Mike Kellar enters his fourth season as head coach in 2015, and 10th overall as a member of the coaching staff at Cal U. He previously served as the team’s offensive coordinator for five years before serving as the offensive coordinator/associate head coach for offense in 2011.
In three years as head coach, Kellar has led the Vulcans to a 23-9 record while playing eight nationally-ranked teams. Cal U has featured six All-Americans in that span, including offensive lineman Eric Kush, who became the second Cal U player in recent years to be selected in the NFL Draft. In addition, defensive lineman B.J. Stevens led NCAA Division II in sacks per game in 2013 and defensive back Rontez Miles repeated as the PSAC West Defensive Player of the Year and was invited to the NFL Combine.
While away from the program in 2009-10, Kellar guided Concord (W.Va.) to a 14-8 record as head coach. Prior to his arrival, the Mountain Lions managed only one win in the previous two years and hadn’t posted a winning season since 1998.
In 2010, Kellar led Concord to an 8-3 overall record to mark the first eight-win season for the program since it joined NCAA Division II in 1993. Under his guidance, the Mountain Lions featured one of the most balanced offenses in the WVIAC in 2010, ranking second in passing and total offense. Concord also ranked fourth in the country by averaging almost 500 yards of offense per game.
While with the Mountain Lions, Kellar mentored one of the most explosive wide receivers in the country in Thomas Mayo. A two-time All-WVIAC selection, Mayo set a school record and led the country in receiving yards per game in 2009. That season, he became the school’s first-ever Harlon Hill regional finalist and was Concord’s first All-American since 2002.
In his return to the Vulcans in 2011, Kellar worked with the most prolific passing offense in school history. Quarterback Peter Lalich broke the single-season school records for attempts, completions and passing yards, averaging nearly 300 yards per game. Mayo joined Kellar at Cal U and garnered All-America honors.
Kellar has developed some of the most potent offenses in school history. In 2004 and 2005, he coached the PSAC West Offensive Player of the Year in running back Antoine Bagwell. In 2005, the Vulcans averaged over 460 yards of total offense and scored over 40 points per game.
After Cal U led the PSAC in total offense and rushing offense in 2006, Kellar directed a record-setting offense during the historic 2007 season. The Vulcans rushed for nearly 2,900 yards and totaled over 5,000 yards of offense for the first time in school history.
The following year, Cal U won its first PSAC Championship since 1984 and shattered the single-season school record with over 6,000 yards of total offense. Under the tutelage of Kellar, quarterback Kevin McCabe was a Harlon Hill regional finalist and became the first quarterback in school history to surpass 3,000 passing yards and 30 touchdowns.
In all but one of Kellar’s nine years with the program, the Vulcans averaged over 30 points per game. His Cal U offenses have helped seven players earn All-America status.
A native of West Virginia, Kellar was the starting quarterback at Glenville State for head coach Rich Rodriguez before transferring to Fairmont State. He earned his undergraduate degree in liberal arts in 1996 from FSU before receiving his master’s degree from West Virginia in safety management.
Kellar started his coaching career at his alma mater, Fairmont State. During his eight years as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, the Falcons won a pair of WVIAC championships.
He then accepted the offensive coordinator position at Northern Michigan in 2002. During that season, the Wildcats set school records for passing attempts, completions and yards before finishing second in the conference in 2003 in both total offense and passing yards.
Kellar and his wife Melissa have four children, Diedra, Jarrod, Anthony and Jacob.
