NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. — Over the past two three weeks, the Iona College Athletics community and Gael Nation took part in a social media campaign to decide what was the top moment of the 2019-20 (and some spring 2019) Moment of the Year. 16 of the top moments and achievements were picked from the last calendar year and it was up to the fans in a daily poll which moment advanced each round. The polling took place over Twitter, Facebook and Instagram story. And the end of each 24 hour period, the votes were tallied and a percentage of the total distinguished the winner. The placement of each moment in the initial bracket was completely random, drawn out of a hat (literally).
After the three weeks of fan voting and campaigning, the winner of the 2019-20 (and some spring 2019) Moment of the Year Bracket Challenge is Brian Kelly becoming the winningest coach for a single program in Iona College athletics history. On Saturday, February 22, the women’s water polo team swept a doubleheader in Poughkeepsie, NY against Villanova University and St. Francis College Brooklyn, giving him 379 victories with the program.
Coach Kelly notes, “Thanks to everyone who participated and supported all the Iona programs. It was a lot of fun to be a part of this contest. I appreciate all the support, especially the support from my team and our social media savvy student-athlete leaders – Malia Naugle and Aubree Fuher! A special thanks to all of those who were a part of every win. In the end were all winners because we’re all GAELS!”
Jordin Hale commented after the historic win that “It’s pretty awesome. I love playing here and I love being part of Gael Nation, and I love being part of Gael history.” Jordan van Reeken noted “It’s pretty cool to be part of history at Iona, especially with Brian Kelly who started the women’s program, and has done a great job in getting back to the tournament every year,”
Coach Kelly passed Iona College Goal Club Hall of Fame member and legendary baseball head coach Alan F. Zoccolillo. He was the fourth ever baseball head coach for the Maroon & Gold and posted 378 victories for the Maroon & Gold and 206 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference action. In 25 seasons as an NCAA head coach, his teams reached the 20-win plateau on 19 occasions.
Below is a brief summary, round-by-round, of which moments were paired up and how close the margin was for each result:
ROUND OF 16
- Men’s soccer winning its first ever MAAC Championship vs. Connor Mullin winning gold for the Iona swimming & diving team at the 2020 MAAC Championship
- Men’s soccer ‘s championship run advanced to the second round with roughly 61% of the total vote.
- Men’s golf winning its second straight MAAC Championship in 2019 vs. Volleyball winning the first ever competitive game in the newly revamped Hynes Center
- Men’s golf winning back-to-back advanced to the second round with roughly 61% of the total vote
- Cross Country sweeping the 2019 MAAC Championships on both the team and individual front vs. Women’s rowing lightweight four competing in the Dad Vail Regatta final for the first time since 1992
- Cross Country’s domination of the MAAC Championship advanced to the second round with roughly 55% of the total vote.
- Isaiah Ross hitting the game-winning three-point shot against Rider vs. Brian Kelly becoming the all-time winningest coach for a single program in Iona history with the women’s water polo team
- Brian Kelly becoming the all-time winningest coach for a single program advanced to the second round with roughly 68% of the total vote.
- Paul Panik’s first win as Iona baseball head coach back in 2019 vs. Women’s soccer completing its remarkable turnaround season with a win on the road against Rider
- Women’s soccer’s culminating turnaround advanced to the second round with roughly 53% of the total vote.
- Softball’s walk-off grand slam in the first game of the 2019 MAAC Championship vs. Jac Hopkins and Egle Morenaite sweeping the major awards at the 2020 MAAC Indoor Track & Field Championships
- Hopkins and Morenaite sweeping the MAAC Individual awards advanced to the second round with roughly 55% of the total vote.
- Women’s swimming recording its highest ever finish of second place at the 2020 MAAC Championship vs. Women’s basketball snapping Quinnipiac 52-game conference winning streak
- Women’s swimming’s MAAC Championship performance advanced to the second round with roughly 65% of the vote.
- John Millar and Egle Morenaite both earning USTFCCCA All-American honors at the 2020 NCAA D1 Championship vs. Lauren Kahn’s first win as Iona women’s lacrosse head coach against New Hampshire.
- Cross country’s All-Americans advanced to the second round with roughly 66% of the total vote.
ELITE EIGHT
- Men’s soccer winning its first ever MAAC Championship vs. Men’s golf winning its second straight MAAC Championship in 2019
- Men’s soccer ‘s championship run advanced to the third round with roughly 71% of the total vote.
- Cross Country sweeping the 2019 MAAC Championships on both the team and individual front vs. Brian Kelly becoming the all-time winningest coach for a single program in Iona history with the women’s water polo team
- Brian Kelly becoming the all-time winningest coach for a single program advanced to the third round with roughly 51% of the total vote.
- This was the CLOSEST vote of the entire tournament! Coach Kelly had 15 more votes that cross country.
- Women’s soccer completing its remarkable turnaround season with a win on the road against Rider vs. Jac Hopkins and Egle Morenaite sweeping the major awards at the 2020 MAAC Indoor Track & Field Championships
- Women’s soccer’s culminating turnaround advanced to the third round with roughly 54% of the total vote.
- Women’s swimming recording its highest ever finish of second place at the 2020 MAAC Championship vs. John Millar and Egle Morenaite both earning USTFCCCA All-American honors at the 2020 NCAA D1 Championship
- Women’s swimming’s MAAC Championship performance advanced to the third round with roughly 54% of the vote.
FINAL FOUR
- Men’s soccer winning its first ever MAAC Championship vs. Brian Kelly becoming the all-time winningest coach for a single program in Iona history with the women’s water polo team
- Brian Kelly becoming the all-time winningest coach for a single program advanced to the championship round with roughly 63% of the total vote.
- Women’s soccer completing its remarkable turnaround season with a win on the road against Rider vs. Women’s swimming recording its highest ever finish of second place at the 2020 MAAC Championship
- Women’s soccer’s culminating turnaround advanced to the championship round with roughly 54% of the total vote.
CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND
- Brian Kelly becoming the all-time winningest coach for a single program in Iona history with the women’s water polo team vs. Women’s soccer completing its remarkable turnaround season with a win on the road against Rider
- Brian Kelly becoming the all-time winningest coach for a single program WON the 2019-20 (and some spring 2019) Moment of the Year Bracket Challenge with roughly 55.2% of the total two day vote.
Coming into the 2020-2021 season, his 615 total combined wins from the two programs make him the winningest coach in Iona College athletics history. He is also the most winningest coach at Iona in a single sport with 399 wins for the women’s program. Kelly is also a member of the NCAA Men’s Water Polo Committee, having been selected to the post in July 2014. Kelly served as NCAA Men’s Water Polo Committee Championships Chairmen from 15-18.
Under Kelly, the men’s squad has been nationally ranked six times. On the women’s side, the Gaels posted 16 consecutive winning records, from 1998 to 2013 and 21 straight winning seasons in the MAAC. The women claimed MAAC Championships in 2004, 2011, 2012 and 2013. The 2011 squad earned a program-high 26 wins, including a perfect 10-0 record in MAAC competition, and earned the Gaels their first national ranking. The season concluded with an eighth-place finish at the NCAA Championship in Ann Arbor, MI.
At the 2012 NCAA Championship, the Gaels earned their first ever win at the tournament in the seventh place game with an overtime victory over Pomona-Pitzer. The Maroon & Gold took eighth in the 2013 NCAA Championship, held in Cambridge, MA.
An eight-time coach of the year selection, Kelly was honored by the CWPA Northern Division in 2005 and the MAAC in 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2012. He was also recognized by the women’s CWPA NY Division in 1999 and the CWPA Northern Division in 2000, 2001 and 2003.
He has produced numerous CWPA all-stars, including All-Americans Billy Mulcrone in 2000, Chris Przekota in 2002 and 2003, Joe Przekota in 2010, Ian Thompson and Jake Lloyd in 2014 and Marc Stauble in 2016. In their All-American seasons, C. Przekota, J. Przekota, and Lloyd led Division I in scoring.
During the 2019 Men’s season Kelly led the team to a 6-23 record, with a first round exit in the conference tournament. Unfortunately the 2020 women’s season was cut short, but in the 13 games he led the team to a 5-8 record right before MAAC play was going to start.
On the women’s side, he coached All-Americans CC Leonard and Maggie Wood in 2011. Leonard repeated the honor in 2012 prior to Amy Olsen and Alyssa Turza joining the list of honorees in 2013. Olsen repeated the honor in 2014. Wood and Olsen led Division I in scoring during their All-American seasons. Hannah Schultz was the latest to claim All-American honors in 2018.
In 2017 with Kelly at the helm, the women’s water polo team finished with a 3.63 GPA which led the nation.
Kelly was a standout player at Iona, playing for Iona Hall of Fame Coach Rob Calgi. In his four seasons as a starter, he helped the Gaels to a 74-46 (.616) record that included three Eastern Championship appearances along with three top twenty rankings. He was a three time All-Conference selection, a two time All-Eastern selection, and a two-time Co-MVP for Iona.
In 1993, Kelly, along with Mike Judge, was part of one of the deadliest one two combinations in Eastern history – tallying 298 total points. Kelly ended his career as Iona’s sixth all-time leading scorer.
A native of Chicago, Kelly began his water polo career at an early age playing in the Chicago Park District Leagues for Ridge Park. He continued playing water polo throughout grammar school and into high school where he attended Brother Rice HS on the city’s south side. There he played under former Olympian and Illinois Hall of Fame coach Jim “Moose” Mulcrone. He helped lead Br. Rice to two Illinois State Titles in ’88 and ’89. In 1990 he led all scorers in the state playoffs garnering 21 goals and was selected the MVP of the Illinois High School Water Polo. Prior to the 2007 season, Kelly was inducted into the Illinois Water Polo Hall of Fame. In April of 2012, he was inducted into the Br. Rice Athletics Circle of Champions Hall of Fame.
In the summer of 1990, Kelly was selected to the National Junior Development Team at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO. He was only one of two selections from outside the state of California to make the team and he beat out a field of over 120 athletes to be named the camp’s 2-Meter MVP. The camp included several current and former USA National Team members including Wolf Wigo, Steve Gill, and Jack Bowen.
Kelly is an active year-round player with the Hudson Valley USWP club, which competes in the Eastern Water Polo League.
