Meet Michael Kelly, USF's new vice president of athletics

TAMPA (FOX 13) - The University of South Florida's new vice president of athletics, Michael Kelly, is here to make an impact on and off the field.

Kelly, who served as USF's associate athletic director for external affairs under Lee Roy Selmon, wants to use the Buccaneers legend as an example of how he plans to lead the university's athletics programs. 

"To me, and to pretty much everyone who had a chance to meet him here in this department, he should be the foundation of our culture forever," said Kelly. "He was an icon in the Tampa Bay area. He meant so much to the university. He meant everyone feel important." 

And they were important. That's why Kelly has spent the majority of his days here on the job, drinking water from the firehose -- as he calls it -- meeting as many people as he can.

"I've met people all around the campus in terms of the president's administration, I've met every single staff member in some capacity," he explained. "I've got another full staff meeting here this afternoon in order to touch base with all of them, and just be able to kind of lay a foundation of where we're all going to grow from." 

Kelly says that starts with a new indoor football facility. 

"We're in a growth stage where supplying back to what our student-athletes need, what's going to be the best thing for our recruiting, for our training, for not just football really, but for all of our student-athletes," he said.  

"I've kind of used the terminology that's 'Bull speed ahead!' Part of that is jumping right in and getting things done. I don't want to be hasty and not do things right. I'm trying to absorb it all and do smart things as we move forward," Kelly added.