COSTA MESA -- Vanguard Athletics and men's basketball Head Coach Rhett Soliday are pleased to announce the hiring of former VU student-athlete and coaching staff member Taylor Kelly as the Associate Head Coach for the program. In his new role at VU, Kelly will work directly alongside Coach Soliday in player development, offensive and defensive implementation, academics, recruiting, scheduling, fundraising, compliance, and all other aspects of running a successful Division II program.
For the past five years, Kelly has thrived as the head coach of Corban University's men's basketball program, departing as the third most winningest head coach in program history with a career winning percentage of 62.7%. He was named the Frontier Conference Coach of the Year in his first year, which included winning the conference championship in that 2020-21campaign. He took Corban to the program's first NAIA National Championship Tournament appearance since 2017 in 2022-23, coached 13 all-conference players, and 61 all-academic selections across different honor societies during his time in Oregon.
"I am so excited to get to work at the university and for the program that I love so much," relayed Kelly. "Vanguard as a whole has seen so much growth and momentum, and I can't wait to help Coach Soliday and the coaching staff transition us into the NCAA DII era. We are going to pursue excellence, fight for championships, and give God all the glory!"
As a transfer from Fresno State, Kelly's first stint at Vanguard was as a three-year starter for the Lions, during which he was named an NAIA All-American Scholar-Athlete and the 2013 Vanguard University Male Athlete of the Year. He is among the leaders in both single-season and career three-point percentage, shooting over 40% from deep and making more than 150 three-pointers in three seasons while averaging over double figures in scoring for his career. Following an outstanding playing career, Kelly spent one year as an assistant coach at Cal State Dominguez Hills before returning to the sidelines for the Blue and Gold. Kelly spent six seasons as the top assistant, and during that stretch, he oversaw the recruitment and development of nine All-Conference honorees, a trio of NAIA All-Americans, a Golden State Athletic Conference leading scorer, and the Vanguard career record holder for three-point field goals. Kelly helped propel the Lions to the best start in program history (18-0) in 2018-19, with VU earning a No. 3 seed in the NAIA Division I Men's Basketball National Tournament that year.
On Kelly's return, Coach Soliday added, "I couldn't be more thrilled for Taylor and his family to re-join our Vanguard family. Jordan Wild and his family had such a tremendous impact on our program and on my family personally. Every time we lose a staff member of such high caliber, we all feel it deeply throughout the program, and while we are so happy for the Wilds in their transition, there is a void left because of the impact they had. It is felt by both the players and the coaches. With that in mind, there is no one I can think of that can move us forward in such a beautiful way as having TK and his family join us on the next phase of this journey. I'm thrilled for our student-athletes to learn what I already know. TK is simply the best of the best, and he is an elite leader and coach who will continue to build upon the strong foundation that he and others have laid in taking our program to the next level on and off the court. I can't wait to get back to work with him!"
