Jim Kelly was hired as the inaugural head coach of the Red Hawks women's flag football program in the spring of 2025.
In the program's inaugural season, Kelly helped guide Montclair to a 12-2 record, clinching the regular season championship in the Eastern College Athletic Conference along with the top seed in the 2026 ECAC Tournament at the New York Jets Practice Facility. The Red Hawks went 9-1 in league play and posted an 8-0 record overall at Sprague Field, winning their first-ever game 53-6 against Mercy on March 9, 2026. Montclair shined on the offensive side of the ball as well, outscoring teams 365-62, outgaining their opponents by 1,800 yards across the entire campaign. They were just as stellar defensively, holding opponents to just 90.9 yards per contest while posting six shutouts, 41 interceptions, and 38 sacks for 203 yards.
Kelly brings a wealth of football knowledge to the new program, with nearly 35 years of coaching experience.
He has plenty of experience as a Head Coach, serving as one for 20 years with stints at Clifton, Nutley, and Queen of Peace High School, and most recently at Caldwell University with their sprint football program from 2018-2023, leading them to back-to-back Divisional Championship games in 2021 and 2022 against Army. He also had served as an assistant coach at Montville and Clifton High School and spent eight years as an assistant coach with Montclair State University from 2005-2012. His most recent coaching tenure was spent at NJAC rival William Paterson this past season in 2024.
Jim was inducted into the Essex County Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 2021.
