Kelam comes to the Ancient City after starting the women’s lacrosse program at the University of Mount Olive in Mount Olive, North Carolina. He amassed a 96-41 record in eight seasons (2013-20) at Mount Olive, and holds an overall record of 112-55 in 10 years of coaching.

In just three seasons, he coached the Trojans to a 15-3 overall record, a Conference Carolinas Tournament championship, and a top 10 national ranking. Two years later (2017), the Trojans won the conference regular season title. His charges have been ranked in the top 25 in six-of-the-eight years he served as head coach at Mount Olive. This year, the Trojans were 7-0 and ranked No. 18 before the pandemic forced the cancellation of all spring sports.

Kelam has coached two All-Americans and six all-region selections. He has had three players earn a spot on the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) All-Star South Team roster. Kelam has coached three players to Conference Carolinas Defensive Player of the Year honors, as well as three league freshmen of the year and an offensive player of the year. The Trojans have placed 49 players on the all-conference team.

The Trojans not only prospered on the field. Kelam’s teams have consistently had a team grade point average over 3.0. He has had four teams recognized for their academic excellence with the IWLCA Academic Honor Squad.

Prior to his time at Mount Olive, he spent two seasons (2010-11) at Tennessee Wesleyan University in Athens. Kelam took the reigns of a program that was winless the season before his arrival. In his second year, the Lady Bulldogs posted an 11-5 record and won the National Women’s Lacrosse League (NWLL) regular season title.

Kelam earned his bachelor’s in sports management from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri in 2007. He received his masters in business administration from Missouri Baptist University in 2009.