College Football Playoff COO Michael Kelly "will be the new athletic director at USF," according to college football reporter Brett McMurphy. Kelly "replaces Mark Harlan, who was named Utah’s AD last month." Kelly served as an Associate AD at USF from '01-02, and had been the CFP's COO since '12. Prior to that, he "spent six years as a Senior Associate Commissioner for the ACC." Kelly also "served as president of the host committee" for Super Bowl XXXV in Tampa, Super Bowl XXXIX in Jacksonville and Super Bowl XLI in Miami (FACEBOOK.com, 6/26). SB NATION's Nathan Bond writes Kelly "brings a wealth of knowledge to the position" and "knows the Tampa Bay market and its quirks, as well as having connections with other conferences and movers and shakers as a top-ranking official in the CFP." He was "charged with all game-related activities and was the point person for choosing the National Title game host site" (THEDAILYSTAMPEDE.com, 6/26). USF's Vinik Sports & Entertainment Management Program Dir Dr. Bill Sutton led the search (THE DAILY).
