign. He has also been named Big East Coach of the Year in each of his completed seasons at the school.
Last year, because of injuries, the Bearcats were forced to use three different starting quarterbacks. This year, they began the season with only one returning defensive starter. Then, in the biggest game of their season so far, their Heisman-candidate quarterback Tony Pike left midway through with an injury. Teams are not supposed to overcome these types of losses. But for Cincy and Kelly, it seems like business as usual.
Kelly is a local product, having grown up in Chelsea, Mass. He attended St. John's High and later Assumption College, where he was a four-year letter-winning linebacker. Much of Cincinnati's credit this season goes to the players who perform on the field, but let's not forget about the man who seems to have the golden touch.
No. 8 Cincinnati (6-0) 34, No. 21 South Florida (5-1) 17
The Bearcats continue to roll, overcoming the loss of their starting quarterback to win on the road against a tough Big East opponent. The first edition of the BCS rankings came out this weekend and Cincinnati sits at No. 5.
As for South Florida, the next few weeks are critical. The past two years, they have fallen apart after fast starts. Their next two games are against AP No. 20 Pittsburgh and 22nd-ranked West Virginia, so we will know soon enough what type of season they will have.
Pittsburgh (6-1) 24, Rutgers (4-2) 17
Coming into this game, Pittsburgh had not beaten Rutgers in three years, so this was a big game for the Pitt seniors. If not for a blown 14-point lead against North Carolina State, the Panthers would be undefeated. As it is, they find themselves ranked 20th in the initial BCS rankings.
Rutgers has beaten four bad teams and lost to two good ones. It remains to be seen just how good they are. At this point, it looks like they are a middle-of-the-pack Big East squad.
West Virginia (5-1) 24, Marshall (4-3) 7
WVU's starting quarterback, Jarrett Brown, left during the Mountaineers' first series after taking a hit to the head. The rest of the first half was tough for West Virginia, but they regrouped in the second half behind freshman quarterback Geno Smith.
After losing two fumbles in this game, the Mountaineers have now lost 11 on the season. That is good for 116th in the country. This is a problem and there does not appear to be a fix in site. West Virginia is ranked 23rd in the initial BCS rankings. If they can ever find a way to hold onto the ball, they have a chance for a great season.
Connecticut (4-2) 38, Louisville (2-4) 25
UConn's offense looked terrific, but it was against Louisville. There is a good chance Louisville does not win a single Big East game this year. UConn, meanwhile, is not going to win the Big East, but they are the type of team that can ruin seasons. They played Pitt tough last week and still have to face West Virginia and Cincy. The Huskies love to play grind-it-out football and are great at turning games sloppy.
What We Learned
1. Cincinnati is a legitimate national title contender.
2. West Virginia and Cincinnati both proved they have capable backup quarterbacks.
3. This appears to be the same old South Florida, losing its way after a fast start.
Respect Barometer
The initial BCS poll came out this week and three Big East teams are ranked in the top 25, including Cincinnati at No. 5. Entering the season, this is as good as the Big East could have possibly hoped for. It looks like both the human pollsters as well as the computers are beginning to believe in the Big East. Cincinnati continues to be the flag bearer for the conference, and their continued solid play is a must in the Big East's battle for national respect.
