Coach Kelly enters his 3rd season with the 5 Tool Players program. Born and raised in the Lakewood/Long Beach area, Mike graduated from Lakewood High School (’85) playing baseball for legendary coaches John Herbold and Spud O’Neil. Upon graduation Mike attended Cypress College ending his playing career after arm surgery in the fall but continuing to learn and grow from coaches Scott Pickler and Bill Pinkham.
At age 19 Mike began his high school coaching career at Paramount High School as the varsity pitching coach. Moving on from there he worked as an associate scout for the Seattle Mariners under then area scout Rodney Davis. While with the Mariners, Mike assisted Myron Pines on the scout team in Southern California.
Returning to coaching high school baseball, Mike taught and coached football and baseball for two years at Downey High School before moving on to Westminster High School to teach and be the Head Varsity Baseball Coach. Westminster won two league titles in three years in 2004 and 2006 with Coach Kelly at the helm, and again in 2012 as an assistant coach. Several players from Westminster HS under coach Kelly moved on to play at four-year colleges and professionally. Mike returned to coaching at Marina High School as an assistant coach for 4 full years until Covid shortened the 2020 season winning the Sunset Wave League title in 2019. He returned to part-time for two seasons after Covid to work with the pitchers.
Mike lives in Long Beach with his wife Mary and son James. He is currently in his 21st year teaching English at Westminster High School.