June 24, 2003

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Dr. Tom Kelly, associate athletic director for facilities at the University of Notre Dame, has announced his retirement effective June 30, following 39 years with the Irish athletic department.

He’s concluding his eighth year as an associate athletic director at Notre Dame after serving as an assistant athletic director since 1983. Kelly’s responsibilities have included facilities and game management and overseeing the extensive RecSports program, which has continued to experience expanding programs in fitness, classes, clinics, special events and informal recreation, as well as the intramural and club sport programs. He also has been the sport administrator for women’s soccer, men’s swimming and softball.

“Tom has had a profound effect on, literally, thousands of Notre Dame students and student-athletes, when you consider his contributions as a baseball coach, the growth of our Rec-Sports programs under his guidance, plus his work with our athletic facilities and master plan. Our student-athletes will be benefiting from his vision and expertise in these areas years down the road,” said Notre Dame director of athletics Kevin White.

Before turning his attentions to his current responsibilities, Kelly oversaw the development of the extensive Student Development Program for academic, athletic, personal, community service and career development for three years.

Beginning in 1990, Kelly assumed chairmanship of the university’s physical education department, a role in which he continues.

Kelly first joined the Notre Dame staff in 1965 as assistant baseball coach under head coach Jake Kline. He also assumed the job of assistant director of non-varsity athletics a few years later. The Mansfield, Pa., native took over as head baseball coach in 1975 and held that position through 1980. His final baseball squad in 1980 put together a 29-8 record, the highest victory total ever by an Irish baseball team at that time. He became director of the non-varsity program in 1979.

Prior to coming to Notre Dame he spent two seasons teaching and coaching at Cowanesque (Pa.) High School-then two years as athletic director and baseball coach at Penn State-Altoona.

Kelly received his undergraduate degree from Western Michigan, earned master’s degrees from both Penn State and Notre Dame-and also holds a doctorate in educational administration from Notre Dame.

Kelly was named an honorary member of the Notre Dame National Monogram Club in 1992, was given the Moose Krause Award by the Notre Dame Club of Chicago and also received a Special Presidential Award from Rev. Edward A. Malloy, C.S.C.

Born Aug. 4, 1938, he and his wife, Carolyn, a graduate of Notre Dame’s MSA program, are parents of two sons-Tom and Chris, both Notre Dame graduates.