Allyson (Alhadeff) Kelly came to Cal State Fullerton from nearby Chino High School as an All-Baseline League scholar-athlete women's basketball recruit in the fall of 1999… and never left. She currently serves as the Interim Director of Athletics Academic Services, but took an interesting route to get there.
Kelly (nee Alhadeff),selected CSUF because of the people. "Denise Curry was the head coach… and I really liked her and her coaching staff. Also, I met with Dr. (Maryalyce) Jeremiah on my recruiting trip, when she was the Senior Women's Administrator, and I was sold. Her passion and energy made me want to seal the deal to become a Titan."
Allyson was quick to demonstrate her leadership skills on the court and in the classroom, and was selected a three-time team captain, and a three-time All-Big West Scholar-Athlete.
When asked about a favorite playing memory, Kelly mentioned "Beating Idaho (on the road) and running out of the gym straight to the bus. Our team was fired up and had a great trip home. Being a part of the Titan Basketball team taught me to be mentally tough, and to persist through challenging times."
Following the end of her playing career in the spring of 2003, Kelly was tutoring one of the men's basketball student-athletes in math and working the youth basketball camp when she caught the attention of new head men's basketball coach, Bob Burton.
Burton picks up the story: "When I saw her interact with the players it just became very obvious that this was someone that we really wanted in our program."
Kelly continues: "Coach Burton had just been hired and was talking to me and asked what I wanted to do (for a career)? I told him that I wanted to teach and coach basketball at the high school level. He asked more and found out that I had another year in school since I had changed majors, and wanted to do prerequisites for a credential program." He said, 'Why don't you come help us out.'
"I did not want to miss the opportunity of working with the men's team, so I jumped on it." Kelly grew in the role, eventually becoming a graduate assistant coach while earning her Master's Degree in Kinesiology at CSUF.
There were few, if any, female assistant coaches on a D-1 men's team then, and there are few, if any, today. Said Kelly: "Coach Burton let me do so much with the staff. I was in charge of leading the academic programming and study sessions held by the staff. We each had a group of guys that we were in charge of, and tracked on a daily and weekly basis to ensure that they remained eligible and on track for graduation.
"I handled all of the team's travel arrangements, and other administrative duties. I got to be part of every coach's meeting and all film sessions. I kept stats during the game for coach Burton. Coach Burton also taught me how to break down film, and how to put scouting reports together. He wanted to make sure that I was prepared when I moved on to a (paid) assistant coach role. He went above and beyond to make sure that I was ready."
Kelly continued: "The team and the coaching staff were great with me. They were all respectful and treated me as one of the staff, and not like a girl. I never felt like I was treated any different than anybody else on the staff."
Looking back, she lists wins over Oregon State and USF in the NIT as particular highlights of her time with the men's program.
Said coach Burton: "Allyson was a tremendous contributor to our program. Everyone really gravitated to Allyson. She was extremely popular with the coaches, players, administrators, and fans. She was so-hard-working, dedicated, smart, and had tremendous people-skills.
"Kind of a funny story: When we played at Georgetown in the NIT Tournament (an injury-depleted 57-72 loss in 2005), the first question that the press asked me was, 'who was the woman on our bench?' I told them it was Allyson Alhadeff, and that she was actually in charge of the scout for the game. And I then pointed to the fact that we had lost. There was a lot of laughter in the room, and they actually printed that in the papers back east."
Kelly continues: "I was very blessed in that when I finished my graduate degree in 2006, (Cal State Fullerton women's basketball head coach) Dr. Jeremiah had two openings on her coaching staff. Coach Burton and coach Jeremiah were very close and would always talk and give each other a (good-natured) hard time. I honestly think that coach Burton acted like my agent and (pestered) coach Jeremiah so much about me every day that she finally agreed to give me a shot, and hired me as an assistant coach.
"I was so excited to work for coach Jeremiah. She had taken over the program for the second time right after I had finished playing. I remember sitting at the press conference with tears in my eyes, saddened that I would not get the opportunity to play for her. Instead, I received the opportunity to coach for her. I loved her enthusiasm and passion for the game of basketball and life. She was an amazing mentor to me, and I am so grateful I got to spend the time with her. She is such an incredible person, and her influence helped me to grow into the professional I am today.
Allyson would spend six seasons on the Titan women's basketball bench as an assistant coach for head coaches Dr. Maryalyce Jeremiah and Dr. Marcia Foster.
"Every trip with coach Jeremiah and Julie Max, our head athletic trainer, was hysterical. They always made me laugh, and also inspired me every day to be the best person I could be.
"Coaching with Dr. Jeremiah, Marcia Foster, Sara Perry, and later Crystal Harris and (the late) Monica Quan was a terrific experience. Good coaches and even better people.
"I will always remember the amazing and talented student-athletes I got to coach who have grown into amazing women and professionals. There are too many to name here, but I think about them often."
Kelly had a profound impact on her student-athletes both on and off the court. Jenna Breite, a former post player for CSUF had this to say: "I loved coach Al. She was full of passion for not just the game, but for her players as well. Coach Al would go the extra mile to help you improve. I remember being frustrated by my play. She was the one I felt most comfortable to go to and talk about it with. She wasn't just a coach; she was a mentor."
Allyson Alhadeff married Corey Kelly in the summer of 2009. She felt her priorities begin to change in 2011: "I decided to change careers when I was pregnant with my first son. There was a point where I was on the road for over a week-straight recruiting, and I realized I wouldn't want to leave my little ones for that long. I wanted to be more present than that as a mother. My mom always worked full-time and commuted, but she was there every night to check our homework and eat dinner with us. And she never missed a game on the weekends.
"As much as I loved teaching the game of basketball, I thought it would be best for me and my family to go in a different direction so I wouldn't miss out on time with my kiddos. I was in luck because an opportunity opened in Athletics Academic Services around the time, I was looking to change career paths. Even though I was hired as a Counselor during the season, Dr. Meredith Basil allowed me to work mornings as a counselor, and then I would go to practice in the afternoons in order to finish the season with the team. It worked out well for all parties involved."
Kelly continues: "It has already been nine years that I have worked in Athletics Academic Services. I love what I do. I enjoy helping student-athletes, who come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, to figure out what they want to do in life, and to help them to put an academic plan together to point them there. I feel like I am coaching in a different way."
Cal State Fullerton Athletic Director Jim Donovan added this: "I've been impressed for years now on the effort and quality of work Allyson does in academic counseling. Her experience as a Titan student-athlete, coach, and now administrator is invaluable in how she leads and interacts with our current student-athletes, coaches, and management team. Allyson is a true Titan and she's taken the reins of our Athletics Academic Services just like she always does – She's doing an outstanding job."
Bob Burton sums it up: "We were so lucky to have Allyson in our program at that time. She is one of the real special people in the lives of my wife, Toni, and myself."
Allyson Kelly lives in Huntington Beach with her husband, Corey. The couple enjoy coaching their two sons, Caden (9), and Makai (5) in various youth sports. Allyson wanted to particularly thank her parents who helped her to achieve her dream of playing Division I basketball. She also wanted to thank all of Titan Athletics student-athletes, coaches, support staff, boosters, and administrators that have supported her and contributed to her achievements along the way.
Personal Accomplishments
- MS, Kinesiology – CSUF, 2006
- BA, Political Science (Cum Laude) – CSUF. 2004
- Women's Basketball Team Captain - 2001, 2002, 2003
- Women's Basketball Hustle Award – 2001, 2002, 2003
- Big West Conference Scholar-Athlete Award – 2001, 2002, 2003
- CSUF Department of Athletics Honored Freshman – 2000
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