ATLANTA – As a way to help new coaches assimilate to the MCLA while also aiding experienced coaches in honing their craft, the MCLA is hosting a series of “Coaches Corner” conference calls this winter featuring some of the most accomplished coaches in the association.

The series will start on Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. MST (8 p.m. EST) with Montana State University head coach Chris Kelley being the featured guest.

Kelley is entering his fifth season as the Bobcats’ head coach and he has accumulated a 44-17 overall record and 12-1 mark in the RMLC regular season. After Montana State’s 15-1 campaign in ’16, he was named the conference coach of the year.

He has reached the MCLA National Championships powered by Under Armour three times, including last year’s trip to the quarterfinals. MSU ended the season ranked sixth in the final Under Armour Division II Weekly Coaches Poll.

Kelley was also among the founders of the MSU program when he was a student 16 years ago. A four-time all-RMLC selection and two-time All-American at midfielder, he returned to his alma mater in 2014 as the offensive coordinator, assisting the ‘Cats in their first MCLA national championship appearance.

Kelley also holds positions on local youth and high school organizations, helping the growth of lacrosse across Montana and the region.

Those who wish to join the discussion with Kelley should RSVP to [email protected] and they will be issued instructions for the conference call. In addition, listeners are encouraged to submit questions for Kelley.

While he’ll tackle any questions, Kelley will focus on practice planning to start the discussion and share how the Bobcats have faced and overcome many challenges, both on and off the field.

“Coaching in the MCLA has been one of the most satisfying experiences of my life, but it has not come without some challenges,” Kelley said. “I’ve tapped the brains of a lot of coaches and administrators and I’d love to pass along whatever knowledge that might be useful to other coaches out there trying to build their program.”

The Coaches Corner was created in response to requests by the MCLA membership to have a platform for coaches to hold roundtable discussions that tackled many of the issues facing non-varsity coaches.

“As MCLA coaches, we face many of the same issues, and it can be particularly problematic for some of our newer coaches,” said MCLA president Ken Lovic. “We’re hoping that the Coaches Corner will be a way to address issues and improve all of our programs in the process.”