Kelly's playing career with Portumna had just ended when he took over as
team manager in 2007. His tenure in charge yielded consecutive
All-Ireland Club SHC titles in 2008 and 2009, before being beaten by
Ballyhale Shamrocks in a third consecutive final appearance in 2010. A few seasons as manager of the
NUI Galway team in the
Fitzgibbon Cup was followed by a
North Tipperary SHC title as coach of
Kiladangan in 2013. A move to the
Coolderry club in 2015 yielded an
Offaly SHC title in the first of his two seasons in charge. Kelly simultaneously held the position of
Abbeyknockmoy manager, securing county and provincial successes in 2015, before being beaten by
Bennettsbridge in the
2016 All-Ireland Club IHC final. Kelly made his first move into inter-county management during a concurrent three-year stint with
Galway's
intermediate and
under-21 teams. He was a
selector when Galway beat
Cork to win the
All-Ireland IHC title in 2015. Kelly later spent one season as manager of the
Roscommon senior hurling team. He returned to club activity as
Borris-Ileigh manager and guided the team to an
All-Ireland Club SHC final appearance against Ballyhale Shamrocks in 2020. Kelly returned to the inter-county scene in 2019 when he was named as one of
Offaly senior hurling team manager
Michael Fennelly's selectors. His three seasons in this role yielded
National League Division 2A and
2021 Christy Ring Cup titles in 2021. Kelly succeeded Fennelly as Offaly manager in 2022. He guided the team to further Division 2A success in 2023 and a
Joe McDonagh Cup title in 2024. ==Honours==