K. C. Keeler

Kurt Charles "K. C." Keeler (born July 26, 1959) is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the Head Football Coach at Sam Houston State University. He was the head football coach at the University of Delaware from 2002 to 2012. Keeler served as the head football coach at Rowan University from 1993 to 2001.His 2003 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens squad won the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship, and returned to the Division I Championship game in 2007 and 2010. Keeler is currently the 44th winningest coach in the history of college football. In Keeler’s 26 years as a head football coach he has won 233 games. He has taken 15 teams to the NCAA playoffs with 13 of his teams reaching the Final Four and 8 of his teams reaching the National Championship game. K.C. is one of only four FCS Head Coaches to win all three of the National Coach of the Year awards. In 2010 he won both the AFCA and Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year and in 2016 he was awarded the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year.In 2019, an ESPN Blue Ribbon Panel selected Keeler as one of the 150 greatest coaches in college football history.

High school and college

Keeler played high school football at Emmaus High School in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. He was chosen to play in the 1977 Pennsylvania Big 33 All-Star game. He went on to play collegiate football at the University of Delaware, where he was a linebacker from 1978 to 1980 under coach Tubby Raymond. He was a member of the 1979 Division II National Championship squad. Once had 3 consecutive interceptions on 3 consecutive plays at University of Delaware.

NFL and USFL

In 1982, Keeler signed a free agent contract with the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League. Keeler was resigned by the Eagles in 1983 after being a late cut by the Philadelphia Stars of the USFL. He was one of the last players cut by the Eagles in both 1982 and 1983. Keeler was also a member of the 1984 Jacksonville Bulls of the United States Football League during their training camp.

Amherst and Rowan

Keeler began his coaching career as an assistant at Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts in 1981 and then at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey in 1986. He became Rowan head coach in the 1993 season, ending his tenure in 2001 with an 88–21–1 (.804) record and seven NCAA Division III playoff appearances. He was, however, 0–5 in NCAA Division III Football Championship Stagg Bowls at Rowan, losing by an average of 42.4 to 18.4.

Delaware

After Raymond retired in 2002, Keeler was named the fourth Delaware head football coach in 62 years. He immediately brought a new offensive philosophy to the team, replacing its famed and historic Winged-T formation with a no-huddle, spread offense. Under Keeler, Delaware won its first national championship since 1979 and its first-ever Division I-AA title (in 2003) with a 15–1 record and a 149–23 total score in the four-game playoff series.

Keeler became as much of a celebrity in Delaware as Raymond.He was named "Delawarean of the Year" in 2004 by Delaware Today magazine and was listed as one of the top college football recruiters in the nation by American Football Monthly magazine. The (Wilmington) News Journal reported that Keeler was forced to hire an agent after the 2003 championship to help manage speaking engagements, guest appearances and private functions. His trademark sunglasses (which he also wore during night games) and wireless headgear were emulated with K.C. Keeler bobbleheads sold at games and local Newark, Delaware businesses.

Keeler often attacked criticism that I-AA/FCS programs are of lesser caliber than I-A. "We're the LSU; we're the Georgia, the Florida of Division I-AA," Keeler said in a 2004 interview with American Football Monthly. "We have every resource. There's some people who have better resources than we do, but in general, the college campus we have is in one of the greatest college towns in America, and the academics ... we led the nation last year in out-of-state applications, more than Michigan or Texas. But that's what this school has become. Everybody wants to come to school here."

On June 19, 2008, Keeler was granted a 10-year contract extension to keep him on as head coach of the Blue Hens through the 2017 season. However, following the 2012 season, in which his team posted a 5−6 record, Keeler was fired.

Sam Houston State

On January 23, 2014, Keeler was named the 15th head coach in Sam Houston State program history.

In 2013 Keeler was out of coaching. During this time K.C. worked as a Content Producer for NFL Films “The Match Up Show” featuring Ron Jaworski, Merril Hoge, and Sal Paolantonio, produced by Greg Cosell. Keeler also worked as a College Football Color Commentator for ESPN that year.