Head Coach Brian Kelly

Brian Kelly successfully completed his first season as the head coach of the Whittier College men's lacrosse program in 2009 as he guided the Poets to a 6-6 record (7-7 overall). Kelly began the season as the interim head coach but was promptly promoted at the end of the season.

The 2009 Poets went 1-1 against Club Teams and 6-6 against NCAA Division III and Division II squads. Whittier opened the season with a back-to-back wins over Grand Canyon and Southern Maine and averaged over 15 goals a game in its seven wins. In those wins WC allowed just over five goals.

Kelly guided the Poets to a 2-2 record on its East Coast trip as Whittier came away with 10-9 win over Goucher (Md.) and a 14-4 stomping of Christopher Newport. The Poets' season also featured nationally ranked Ithaca and one of the top club teams in the country, Chapman.

Kelly graduated from Whittier in 2003 with a Bachelor's degree in Physical Education. While in school he was a member of the men's lacrosse team where he was honored as a second-team All-American in both the 2002 and 2003 season; the highest honored Long-Stick Midfielder in the nation in both years.

In 2003 he participated in the North/South All-Star game.

In addition to his individual success on the field, he was a team captain for the Poets team that advanced to the National Semifinals in 2003 and he helped guide the team to its first playoff appearance in 2002.

Kelly has a career 3-2 record in the his two NCAA Division III Playoff appearances which includes a first round win over Eastern Connecticut State, 19-8, in '02 and a 14-5 win over Stevens Institute in the second round in 2003 and a 19-15 win over Hampden-Sydney in the Quarterfinals. Whittier reached the top three nationally in both '02 and '03.

Prior to being named the interim head coach, Kelly served four seasons as an assistant coach at Whittier in 2004 and 2005 and then again in 2007 and 2008.

He also earned his Master's degree in Exercise Science from California University of Pennsylvania.

Kelly played six seasons of professional lacrosse in both the NLL (indoor) and the MLL (outdoor) for the Anaheim Storm, San Francisco Dragons and Los Angeles Riptide. He is also recognized by the National Academy of Sports Medicine as a Performance Enhancement Specialist.

 Coaching History 2009 Whittier - Interim Head Coach 2005-2008 Whittier - Assistant Coach 

Coaching Record Year School Title Record 2009 Whittier Interim Head Coach 6-6 2008 Whittier Asst. Coach 3-5  2007 Whittier Asst. Coach 3-7 2006 -- -- -- 2005 Whittier Asst. Coach 8-3 2004 Whittier Asst. Coach 7-3

Assistant Coach Bill Tully (bio & photo pending)

Graduate Assistant James Morgan

The 2009 season marks the third year that James Morgan has been an assistant coach for the Whittier College men's lacrosse team. Morgan is the offensive coordinator for the Poets.

Morgan attended Hofstra University where he lettered in men's lacrosse in each of his four years with the Pride. In his freshman season with the Pride his team finished ranked No. 5 in the country and over the course of his career Hofstra picked up wins against national powerhouses Princeton, Syracuse, Duke and North Carolina among others.

In 2003 he helped guide the Pride to the NCAA playoffs.

The Annapolis, Md., native played attack and midfield during his freshman and sophomore campaigns and was honored with the David McCartney Award as the team's hardest working sophomore. Morgan moved to defensive midfield for his junior and senior seasons. Morgan was named a team captain for his senior season.

Morgan attended the Key School in Annapolis and was named the Anne Arundel County Athlete of the Year his senior season.

After graduating from Hofstra he returned to his high school alma mater where he taught and coached the boy's varsity lacrosse team.

Morgan is now finishing his degree in Kinesiology and Leisure Science at Whittier and he currently resides in Redondo Beach, Calif.