May 23, 2008

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - Marist women's cross country and track and field head coach Phil Kelly has announced his retirement after coaching the Red Foxes for the last 18 years. During his tenure, Kelly led Marist to four Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference cross country championships and was named Coach of the Year on four different occasions. His most recent Coach of the Year award came on May 4th following the MAAC Outdoor Championships.

"When Phil and I started together back in the spring of 1991, we had less than a dozen athletes combined in men's and women's cross country and track. Phil's leadership and dedication are a big reason why we have grown in size and stature through the years," said men's cross country and track coach Pete Colaizzo.

Kelly came to Marist in the fall of 1990 after coaching multiple sports, including cross country and track and field, at Carmel High School for 21 years. He helped the Red Foxes win four MAAC cross country titles in 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2004. Since 2004, the Marist women's cross country team has not finished lower than fourth at the MAAC meet. He has also led the women's track team to nine top-three finishes at the MAAC Outdoor Championships. During Kelly's tenure, Marist consistently led the conference in All-Academic Team selections.

"I've been here 18 years. I've seen immense improvement over that time in both the cross country and track programs. We've had many MAAC champions, but I didn't coach for that. I coached because I enjoyed it," said Kelly.

Marist Director of Athletics Tim Murray lauded Kelly for his commitment and the special relationships he was able to build with his teams.

"I can't thank Phil enough for the energy and passion he put into his work with the program for the past 18 years," Murray said. "The relationships Phil was able to build with his athletes will be hard to replace."