Keeler Still Looking Ahead After Reaching 200
10/7/2016 4:00:00 PM | Football
HUNTSVILLE, Texas – Hang around a profession for more than two decades and it would be easy to think that you have seen it all. But for Sam Houston State Bearkat head football coach K.C. Keeler, he can still relish it when he sees something firsthand for the first time.
Saturday's 63-28 win over Stephen F. Austin was a memorable one for Keeler and his Kats, giving him his 200th career victory with stops at Rowan, Delaware and Sam Houston State, a mark only 75 other collegiate coaches in the history of the game have ever reached.
But making the day even more special was offensive lineman Sam Hardy, whose postgame execution added to the postgame celebration by proposing to his girlfriend on the field at NRG Stadium following the victory.
“I've had some neat moments. Some really special ones,” Keeler said looking back on Saturday. “But that was a different one. Sam came to me during the summer and proposed the idea. We kept it pretty tight-knit with not many people knowing. Although I told him 'If we lose, you're done. Good luck to ya.”
Moments like that are what have made Keeler's 23-year ride as a head coach worth it.
That and eight berths in national-title games at the FCS and Division III levels, a 2003 FCS national title at his alma mater and 36 career playoff victories which is the most among active FCS head coaches.
“I've been blessed to have a lot of great wins in my career,” Keeler said. “We beat Mt. Union to break the longest win streak in the history of college football when I was a Division III coach. Delaware beat Navy twice and won the national championship. And Saturday ranks right up there with them in that it's a rivalry game and the venue is amazing.”
“Winning that many games isn't just about me, but about all of the great players I've ever had had the privilege to coach. And I think one of the best things I do is put together a staff, so it is also a representation of all of the great coaches I've gotten the chance to coach with.”
Keeler has put up 12 10-win seasons entering 2016 and with his Bearkat squad sitting at 4-0 and ranked No. 2 in the country, his current squad could be two months from giving him his 13th season of reaching double-digit wins. He is the ninth-fastest coach to reach the 200-win mark in the history of college football, and is the 12th youngest to reach the plateau.
In typical coach fashion, Keeler said he was not thinking about his 200th win going into Saturday, but was overwhelmed with congratulations and well wishes after the Bearkats took care of business in front of 27,411 fans, setting numerous school and series records in the process.
“There wasn't' a cake for me when I got home,” Keeler said. “But when it was over it all really meant a lot. It's a lot to look back on, but it's something to keep a perspective about. I played for a guy (Tubby Raymond), at Delaware who won 300 career wins, and 200 is still a pretty big number. I certainly recognize the elite company I've moved into with this last win.”
Even with most of his career wins coming at schools on the east coast, Keeler has taken well to football in Texas and enters this Saturday's game at Incarnate Word with a 26-9 record and two playoff appearances at Sam Houston.
“There is a commitment level in Texas from the high school programs beyond what you could even imagine, which is unique,” Keeler said. “But probably the most unique thing in recruiting here is that Texas kids don't always get caught up with the level of play they feel like they should be at. Here families are entrenched with the culture of going to Friday night games and having family be there to support each other. The kids still seem to want that.”
Keeler and his staff have done a great job of adding to the level of talent he inherited going into the 2014 season, but he maintains that Saturday's win over rival SFA was far from the ultimate destination for this team. The Kats currently boast one of the most explosive offenses in the nation, leading FCS in total offense while averaging better than 54 points per game over its first four contests.
“I like where we are in terms of our skillset, but I like even more where we are in terms of our mental and physical preparation for the next contest,” Keeler said. “That's going to be really key for us, that we keep getting better because we're a pretty good football team but we are not where we need to be yet to get where we want to be at the end of the season. If we want to be the best team in the country then we have a long way to go.”
That next step comes this Saturday when the Bearkats take on Incarnate Word in San Antonio. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. from Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium.
