Joe Kelly, a 38‑year‑old right‑hander who spent a decade in Major League Baseball, has been announced as the new assistant coach for the Corona High School baseball program, the school announced this week.
Kelly, a Corona native and University of California, Riverside alumnus, will concentrate on developing the team’s pitching staff after revealing his retirement from professional play in December, when he concluded his comeback attempt with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
During his MLB career, which included stints with the St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago White Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks and Boston Red Sox, Kelly compiled a 54‑38 record and a 3.98 ERA across 485 appearances, and he was a key contributor to the Dodgers’ 2020 World Series championship that ended a 32‑year title drought.
His championship experience also includes a 2018 title with the Boston Red Sox, who defeated the Dodgers in a five‑game series, and he brings that postseason pedigree to a Corona program that went 24‑9 last season and finished the year ranked No. 12 in the state.
A Homegrown Legacy
Kelly’s hiring underscores a broader trend of local talent returning to mentor the next generation; the school’s baseball alumni include Dino Ebel, the Dodgers’ third‑base coach, whose son Brady Ebel was the No. 32 pick in the 2025 MLB Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers.
Three additional Corona products — pitcher Seth Hernandez, shortstop Billy Carlson and utility player Ethin Bingaman — were all selected in the previous year’s draft, highlighting the school’s consistent pipeline to the professional ranks.
Beyond the draft, the program’s recent success has drawn attention from across the Inland Empire, with families from Riverside and neighboring communities increasingly viewing Corona High as a premier destination for elite baseball development.
The coaching staff hopes Kelly’s firsthand experience with World Series pressure will translate into tangible growth for the pitchers, who will now benefit from his focused mentorship as the team aims to defend its top‑12 state ranking in the upcoming season.