Nathaniel Kelly graduated from Brighton High School and received his degree from Alabama State.

Kelly served as an assistant coach at Abrams High School in late 1960 before accepting the head coaching job at Akron Public School prior to integration. He was the head football coach there for three seasons. Kellys 1968 team finished with a 10-1 record.

In 1974, Coach Kelly moved to Akron High School where his 1980 team won a State Championship by defeating McKenzie 26-20. Kelly stepped down after that season for a shot at big time football.

Phillips High School came calling following the championship season of 1980 and Coach Kelly jumped at the chance to return to the Magic City. He stayed with the Phillips program for the next twenty seasons as the head football coach until the school closed its doors following the 1999 season.

Kelly moved over to Carver High School in Birmingham for a couple of years before retiring from the sidelines in 2001. His overall football record is 133-167 in 31 years as a head football coach. His teams qualified for the playoffs five times with a 6-4 record.