AUBURN, Ala. – Charles Kelly, a veteran defensive coach and former Auburn football player, has been named co-defensive coordinator at his alma mater, head coach Hugh Freeze announced Friday. A native of Ozark, Alabama, Kelly played at Auburn from 1986-89 under legendary coach Pat Dye and returned to the Plains in 1993 as a graduate assistant.
Kelly most recently served as defensive coordinator at Colorado this past season after four years as the associate defensive coordinator at Alabama where he won a national championship in 2020. Kelly was the 2023 247Sports National Recruiter of the Year and was ranked in the top five nationally in 2022.
“I am very grateful to return to a university and a football program that have meant so much to me growing up in this state and playing for Coach Dye,” Kelly said. “It’s an honor to work with Coach Freeze, whom I have a tremendous amount of respect for, and I’m appreciative of him for this opportunity. I look forward to helping Coach Freeze and this staff bring our program back to the caliber of championship football that Auburn deserves. As the Auburn Creed states, ‘I believe in work, hard work.’ I do not take this opportunity lightly and am ready to go to work. War Eagle!”
Kelly joined the Alabama staff after one season at Tennessee in 2018 which followed five seasons at Florida State from 2013-17. He was the special teams coordinator and safeties coach at Tennessee and the defensive coordinator for his final four seasons at Florida State. Prior to his time in Tallahassee, he has also coached at Georgia Tech (2006-11), Nicholls State (2002-05), Eufaula (Ala.) High School (2000-01), Henderson State (1999), Jacksonville State (1994-98), Auburn (1993) and Phenix City (Ala.) High School (1990-92).
“Charles is an outstanding football mind who is an excellent recruiter and understands the landscape of Auburn and the Southeastern Conference,” Freeze said. “We are excited to have Charles on our staff as we continue building a strong foundation for the future success of Auburn football.”
Kelly has coordinated defense and coached in the secondary at Jacksonville State (1994-98), Henderson State (1999), Nicholls State (2005), Georgia Tech (2012), Florida State (2014-17) and Colorado (2023). He also has a decorated background on special teams, directing those units at Georgia Tech (2006-07), Florida State (2013) and Tennessee (2018).
Overall, Kelly has coached 16 All-Americans and won four conference championships, including three ACC titles, and two national championships in his career. As a special teams coordinator, he has coached a Ray Guy Award winner and a Lou Groza Award winner.
At Alabama, the Crimson Tide defense was ranked among the nation’s best throughout Kelly’s four years there. In 2022, Alabama’s scoring defense ranked ninth best nationally and second best in the SEC. The 2020 defense ranked atop the SEC in scoring at 19.4 points per game, good for 13th nationally. The 2021 defense ranked seventh best for total defense and fourth best for rushing defense while the 2019 team ranked in the top 20 nationally in scoring defense, total defense and passing defense.
At Tennessee, Kelly’s special teams were solid, blocking five kicks (No. 5 nationally), ranking fourth in the country in punt return defense (2.00 yards per return) and fourth in the league in punt returns (12.80 ypr).
In his five years at Florida State under Jimbo Fisher, his defenses ranked in the nation’s top 25 his final three years, including No. 18 in 2017, after allowing only 331.1 total yards per game. FSU finished 22nd nationally in total defense in 2016 (349.1 ypg) and his 2015 unit ranked ninth in scoring defense (17.8 ppg).
He coached 10 NFL Draft picks as the coordinator for the Seminoles, including first round defensive backs Jalen Ramsey (No. 5 overall) and Derwin James (No. 17). He also mentored several first team All-Americans, including Tarvarus McFadden and Ramsey.
The Seminoles led the nation in sacks in 2016 (3.92 per game) behind 16 sacks from defensive end DeMarcus Walker. FSU also finished 22nd nationally in total defense (349.1) that season. The 2015 squad’s defense ranked ninth in the nation in scoring defense (17.8 points per game) and No. 19 in total defense (336.9). Kelly’s defense in 2014 led Florida State to the first-ever College Football Playoff and helped the Seminoles produce a program-record 29-game win streak.
At Georgia Tech he coached special teams, defensive backs and served as the interim defensive coordinator during his seven-year tenure. He was elevated to defensive coordinator for the Yellow Jackets in the sixth game of the 2012 season. Kelly helped GT finish out the season 5-3, including a Sun Bowl victory over Southern California, where Kelly’s defense held the high-powered Trojans’ offense to just 205 yards and seven points.
In 2011, Kelly’s defensive backs led a pass defense that finished No. 2 in the ACC. In 2009, Kelly’s unit helped Georgia Tech win the ACC Championship and go to the Orange Bowl, finishing 11-3. He served as the Yellow Jackets’ special teams coordinator in 2006 and 2007, coaching punter Durant Brooks to the Ray Guy Award in 2007.
At Nicholls State he served as defensive backs coach for two seasons before being promoted to defensive coordinator. The Colonels captured the Southland Conference title in 2005 and ranked No. 17 in the nation (FCS) in total defense. He was instrumental in developing two-time All-America cornerback Chris Thompson, who went on to be drafted by Jacksonville in 2004.
He coached running backs and defensive backs at Jacksonville State and defensive backs at Henderson State. Kelly began his coaching career at Phenix City (Ala.) Central High School (1990-92) before returning to Auburn as a graduate assistant in 1993.
Kelly is a 1990 graduate of Auburn with a degree in secondary math education. He then earned his master’s degree in education from Troy in 2002. Kelly and his wife Kristy have three daughters, Caroline, Kathleen and Charli Grace.
CHARLES KELLY QUOTE
“I am very grateful to return to a university and a football program that have meant so much to me growing up in this state and playing for Coach Dye. It’s an honor to work with Coach Freeze, whom I have a tremendous amount of respect for, and I’m appreciative of him for this opportunity. I look forward to helping Coach Freeze and this staff bring our program back to the caliber of championship football that Auburn deserves. As the Auburn Creed states, ‘I believe in work, hard work.’ I do not take this opportunity lightly and am ready to go to work. War Eagle!”
HUGH FREEZE QUOTE
“Charles is an outstanding football mind who is an excellent recruiter and understands the landscape of Auburn and the Southeastern Conference. We are excited to have Charles on our staff as we continue building a strong foundation for the future success of Auburn football.”
