CASTINE, Maine — In a profession dominated by men, Maine Maritime Academy's Kelly Cline is breaking barriers and making her mark on the Mariners football program.

Since her arrival on campus in July, Cline has hit the ground running, helping MMA reestablish football and bringing her championship experience to the program.

"After interviewing Kelly the decision to hire was a no brainer," head football coach Nick Sheehan said. "Coming from a winning culture like UW-Lacrosse and the attention to detail she brings has been outstanding. She wants to help our players continue to grow both on and off the field and it's been great to watch. She is a true ball coach."

Cline said she knew when she stepped on campus that she had an uphill battle ahead. Maine Maritime is returning to the gridiron in 2025 for a full slate of games in the Conference of New England under new head coach Nick Sheehan and with a roster made up almost entirely of incoming freshmen.

"The chance to really take ownership of coaching and running my own room is what brought me to MMA," Cline said. "I love the challenge of working with the defensive backs and helping shape their technique, mental performance and confidence."

"I just want to coach football," she added. "This is a game I grew up loving and continue to love, be challenged by and learn from every day. I am a football coach. I don't see myself as anything else."

Cline said she focuses daily on helping her student-athletes develop while continuing to grow herself as a coach.
"I'd say my biggest strengths are being able to communicate well and build good relationships with the players and staff," she said. "I'm always open to learning and adjusting how I teach things, and this helps me continue to grow my knowledge. To get ready for the season, I've been learning as much as I can off the field, putting together practice plans and working on helping players improve their physical ability, confidence and mental toughness."

A native of Appleton, Wisconsin, Cline said football was always part of her life.

"I grew up surrounded by the lore of the Green Bay Packers," she said. "Sundays in my house were always Packer Sundays. Football was always part of my life from a young age."

It wasn't until her senior year at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse that Cline realized her calling.

"I started out as a student coach with the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse football team during my senior year, assisting with linebackers," Cline noted. "I was grateful my head coach, Matt Janus, offered me the chance to stay on staff after graduation, working with the defensive backs for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. I wanted to continue growing my knowledge of the game and gain new experiences, and those years really helped prepare me for the opportunity at Maine Maritime."

At UW-La Crosse, Cline said she learned the tools she now uses as the Mariners' defensive backs coach.

"During my three years with the Eagles, our teams advanced to the NCAA playoffs three times, won two Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships and won three playoff games," Cline added.

Her interest in coaching began with a conversation that changed her career path.

"I didn't know I wanted to coach collegiate football until I started as a student-coach my senior year," Cline said. "I worked with the team for two years helping with film, equipment, recruiting and visits, and that led me to an interest in scouting after a conversation with Kelly Kleine Van Calligan, formerly a collegiate scout with the Minnesota Vikings. She opened my eyes to the many different sides of football, and she was so passionate about her career that it made me want to pursue coaching and operations. From that point, I fell in love with the challenges the game presents."