Alyssa M. Morales Kelly joined the Hofstra Department of Athletics in October 2014 as the assistant director of athletics for NCAA education and compliance services and was promoted to associate director of athletics for NCAA education and compliance services in July 2017. In October 2020 Morales Kelly was elevated to senior associate director of athletics for compliance, diversity, and inclusion. She added the title of senior woman administrator in September 2024.
In her day-to-day compliance work, Morales Kelly ensures that coaches, student-athletes and all athletic department staff are fully educated on NCAA rules and that the department is held to the highest standards of compliance. She is also responsible for ensuring that student-athletes meet eligibility requirements and serves as a sport administrator for the women's basketball, volleyball, and women's golf teams. Morales Kelly also became NAAC Certified in December 2014. In 2015 Morales Kelly was appointed to the NCAA High School Review Committee, where she has helped establish more transparent policies and procedures related to academic review of high schools for purposes of meeting initial-eligibility requirements.
Morales Kelly oversees the efforts put forth to ensure the department creates a sense of inclusion and belonging. In her role, she serves as chair of the Hofstra4All Committee, the department’s diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging committee. In her role leading the Hofstra4All Committee, Morales Kelly helped organize multiple equity and inclusion events at Hofstra including multiple equity forums, the NCAA Diversity & Inclusion social media campaign, National Girl and Women in Sport Day, Pride Game, and Black History Month game.
In her role, Morales Kelly manages student-athlete services, including the career and personal development of the Hofstra student-athletes as well as The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). While overseeing the department's efforts in that area, she also guides and facilitates the Colonel E. David Woycik, Jr. (Ret) Esq. Pride Leadership Academy.
Morales Kelly arrived at Hofstra after spending the previous five years at Iona College (now Iona University), including three years in compliance. She started her compliance career as a coordinator from 2011-13 before being promoted to the position of assistant athletic director for compliance.
In her role as the head compliance contact for the Gaels, Morales Kelly oversaw 21 teams and certified more than 350 student-athletes twice a year to verify that all NCAA requirements were met for eligibility. She also served as Iona’s administrator for the volleyball and softball programs after filling a similar role for the school’s women’s soccer and men’s and women’s water polo squads.
Before starting her compliance career, Morales Kelly worked as Iona’s recreation and intramurals assistant from 2010-11. In this role, she was charged with creating schedules, hiring staff and overseeing the day-to-day operations of intramural competitions across eight sports.
Morales Kelly was a four-year letter-winner for the volleyball team at Iona and was the team’s primary setter following her freshman season in 2005. When her playing career ended after the 2008 season, Morales Kelly served as an assistant coach with the Gaels.
Morales Kelly graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology from Iona's School of Arts and Science in 2009. She recently received her master's of business administration with a concentration in sports & entertainment management from Hofstra in 2017.
A native of San Diego, California, Morales Kelly and her husband, John, have a daughter, Charlotte, and two sons, John and Jake.
