Where Are They Now: Renee Kelly
3/30/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 27, 2005
Editor's Note: The following was published in the Kansas City Star on March 27, 2005.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Kelly aiming for new goals
MU record-setter to take on new challenges off the court
By MATT FULKS
Special to The Star
Renee Kelly is used to the phone calls. So, as usual, she returns the call and politely says that she isn't that Renee Kelly.
"You must be looking for the basketball coach," she said in a soft Southern drawl. "I'm a vice principal at another school, but I'm not the Renee Kelly you're wanting."
The mistake seems understandable. After all, how many educators named Renee Kelly could there be in Augusta, Ga., a town of about 50,000? Well, evidently, two.
"It's crazy sometimes because, since I'm not listed in the (phone) book, she gets my mail and phone calls," said that Renee Kelly. "We joke about it quite a bit."
For Missouri fans, there's no mistaking what that Renee Kelly -- who's in her final season as the basketball coach at Augusta's Westside High School -- did for women's hoops at the University of Missouri.
During her career in Columbia, 1983-87, Kelly established the team record in rebounding with 1,098. She also holds records in per-game averages in scoring and rebounding, at 17.4 and 9.0 respectively. She finished seven points shy of the all-time scoring mark with 2,119 points.
Kelly was the Big Eight player of the year twice and was selected as the Big Eight's female athlete of the year once.
"I would have to say out of all that, I'm most proud of my rebounds," said Kelly, 40. "It's simply because I always deemed myself as an aggressive player.
"Plus I've always been a very goal-oriented person, and rebounds were high on my list of goals every year."
Kelly stressed goal-setting to her players at Westside High School for nine years. It must've worked. Since Kelly arrived at the school in her hometown of Augusta, the program has turned from virtually nonexistent to a state tournament team each of the past six years.
"We went to the Sweet 16 this year for the first time in the school's history," said Kelly, who also teaches marketing. "The tallest girl I had was 5 feet 8. But I played with them a little bit during practice. I'd elbow them inside to toughen them up. I think it made a difference."
After this school year, Kelly is taking a break from teaching and coaching to help her dad run his fast-food franchise.
"I was ready for another challenge, and I'm Daddy's girl, so when he asked if I'd help, I couldn't pass that up," Kelly said. "I really enjoy working with the kids, but I work harder when I have challenges, and this will be one."
Kelly also enrolled at Georgia Southern University to work on her doctorate in education, with the plan of going into administration.
"Another reason I think I was ready to stop coaching is because I want to spend more time with my family," added Kelly, who has been married to a fireman and former bodyguard for comedian Eddie Murphy for the 11 years and has two daughters, ages 6 and 9. "It's time to move on and spend time with my kids at their games."
Kelly certainly took basketball as far as she could. After concluding her career at Missouri, she played professionally for four years in Italy and Brazil. This was before the WNBA began in 1997.
Still, those four years at Mizzou are tough to beat.
"I have so many great memories and great friends from my days at Missouri," she said. "I stay in touch with several of my former teammates and Coach (Joann) Rutherford.
"One thing we laugh about is a trip we took to Long Beach (Calif.) during Christmas break. Coach Rutherford fell asleep on the beach, and we put chicken bones around her head. Of course, the seagulls started swarming her. We had to wake her up because it was like a scene from the movie `The Birds.' Coach didn't think it was funny, but it definitely was one of the funniest things I've ever seen."
It was pretty easy for Rutherford to forgive Kelly and the other Tigers. After all, that was an important time in Mizzou's basketball history, when the Tigers made five straight NCAA Tournament appearances, 1982-86. They advanced to the second game in 1982 and in 1986, Kelly's junior year.
"The tournament was the focus for our teams. You had to get to that point," she said. "Coach Rutherford's standards and our expectations were so high that if we didn't at least go to the tournament, our season wasn't a success."
Kelly and former teammate Joni Davis are the only Missouri women's players whose jerseys have been retired. Both were in Columbia in December, when their numbers were raised at the new Mizzou Arena.
"The arena is so impressive, I couldn't believe it," said Kelly, who hadn't been to the Mizzou campus since her jersey was first retired in 1994. "I told the team before the game to give me a uniform because I was ready to get back out there. What a place to play!"
Kelly is excited about the future, both personally and professionally, even if basketball isn't a part of it.
"Basketball has been very good to me," she said. "But sometimes you have to change gears in life, and I think it's time to do that."
"Where Are They Now?" is published occasionally on the Sunday Forum page of The Star. To comment or suggest a topic, send e-mail to Matt Fulks at mattfulks@hotmail.com.
Renee Kelly
- AGE: 40
- PAST: Missouri basketball center, 1983-87
- PRESENT: Teacher/coach and entrepreneur in Augusta, Ga.
- FAMILY: Husband, L.A. Williams; two daughters
