Bio

Steve Kelly is in his 15th season as head coach of the NIACC wrestling team in the 2023-24 season.

Kelly, who is in his 23rd season as a head coach, took over the NIACC wrestling program in the 2009-10 season. The highest finishes by the Trojans under Kelly were a third-place finish in 2015, a fourth-place finish in 2016 and a fifth-place finish in 2022.

NIACC claimed the NJCAA North Central District title in the 2021-22 season. It was the first district title for the Trojans since the 1972 season.

Kelly was selected as the district coach of the year at the 2022 district tournament in Centerville. The Trojans crowned three champions (Quentrevion Campbell, Christian Minto and Jose Valdez) at the 2022 district tournament.

Kelly was also selected as the 2022 NJCAA national coach of the year as the Trojans placed fifth at the 2022 national meet crowning two national champions in Minto and Valdez. 

The Trojans placed 12th at the 2021 national meet and had two all-Americans. Minto claimed the 165-pound national title and Valdez was the national runner-up at 197 pounds.

The Trojans placed 12th at the 2020 national meet and had two all-Americans in Minto, who placed second at 165 pounds, and Holton Truax, who was fourth at 197 pounds.

Under Kelly at NIACC, the Trojans have crowned nine national champions, including two each from Yoanse Mejias, Nosomy Pozo and Minto. Mejias (157) and Pozo (149) both won back-to-back national titles in 2014 and 2015, Minto (165) was a national champion in 2020 and 2022, Shiquan Hall (133) was a national champion in 2016, Austin Anderly was the 141-pound national title in 2018 and Valdez claimed the 2022 197-pound national title. 

Kelly has coached a total of 45 all-Americans at NIACC, including two in the 2022-23 season (Cruz Aguilar at 125 and Ein Carlos at 184.

Kelly wrestled for Iowa Central for two years and transferred on to Iowa State and wrestled there for three years. Kelly earned his masters degree in higher education at Iowa State.

Kelly has four children - Cole, Kennedy, Creighton and Hayden.