A Coach Who Built More Than Teams: The Lasting Legacy of Perry “PK” Kelly

When Scott Hirsch ’82, a longtime De La Salle faculty member, water polo and swim coach, thinks back on Perry “PK” Kelly, it’s not the championships or records that first come to mind, it’s the way he cared for his students. Kelly was Hirsch’s swim coach when he was a student, and decades later, they would become colleagues, coaching together and teaching side by side. That long connection deepened Hirsch’s appreciation for PK’s character and approach.

“He was thoughtful and caring,” Hirsch says. “He really believed in developing kids through athletics and academics. You could tell he had a really good heart. He made you want to be your best self.”

For generations of De La Salle students, Kelly was far more than a science teacher or swim or water polo coach. He was a mentor, a builder of programs, and a steady presence whose influence stretched beyond the classroom and the pool deck. Decades later, former students still return to the same qualities when they talk about him: kindness, humility, humor, and a genuine love for the young men he taught.

PK’s impact extended beyond the pool deck. Alongside fellow teacher and coach Mark DeMarco (who would later become president of De La Salle), Kelly helped start the school’s water polo program in 1985. While he was not an expert in the sport at the time, he approached it with humility, learning as he went while encouraging students to commit, grow, and lead.

“I remember him literally standing on the pool deck with a book, learning the rules,” Darren Anderson ’89 recalls. “He didn’t know anything about water polo, but he wanted to start something for us. That takes guts. And he got us to buy in.”

Early water polo practices were a mix of improvisation and invention. “We didn’t have much equipment or experience,” Anderson says. “PK figured out ways to teach us by making up drills on the spot. I remember one practice where we had to use a smaller, heavier ball because the official water polo balls weren’t available yet. He told us, ‘It’s fine, just get used to fighting for it.’ We were all laughing, but by the end, we were actually getting better at handling the ball. That was classic PK, he could turn a challenge into a lesson and make it fun at the same time.”

Anderson first met PK as a freshman swimmer. “He was just a great guy. We were wild kids, obviously, but he had high standards. The swimmers were mostly very good students, but we still joked around a lot. PK let us have fun, but he also kept us in line.”

The balance of humor, discipline, and trust became a hallmark of PK’s coaching style. He gave students responsibility, encouraged leadership, and created a culture where young men wanted to rise to his expectations.

Jason Clark ’84 experienced that same dynamic. Though De La Salle did not have its own pool, Jason, a diver, trained through local programs while representing the school. PK, primarily a swim coach at the time, stepped in to guide him despite knowing little about diving.

“He made me come to early practices for the first few days,” Jason remembers. “Then he was just like, ‘Okay, you know what you’re doing. You’re on your own.’ And then he had me help coach the older kids. I was a freshman coaching seniors.”  Clark adds. “He taught us to figure things out too. That was the lesson: it’s okay not to know everything, as long as you care and put in the work.”

PK’s approach, stepping back when students had expertise, pushing them when they needed guidance, reflected his larger philosophy: the focus was always on helping kids grow, not on asserting authority.

That philosophy extended to small, practical acts that left lasting impressions. For example, during a North Coast Section meet, PK arranged hotel rooms for Jason and his brother to avoid an early drive and ensure they were rested and ready.

“He rented a room at a hotel for my brother and me,” Jason says. “It wasn’t a grand gesture, but it mattered. He wanted us prepared.”

PK’s care didn’t end at logistics. He paid attention to details like nutrition and preparation, often guiding students in ways that showed both thoughtfulness and humor.

“He was just always thinking about what was best for us,” Jason says. “He loved teaching. He loved kids. He was fun. He had energy. He seemed like a really happy guy. He was a saint.”

PK’s distinctive personality carried over to the pool deck. He wore a green cowboy hat, drove an orange Volkswagen bus to meets, and exuded a mix of charm, energy, and quiet authority that left students feeling both challenged and supported.

“He had this distinctive walk,” Jason says. “He would come back after a tough coaching moment, like a little waddling, and you knew he cared and believed in you.”

PK’s influence was not limited to athletics. He had survived significant danger and hardship during his service in the Vietnam War, yet he approached coaching with humor, humility, and patience. He modeled resilience, teaching students to approach challenges with calm and determination.

For Darren Anderson, those lessons were clear in both swimming and water polo. “He wasn’t a hard-ass, but he had expectations,” Anderson recalls. “You knew when you crossed the line. He loved the sport, but he cared about how we grew as people. That’s what makes someone unforgettable.”

Starting the water polo program exemplified PK’s method. He and DeMarco created something new for a group of students who had never played, learning the rules themselves, improvising practices, and building a foundation that would make De La Salle one of the top programs in the country decades later.

Scott Hirsch emphasizes that PK’s approach to coaching was as much about leadership as technique. “He had an incredible way of building confidence in kids,” Hirsch says. “Even if he didn’t know something, like water polo or diving, he would learn with you and let you step up. That’s rare in a coach. He made you believe you could do more than you thought you could. Every kid knew he cared, and that’s why his impact lasts.”

PK’s life, full of service, humor, and care, concluded fittingly on the water, a place he loved. Yet his influence endures, in the stories of former students, the programs he helped build, and the countless men who still carry lessons learned on the pool deck and in his classroom.