Danny Kelly (soccer)

{{other people||Daniel Kelly (disambiguation){{!}}Daniel Kelly}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Danny Kelly

| image =

| caption =

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1969|3|7}}

| birth_place = Bronx, New York, United States

| death_date =

| height = {{height|ft=5|in=9}}

| position = Midfielder

| collegeyears1 = 1987–1990

| college1 = Penn State Nittany Lions

| years1 = 1991–1999

| clubs1 = Harrisburg Heat (indoor)

| caps1 = 179

| goals1 = 224

| years2 =1993

| clubs2 =San Diego Sockers (indoor)

| caps2 =23

| goals2 =14

| years3 = 1996

| clubs3 = Rochester Rhinos

| caps3 = 20

| goals3 = 2

| years4 = 1997–1998

| clubs4 = Hershey Wildcats

| caps4 = 37

| goals4 = 5

| years5 = 1999–2006

| clubs5 = Baltimore Blast (indoor)

| caps5 = 220

| goals5 = 106

| totalcaps =

| totalgoals =

| nationalyears1 =

| nationalteam1 = U.S. Futsal

| nationalcaps1 =

| nationalgoals1 =

| manageryears1 = 2006–2020

| managerclubs1 = Baltimore Blast

| manageryears2 =

| managerclubs2 =

| manageryears3 =

| managerclubs3 =

}}

Danny Kelly (born March 7, 1969) is a former midfielder and coach.

Player

=Youth=

Kelly played in the Blau-Weiss Gottschee youth system. He then played college soccer at Penn State University in State College, Pennsylvania. While at Penn State he was a four-year letter winner from 1987 to 1990. He earned national recognition and honors during his college career. He still holds Penn State records, including one for single season assists.

=Professional=

On February 14, 1991, the Kansas City Comets selected Kelly in the third round of the Major Soccer League draft. He did not sign with the Comets, but began his professional career when he signed as the first-ever draft choice the Harrisburg Heat of the National Professional Soccer League on October 19, 1991.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/10/19/sports/transactions-914591.html |title=Transactions: October 19, 1991 |work=The New York Times |date=October 19, 1991}}{{cite news |first=Michael |last=Bullock |newspaper=The Patriot-News |location=Harrisburg, PA |title=Harrisburg Heat to host Cincinnati Kings Saturday night at the State Farm Show Complex |url=http://blog.pennlive.com/patriotnewssports/2012/12/harrisburg_heat_to_host_cincin.html |date=December 8, 2012 |accessdate=December 10, 2012}} In 1995, the Heat finished runner-up in the NPSL Championship Series.{{Cite web|url=http://homepages.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1995.html#NPSL|title=The Year in American Soccer, 1995|website=homepages.sover.net|access-date=2017-06-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180926181854/http://homepages.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1995.html#NPSL|archive-date=2018-09-26|url-status=dead}} In 1996, he played for the Rochester Rhinos of the A-League as they finished runner-up to the Seattle Sounders.{{Cite web|url=http://www.rhinossoccer.com/player.php?id=9|title=Rochester Rhinos|website=www.rhinossoccer.com|language=en-us|access-date=2017-06-27}}{{Cite web|url=http://homepages.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1996.html#aleague|title=The Year in American Soccer, 1996|website=homepages.sover.net|access-date=2017-06-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180802181714/http://homepages.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1996.html#aleague|archive-date=2018-08-02|url-status=dead}} In 1997, he joined the Hershey Wildcats of the USISL. He would also play the 1998 outdoor season with the Wildcats. On September 11, 1998, the Heat traded Kelly to the Baltimore Blast in exchange for Michael Henning and cash. Kelly finished his seven seasons with the Heat in fifth place on the team's all-time points list despite missing large parts of several seasons with injuries.{{Cite web|url=https://www.angelfire.com/biz2/goheat/Points.html|title=Unofficial Harrisburg Heat Website: All-Time Points Leaders|website=Angelfire|access-date=2017-06-27}} In eight seasons in Baltimore he compiled more than 200 points and ranks sixth on the team's all-time scoring list. In 2001, the Blast moved to the newly created Major Indoor Soccer League. A three-time League All-Star, Kelly represented the Blast in the 2006 MISL All-Star Game and leads the team's defenders that season in points. Kelly also ranks 20th on the League's all-time scoring list. The current Harrisburg Heat retired Kelly's number during a halftime ceremony on December 8, 2012.

=International=

Kelly played for the United States national futsal team.

Coach

In 2006, Kelly was hired as the head coach of the Baltimore Blast of the Major Indoor Soccer League. He was named interim player-coach after his predecessor Tim Wittman was suspended by the league for assaulting a referee.{{cite web |last1=Sidel |first1=Jeff |title=Wittman banned; Blast turns to Kelly |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2006-03-21-0603210352-story.html |website=BaltimoreSun.com |date=21 March 2006 |accessdate=29 May 2020}} Kelly won the 2008-2009 National Indoor Soccer League Coach of the Year.{{Cite web |url=http://www.baltimoreblast.com/news/headlines/index.html?article_id=70 |title=Danny Kelly Named 2008-09 NISL Coach of the Year |access-date=2010-12-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101119160152/http://baltimoreblast.com/news/headlines/index.html?article_id=70 |archive-date=2010-11-19 |url-status=dead }} He led the Blast team to 7 Championship titles.

On 28 May 2020, the Blast announced that Kelly had "moved on" and that his assistant David Bascome would be taking over as head coach.{{cite web |title=Blast replace head coach Danny Kelly with assistant David Bascome. Kelly departs after 15 years, six championships |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/bs-sp-blast-coach-bascome-20200528-np77tspx5zbz3dgbu4y5pbjal4-story.html |website=BaltimoreSun.com |date=28 May 2020 |accessdate=29 May 2020}}