Kelly has served as the interim head coach since the resignation of former head coach Bill Alvaro.
Washington Township High School assistant baseball coach and special education teacher Robert Kelly has been elevated to the varsity program’s head coaching position. Kelly had been serving as the interim head coach since former head coach Bill Alvaro submitted his resignation on March 29, after 16 years at the helm. The Board of Education approved Kelly’s appointment at its work session on April 16.
“As a long-time assistant baseball coach and teacher at Washington Township High School, as well as a seven-year head coach at Burlington City High School, we are looking forward to coach Kelly leading the Minutemen this season,” WTHS director of athletics Kevin Murphy said. “He is knowledgeable, experienced and dedicated to our student-athletes and their success both on and off field.”
An assistant coach under Alvaro since 2011, Kelly was the program’s head junior varsity coach and was responsible for assisting with the daily operations of the varsity baseball program, including supervising conditioning, providing academic checks, creating practice schedules, overseeing equipment, monitoring off-season training, organizing student-athlete college recruitment, scouting and game-day coaching.
Kelly also has served for the past 11 years as an assistant coach with the Minutemen football program as a defensive coordinator and line coach, a special teams coordinator and an offensive line and offensive backs coach. He was a part of seven state playoff appearances and two conference championship squads.
Kelly has been the WTHS girls basketball assistant coach and freshman team head coach since 2012. He spent one season in 2010 as a WTHS softball assistant coach and head freshman team coach.
A special education and in-class support teacher at Washington Township High School since 2008, Kelly came to the District following an 11-year stint as a special education teacher in the Burlington City Schools, where he worked as a self-contained fourth through sixth-grade teacher from 1997 to 2001 at Wilbur Walls Intermediate School and as a special education teacher at Burlington City High School from 2001 to 2008. Kelly earned teacher of the year distinction in 2001.
At Burlington City High School, Kelly helped the Blue Devils to three conference championships and seven state playoff appearances as an assistant football coach. After two years as a junior varsity baseball coach, he assumed the head coaching duties of the program. During his head coaching stint from 2000 to 2007, the Blue Devils celebrated two conference titles, including the program’s first championship in 30 years and four state playoff appearances.
Kelly holds a bachelor of science degree in special education from Rowan University in 1996.
