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JCCC’s Shelley earns honor
Johnson County Community College
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Kent Shelley |
In May 2007, Shelley received his profession’s highest honor when he is inducted into the NJCAA Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame.
In 1987, Shelley became just the second head baseball coach at Johnson County, replacing JCCC Hall of Famer Sonny Maynard. In 21 seasons as head coach at JCCC, Shelley is the all-time wins leader in the program’s history, compiling a 599-404-1 mark (.597). He has also led four teams to Eastern Sub-regional championships and three squads to NJCAA Region VI titles. During his tenure he has produced 11 teams with 30-plus wins, including a 41-18 mark last season, and 20 teams with 20 or more season victories.
Shelley has also coached five NJCAA All-Americans, one preseason All-American, six USA Junior College All-Stars, 11 All-Region VI performers, 71 All-East Jayhawk Conference recipients and 14 NJCAA Academic All-Americans. In 2008, Doug Otto was a unanimous selection as the conference MVP, the first in the program’s history. To date, 23 of his former Cavalier players have been drafted or signed as free agents by the Major Leagues since he took over the reigns of the program. Also, a total of 161 student-athletes under direction have transferred to four-year institutions, 131 at the NCAA D-I or D-II level.
On the national baseball stage, Shelley served as head coach for Team USA 1994, a select NJCAA team from the United States that played host to a select team from Japan. In 1990, Shelley served as an assistant coach on the first NJCAA team to participate in international competition. The USA All-Stars from the NJCAA competed in the Friendship Games in Las Tunas, Cuba. He also has been selected as head coach of the Kansas Region VI Eastern Division All-Stars three times. Shelley also has the distinction of earning the first Louisville Slugger/Region VI coach of the year honor, after his team captured the Region VI title in 1993.
Shelley’s service to baseball also includes representing the NJCAA Baseball Coaches Association on the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Executive Committee and serving on that organization’s International Baseball Committee. He has also represented the NJCAA Baseball Coaches Association on the NCAA Division I baseball rules committee. Most notable, in 2002, Shelley was selected to serve on the Executive Committee of the ABCA, becoming the second coach from the community college ranks to earn such an honor. Through his dedication to the ABCA and the sport of baseball, he advanced in the organization and assumed the role of President.
