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Navy Reported To Make Huge Announcement Soon

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Tristan Afshar | Last updated Jun 4, 2025 12:47 PM ET

A major shift in college athletics appears imminent.

According to Brett McMurphy of Action Network, longtime USF athletic director Michael Kelly is set to leave his post to become Navy’s next AD. The move hasn’t been formally announced, but sources say it’s already in motion — and would mark a meaningful homecoming for Kelly.

Kelly, who grew up in the Washington, D.C. area and attended the military-rooted St. John’s College High School, is the son of a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and Vietnam veteran. For the 54-year-old, the reported decision to take over at Navy isn’t just professional — it’s deeply personal.

USF AD Michael Kelly leaving to be Navy’s athletic director, sources said. This is a return home for Kelly, who grew up in D.C. area & his father attended the U.S. Naval Academy. Kelly, who had been at USF since 2018, spearheaded the building of USF’s new $348 million on-campus…
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) June 4, 2025

Since taking over at USF in 2018, Kelly has overseen a massive expansion of the school’s athletic profile. Under his leadership, USF’s budget nearly doubled to $100 million, while over $100 million in philanthropic donations poured in. His biggest legacy move came just weeks ago, when the university formally approved a $407 million on-campus football stadium — a project he helped bring from vision to reality.

Kelly’s tenure also included key facility upgrades like a $22 million indoor football practice building and a $3 million locker room renovation. On the field, his hires paid off: men’s basketball won its first regular season conference title under Amir Abdur-Rahim, football made back-to-back bowl appearances with Alex Golesh, and baseball turned its first winning season since 2021 under Mitch Hannahs.

Kelly now steps into the shoes of Chet Gladchuk, who served as Navy’s athletic director for 24 years before retiring this April. Gladchuk helped elevate Navy’s national presence, and Kelly is expected to continue that momentum — while bringing his own transformative track record to Annapolis.

Though the official announcement has yet to drop, the writing is on the wall. Navy is about to make a major move — and Michael Kelly is at the center of it.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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