Kevin Kelley has the data and the results to show his never-punt approach works, and it doesn’t matter what level of football you coach.
The longtime high school coach at Pulaski Academy in Little Rock moved up to the collegiate level in the summer, and though the sample size at his new gig is only one game, it appears he is again on course to set records and bring success to yet another small school with his data-driven philosophy. He needed only 60 minutes Saturday to rewrite the NCAA record book as quarterback Ren Hefley threw 10 touchdowns, an FCS record, in Presbyterian College’s 84-43 victory against St. Andrews, an NAIA school.
Kelley’s numbers-based coaching style is based on one simple philosophy: increasing possessions increases the opportunity for victory. To do that, his teams rarely punt and always attempt onside kicks if the game is within three touchdowns. They also often attempt 2-point conversions.
