Editor's note> See explanatory note at bottom.
Just over three months from letting their new head coach get on the field with his team, Lock Haven has found themselves in the market for a head coach again.
The program has announced that head coach John Kelling, a coaching veteran who had his first practice with the team back in August, has been relieved of his duties.
The Bald Eagles finished the 2021 campaign with a win over Lincoln (D-II - PA) to finish 1-10 overall.
Lock Haven had won just two games each season from 2017-2019 prior to Kelling's arrival.
Prior to taking the head coaching job, Kelling spent six seasons as the defensive coordinator at Frostburg State (D-II - MD), where they went 45-11 over his final five seasons with the team. He also had previous stops at North Dakota (FCS), Augustana (D-II - SD), and Minnesota Mankato (D-II).
In addition to Kelling, offensive coordinator / offensive line coach Chris Sprague, a longtime Lock Haven assistant who returned to the program after a short stint at Delaware State (FCS) in 2019, also will not return to the staff.
The school's release shares that an interim head coach for the program will be named in the coming days and that a national search for a new head coach will begin.
Editor's note: Lock Haven originally hired Kelling in January 2020. However, due to Covid, the first time the team was able to practice together was just before this season in August 2021 -- hence the "three month" reference above.