Mike Kelley, who was appointed earlier this spring as Massachusetts Maritime’s Head Baseball Coach, has earned another promotion for his stellar work at the Academy, as he now holds the rank of Lieutenant Commander as a company officer in his alma mater’s COMCAD department.

A 1999 Massachusetts Maritime graduate, Kelley is in his second decade with the COMCAD staff, as he most recently oversaw the two-week orientation process for fourth class cadets that encompassed the largest freshman class in the Academy’s history.  His leadership is not limited to his full-time position, however, as he is also beginning his 11^th year as an assistant football coach and took the reins of the Buccaneer baseball program from recently retired mentor Bob Corradi, whose 43-year stint concluded with the team’s first Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference championship in 33 years.

“Mike has been a valuable member of the COMCAD staff for over a decade, and his dedication to his alma mater is evident in everything he does,” Captain Ed Rozak, who serves in the dual role as Massachusetts Maritime’s Commandant of Cadets and Vice President of Student Services, says of Kelley.  “His passion to teach, develop and serve our cadets is a reflection of his tireless work ethic, and we could not be more pleased for and proud of him as he assumes this new rank.”

Kelley was inducted into the Buccaneer Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009 after a standout career as a two-sport athlete at the Academy.  A two-time all-MASCAC performer on the baseball diamond, Kelley batted .400 during his senior campaign of 1999 while serving as a team captain en route to earning the nod as Massachusetts Maritime’s Male Athlete of the Year.  Mike sported a career .346 batting average and was team MVP during his final collegiate season, and seven years later he rejoined Corradi in the dugout to begin his tenure as an assistant coach.  On the gridiron, Kelley held the school records for career receptions and receiving yards a standout receiver for fellow Hall of Famer Don Ruggeri from 1995-98, marks that stood for nearly 14 years.