NEWPORT NEWS, VA- Christopher Newport Associate Director of Athletics Matt Kelchner will be a member of the Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame's 12^th induction class next month. The announcement was made recently by the organization in Norfolk.
 
He will be joined by football standout DeAngelo Hall, women's basketball star La'Keshia Frett, former baseball pitcher and coach Gary Lavelle, record-setting quarterback Buster O'Brien, and athletic pioneer Joseph Echols. Induction is set for October 24^th at a banquet at Norfolk Scope.
 
Kelchner led the Christopher Newport football program for 16 seasons, 14 as a member of the USA South, before stepping aside following the 2016 season. He was inducted in the USA South Hall of Fame last year.
 
His squads won ten conference championships at Christopher Newport and recorded a record of 78-17 (.821) in USA South action. He was honored as the Coach of the Year seven times, more than any other coach in conference history. He is also a three-time Richmond Touchdown Club State Coach of the Year.
 
Kelchner led his squads to the Division III NCAA Tournament ten times, and advanced to the second round three times. Kelchner is a native of Covington, Pa., and graduated from Susquehanna University in 1982. He spent 16 seasons as an assistant coach at William & Mary before Christopher Newport hired him in 2000 as its first football coach. The Captains took the field for the first time in 2001, and Christopher Newport remains the only NCAA football program in history to earn a trip to the NCAA Tournament in its first four years of existence. 
 
Kelchner completed his illustrious coaching career with an overall record of 109-60 for a winning percentage of .645. He has served as an Associate Athletic Director at Christopher Newport since stepping down as head coach.