Kelly
NEWBERRY — Newberry Director of Athletics Ralph Patterson announced Friday that Tommy Kelly has been named the next women’s lacrosse head coach.
“I cannot tell you how excited we are to name Tommy Kelly as our Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach,” Patterson said. “He’s passionate about the game and will build a culture based on acceptance and support to foster strong relationships within the program. Our student-athletes are ready to be coached, and he is ready to lead.”
Kelly brings head coaching experience with him to Newberry. After inheriting a winless program at Davis & Elkins College (W.Va.), he led the Senators to their first winning season in school history in 2019 and a playoff appearance in 2021. While at Davis & Elkins, Kelly coached 11 All-Conference players as well as a Mountain East Conference Freshman of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. He also served as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Slippery Rock University (Pa.), where he developed a defense that allowed 6.8 goals per game while also making the playoffs for the first time in school history in 2017.
“I would like to thank President Scherrens, Mr. Ralph Patterson, and Casey Petrusic for believing in my abilities to lead this program,” Kelly said. “I believe the program has a strong foundation that we can build on. I am very excited to be a part of an institution that has grown tremendously over the past few years. Newberry College has proven that they are invested in the success of their student-athletes and their coaches. I look forward to leading this group of young ladies and developing a lasting sense of pride in school, program, and community.”
“We are excited to bring Tommy on board,” Assistant Director of Compliance and Senior Woman Administrator, Casey Petrusic, said. “His passion and energy are exactly what we were looking for. We are excited to get him on campus and to see what he can do for this program.”
“We invited our student-athletes to be part of the selection process and appreciate their willingness to join multiple virtual meetings with coaches from all over the country,” Patterson said. “I can’t wait to watch this program grow and be perennial contenders for SAC Championships.”