Kelly Has Delivered On His Promises

Bearcats Have Had Fast Ascent

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Dec. 30 -- Cincinnati Coach Brian Kelly walked into a meeting room in December 2006 ready for an introduction to his new team. A few players in the back whispered among one another. Before he started, Kelly sternly quieted the culprits and insisted on silence when he speaks. Then he told a group he hadn't coached that he came to Cincinnati to win the Big East and reach a BCS game.

Less than two months ago, many of those players gathered before practice after Cincinnati won its first Big East championship and Kelly had been connected in media reports to Tennessee's coaching vacancy.

"You boys better keep winning championships, because I turned down a lot of money," Kelly told his elated team.

This week, Kelly reflected on exactly how far -- and how fast -- his program has come from the time he replaced current Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio in what had previously been a steppingstone job, to Thursday, when No. 12 Cincinnati faces No. 21 Virginia Tech in its first Orange Bowl.

"How are we doing so far?" Kelly asked after Monday's practice in Miami. He has won 21 of his first 26 games with the Bearcats and transformed a traditional basketball school in a professional sports city into a budding national power.

"He has a tremendous personality and is great in front of any group of people, whether it's the media, boosters, people within the campus community," said Grand Valley State Athletic Director Tim Selgo, who worked with Kelly during eight of Kelly's 13 years as the Lakers' coach. Selgo said Kelly's personality best serves him in recruiting, which helped Kelly win two national titles while coaching the Division II power.

Kelly deftly lobbies for his program and connects with those interested, drawing from his roots as an aide for Sen. Gary Hart during Hart's presidential campaign in 1984. Selgo worked at Toledo during the tenures of Alabama Coach Nick Saban and Missouri Coach Gary Pinkel, and quickly considered Kelly to be in the same category.

Bearcats senior quarterback Dustin Grutza used to walk into apparel stores in the Cincinnati area, go to the college section, and only see Ohio State football and Cincinnati basketball merchandise. He said Bearcats football clothing is now prominently displayed. During Halloween, Grutza encountered people claiming to wear Brian Kelly costumes.

"In Cincinnati, you have the Reds, you have the Bengals, you have high school football, you got basketball," Kelly said. "You got to be able to go out and tout your program or you're going to be an afterthought."

He was able to win over his players, who were mostly recruited by Dantonio. When the regular season ended in early December, Kelly said he called Dantonio to acknowledge the former coach's role in Cincinnati's feat.

Those players knew little about Kelly, because his only division I-A experience came with Central Michigan from 2004 to 2006. A collection of Cincinnati's upperclassmen said Kelly needed to convince Cincinnati's players of his own merits and those of his over-caffeinated no-huddle offense -- a departure from the defensive-minded Dantonio.

Kelly took over the Bearcats on Dec. 4, 2006, and coached them in the International Bowl 33 days later. He had just 12 practices and left six members of his coaching staff to finish with Central Michigan in the Motor City Bowl.

"It's still a blur,'" said Cincinnati offensive coordinator Jeff Quinn, who served as the interim head coach with the Chippewas in their bowl win and then joined the Bearcats for the International Bowl 11 days later.

Those 33 days helped convince the players that Kelly was not a politician selling empty promises. Mixing new plays and an accelerated pace with terminology familiar to the players from the old regime, Cincinnati scored 24 first-half points -- its most that season -- on its way to a 27-24 win over Western Michigan.

"We ran out of gas; we weren't in shape for the spread offense," said offensive lineman Trevor Canfield, who became so impressed by Kelly that he told friends during the 2006 holiday season that the Bearcats would win 10 games. They won 10 last season and 11 this season.

Kelly's job is not yet finished. The Bearcats achieved success, but Kelly knows they must sustain it. Plus, he has to compete with Ohio State for attention, support and recruits.

Kelly admitted Cincinnati cannot yet out-recruit Ohio State for most of the area's finest players, but he said the Bearcats are now at least in the running. Winning on Thursday might help, but frequently returning to top-tier bowl games -- and ensuring Kelly returns, too -- will ultimately be what sells.

"When it's worthwhile for Ohio State to play us, and they can gain something by beating us, then our program has moved to the level I have envisioned it," Kelly said. "If we're at Orange Bowls and winning the Orange Bowl and are a top 20 team, a top 10 team perennially, now there's something to be gained by coming down and beating Cincinnati. We're not there yet."