“He's doing what he loves, coaching tennis, at the school he loves and has given pretty much everything in his life to be here,” Murphy said. “You realize that within the first five minutes of meeting him.”
Fueled by his devotion to North Carolina and a team that has given him so much, Kelly has already made an impact on the court.
While at an early season invitational, Murphy lost the first set to a player that he expected to dominate. Seeing his frustration, Kelly sat him down between sets. Along with offering words of encouragement, Kelly highlighted different playing patterns and ways to hit the opposing player’s shots.
Murphy won the next few sets easily.
“Having Rob there to kind of work me through it and then on the encouragement side, and then also kind of [with a] good eye for the game and seeing the strategy part of it as well was super helpful,” Murphy said.
A return to familiarity
Although Kelly has always appreciated the “tranquil” town of Chapel Hill for its beauty and trees, his love for UNC is specifically tethered to the relationships that he formed with his teammates during undergrad.
Of course, the team bonded over hard practices, wins and losses. But Ronnie Schneider, who was Kelly’s roommate for two years and played at UNC until 2017, said the moments he remembers the most include rushing Franklin Street after the men’s basketball national championship and days spent at the Kelly family pool.
On lazy Chapel Hill weekends, the backyard of the Kelly household was an oasis for the tennis team. The short ten-minute walk from Kenan Stadium to Kelly's house resulted in long hang-out sessions, contentious games in the pool and the comfort of Kelly’s parents — both UNC alumni — welcoming them in.
According to Schneider, Kelly and his family are the definition of North Carolina born and bred in every way.
“Everybody tells you that Carolina’s not a four-year decision, it’s a 40-year decision,” Schneider said. “But like, it’s true.”
Gearing up for the spring season, Kelly’s impact will likely only grow with his combined tennis talent and love for North Carolina.
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Whatever the future brings for the tennis team, Kelly is just happy to be a part of it.
He no longer wakes up longing for the burning passion from his playing days — it's already there, reborn through coaching. Now, Kelly feels like he can give back to a community that has given so much to him.
“I get to go chase my dream, and I get to go do it somewhere I know,” he said. “I love the people [at UNC] and they love me.”
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Emma MoonEmma Moon is the 2024-25 assistant sports editor. She previously served as the Summer Sports Editor and as a senior writer. Emma is a senior majoring in Media and Journalism, and English. She has red hair and drives a Prius.