Kurt Charles Keeler is an American football coach and former player. He is the head football coach at Temple University. Keeler has been the head coach at Sam Houston State University from 2014 to 2024; the University of Delaware, his alma mater, from 2002 to 2012; and at Rowan University from 1993 to 2001.
The Sam Houston Bearkats are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Sam Houston State University, located in Huntsville, Texas. Sam Houston's colors are orange and white. Sam Houston sports teams participate in NCAA Division I in Conference USA (CUSA), having joined that conference on July 1, 2023 after spending 34 years in the Southland Conference and two years in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). SHSU's primary rival is Stephen F. Austin (SFA) and tensions between the two schools can run high before major sporting events that pit one against the other.
The Sam Houston Bearkats football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Sam Houston State University located in the U.S. state of Texas. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of the Conference USA. Sam Houston's first football team was fielded in 1912. The team plays its home games at the 14,000-seat Bowers Stadium in Huntsville, Texas. On December 18, 2024, Phil Longo was named the 16th head coach in Sam Houston program history.
The 2011 Sam Houston State Bearkats football team represented Sam Houston State University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bearkats were led by second year head coach Willie Fritz and played their home games at Bowers Stadium. They are a member of the Southland Conference. They finished the season 14–1, 7–0 in Southland play to win the conference championship. They received the conference's automatic bid into the FCS Playoffs where they advanced to the National Championship Game before falling to North Dakota State 6–17.
Willie Fritz is an American college football coach and former player. He is the head football coach at the University of Houston. Fritz served as the head football coach at University of Central Missouri from 1997 to 2009, Sam Houston State University from 2010 to 2013, Georgia Southern University from 2014 to 2015, and Tulane University from 2016 to 2023. From 1993 to 1996, he was the head football coach at Blinn College, a junior college in Brenham, Texas, where he led his teams to consecutive NJCAA National Football Championships, in 1995 and 1996.
The 2012 Central Arkansas Bears football team represented the University of Central Arkansas in the 2012 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bears were led by 13th year head coach Clint Conque and played their home games at Estes Stadium. They were a member of the Southland Conference. They finished the season 9–3, 6–1 in Southland play to share the conference championship with Sam Houston State. Due to their victory over Sam Houston State, the Bears received the Southland's automatic bid into the FCS Playoffs where they lost in the second round to Georgia Southern.
The 2014 Southeastern Louisiana Lions football team represented Southeastern Louisiana University in the 2014 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Lions were led by third-year head coach Ron Roberts and played their home games at Strawberry Stadium. They are a member of the Southland Conference. They finished the season 9–4 overall, 7–1 in conference play to finish in a share for the Southland title. They received an at-large bid to the FCS Playoffs where they lost in the first round to fellow Southland Conference champion Sam Houston State 21–17.
The 2015 Sam Houston State Bearkats football team represented Sam Houston State University in the 2015 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bearkats were led by second-year head coach K. C. Keeler and played their home games at Bowers Stadium. They were a member of the Southland Conference. They finished the season 11–4 overall and 7–2 in Southland play to finish in a tie for second place. They received an at-large bid to the FCS Playoffs where they defeated Southern Utah, McNeese State, and Colgate to advance to the Semifinals, where they lost to Jacksonville State. The 2015 season marked the Bearkats' 100th season of football.
The 2015–16 Sam Houston State Bearkats men's basketball team represented Sam Houston State University during the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bearkats, led by sixth year head coach Jason Hooten, played their home games at the Bernard Johnson Coliseum and were members of the Southland Conference. They finished the season 18–16, 12–6 in Southland play to finish in a tie for third place. They defeated Nicholls State in the quarterfinals of the Southland tournament to advance to the semifinals where they lost to Texas A&M–Corpus Christi. They were invited to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament where they lost in the first round to Jackson State.
The 2016 Sam Houston State Bearkats football team represented Sam Houston State University in the 2016 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bearkats were led by third-year head coach K. C. Keeler and played their home games at Bowers Stadium. They were a member of the Southland Conference. They finished the season 12–1 overall and 9–0 in Southland play to win the Southland Conference title. They went undefeated during the regular season with a record of 11–0. They received the Southland's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs where they defeated Chattanooga the second round, only to lose in the quarterfinals to James Madison.
The 2016–17 Sam Houston State Bearkats men's basketball team represented Sam Houston State University during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bearkats, led by seventh-year head coach Jason Hooten, played their home games at the Bernard Johnson Coliseum in Huntsville, Texas as members of the Southland Conference. They finished the season 21–13, 10–8 in Southland play to finish in a tie for fifth place. They defeated Central Arkansas and Houston Baptist to advance to the semifinals of the Southland tournament where they lost to New Orleans. Despite having 21 wins, they did not participate in a postseason tournament.
The 2017 Sam Houston State Bearkats football team represented Sam Houston State University in the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bearkats were led by fourth-year head coach K. C. Keeler and played their home games at Bowers Stadium. They were a member of the Southland Conference. They finished the season 12–2, 8–1 in Southland play to finish in second place. They received an at-large bid to the FCS playoffs where they defeated South Dakota in the first round and Kennesaw State in the quarterfinals before losing in the semifinals to North Dakota State.
The 2017–18 Sam Houston State Bearkats men's basketball team represented Sam Houston State University during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bearkats, led by eighth-year head coach Jason Hooten, played their home games at the Bernard Johnson Coliseum in Huntsville, Texas as members of the Southland Conference. They finished the season 21–15, 12–6 in Southland play to finish in fourth place. They defeated New Orleans in the quarterfinals of the Southland tournament before losing in the semifinals to Southeastern Louisiana. They were invited to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament where, after a first round bye, they defeated Eastern Michigan in the second round and UTSA in the quarterfinals before losing in the semifinals to Northern Colorado.
The 2018 Sam Houston State Bearkats football team represented Sam Houston State University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bearkats were led by fifth-year head coach K. C. Keeler and played their home games at Bowers Stadium. They were a member of the Southland Conference. They finished the season 6–5, 5–4 in Southland play to finish in a four-way tie for fourth place.
The 2019 Sam Houston State Bearkats football team represented Sam Houston State University as a member of the Southland Conference during the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by sixth-year head coach K. C. Keeler, the Bearkats compiled an overall record of 7–5 with a mark of 6–3 in conference play, tying for third place in the Southland. Sam Houston State played home games at Bowers Stadium in Huntsville, Texas.
The 2020 Sam Houston State Bearkats football team represented Sam Houston State University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season as a member of the Southland Conference. The Bearkats were led by seventh-year head coach K. C. Keeler and played their home games at Bowers Stadium.
The 2010 Sam Houston State Bearkats football team represented Sam Houston State University as a member of the Southland Conference during the 2010 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by first-year head coach Willie Fritz, the Bearkats compiled an overall record of 6–5 with a mark of 4–3 in conference play, and finished tied for third in the Southland.
The 2009 Sam Houston State Bearkats football team represented Sam Houston State University as a member of the Southland Conference during the 2009 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by fifth-year head coach Todd Whitten, the Bearkats compiled an overall record of 5–6 with a mark of 3–4 in conference play, and finished fifth in the Southland.
The 2008 Sam Houston State Bearkats football team represented Sam Houston State University as a member of the Southland Conference during the 2008 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Todd Whitten, the Bearkats compiled an overall record of 4–6 with a mark of 2–5 in conference play, and finished tied for sixth in the Southland.
The 2006 Sam Houston State Bearkats football team represented Sam Houston State University as a member of the Southland Conference during the 2006 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by second-year head coach Todd Whitten, the Bearkats compiled an overall record of 6–5 with a mark of 4–2 in conference play, and finished tied for second in the Southland.