Coastal Carolina University has named former University of Georgia golf coach and alumni Eileen "Beans" Kelly the new head women's golf coach. She replaces Brian Ashley, who stepped down from his position in November to pursue other opportunities.

"I'm truly excited for the opportunity to be here at Coastal Carolina," Kelly said. "I think the team has so much potential that has probably never been tapped before and I am looking forward to coming in and challenging the girls and putting Coastal Carolina back in the national spotlight. If I can be half as successful as Allen Terrell, I know it will be a great program. I also appreciate the faith and opportunity to get back into coaching that Mr. Koegel and Dr. (David) DeCenzo have given me."

Prior to Coastal, Kelly has been training with groups and individuals in affiliation with Double Tee Golf Center, Atlanta Junior Golf Association, Direct Approach Golf, and BodyWise Golf with Beans LLC for the past eight years. There she has been providing individual lessons, instructional clinics, and teaching golf schools for special populations including couples clinics and women's only clinics. She also served as the director of the Georgia Junior Golf Foundation Junior Academies summer program and the Kelly Girls Golf Academy Juniors summer golf program.

Kelly had a very successful 15-year career at Georgia where she was three-time Southeastern Conference (SEC) Coach of the Year and two-time Georgia Women's Intersport College Coach of the Year. She was named the LPGA National Coach of the Year in 1996 and National Coach of the Year in 1998 by Golfweek. She was also honored as the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame Female Coach of the Year for Division I-A in 1999. She is a member of the National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) Hall of Fame and most recently, was named the recipient of the NGCA Gladys Palmer Meritorious Service Award in 2007, an award given in recognition to honor those who have made a significant impact in the role of women's collegiate golf through unselfish and outstanding service.

During her run as head coach of the Lady Bulldogs, she helped lead her team to 43 championship titles, including two East Regional Championships and eight top-ten finishes in the NCAA Championships, two of them being runner-up. Her efforts also helped her team earn seven SEC Championship titles. She had 19 players named All-Americans as well as numerous SEC player awards including three SEC Players of the Year, one SEC Athlete of the Year for all sports, and four SEC Freshmen of the Year. Throughout her career, her players earned three CoSIDA Academic All-America, 20 NGCA All-American Scholar, and 52 SEC Academic Awards. Four of her former players are also current Division I women's golf coaches.

A letter winner in 1982 and 1983 at UGA, Kelly went on to the professional ranks where she was a member of the LPGA Tour, Futures Tour, the Ladies Asian Tour and the Florida Women's Golf Tour from 1983-1985. She then became an Assistant Golf Professional at the Horseshoe Bend Club in Atlanta from 1985-1986 before being named the head women's golf coach of her former school, where she earned her bachelor's degree in 1990.