In the spring of 2000 Illinois College announced that long-time volleyball and women's basketball coach Brenna Kelly would give up volleyball. She would then accept the vacant position as women's golf coach.

Kelly, the winningest coach in women's sports history at Illinois College, came to the Division III school as a women's basketball and softball coach in 1987. In 1990 she gave up softball and took over as coach of the volleyball team. With no prior coaching experience in that sport, she led the Lady Blues to 20 victories in her first season. Kelly went on to compile five Midwest Conference titles, 222 wins, and was named MWC Coach of the Year four times in volleyball. She currently has 175 career win in basketball and has guided the Lady Blues to eight Midwest Conference Tournament appearances. In 1996, Kelly was the first women's coach inducted into the Illinois College Sports Hall of Fame.