Rob Keefe

Last updated

Rob Keefe
RobKeefe.jpeg
Keefe at the Empire’s Arena Bowl XXXII victory celebration in 2019
Bay Area Panthers
Position:Head coach/President of Football Operations
Personal information
Born: (1980-11-05) November 5, 1980 (age 43)
Springfield, Virginia, U.S.
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
College: Mercyhurst College
Undrafted: 2004
Career history
As a player:
As a coach:
Career highlights and awards
Career Arena statistics
Tackles:36
Pass breakups:3
Kickoff returns:18
Kickoff return yards:339
Head coaching record
Regular season:75–35 (.682)
Postseason:8–5 (.615)
Career:83–40 (.675)
Player stats at ArenaFan.com

Rob Keefe (born November 5, 1980) is a former arena football defensive specialist and coach. Keefe has five championship victories and is the only person in arena football history to win ArenaCup (af2) and ArenaBowl (AFL) titles as both a player and a coach. As of the 2022 season, he is an assistant head coach and defensive coordinator with the Bay Area Panthers in the Indoor Football League.

Contents

Playing career

Mercyhurst

Keefe attended Mercyhurst College (Erie, PA) from 1999 to 2003. He delivered nine interceptions in his career and ranks 27th in school history with 166 career tackles. Also a standout on special teams, Keefe holds the school's career record with 643 yards on punt returns. [1]

Spokane Shock

Keefe joined the Spokane Shock (then af2) for the club's inaugural season in 2006, helping the franchise secure its first ArenaCup Championship. He ended his two-year tenure with the Shock as the team's career leader in tackles (168) and interceptions (19), twice earning all-af2 accolades as a defensive back.

Philadelphia Soul

Keefe entered the AFL in 2008 as a member of the Philadelphia Soul. In his only AFL season as a player, Keefe helped the Soul earn a victory over the San Jose SaberCats in ArenaBowl XXII.

Coaching career

Spokane Shock

In 2009, Keefe joined the Spokane Shock as the defensive backs coach. That season, the Shock boasted the af2's top-ranked scoring defense, allowing just 37.6 points per game. Keefe's secondary surrendered the fifth-lowest number of passing yards per game (231.6) and registered the second-highest interception total in the league (34). The season culminated in an ArenaCup Championship title.

Keefe was promoted to head coach of the Shock when the organization joined the Arena Football League in 2010. Under Keefe's guidance, Spokane finished with the best record in the AFL (13–3 regular season) while producing the League's fourth-ranked scoring defense (52.7 ppg). Keefe became the youngest coach in AFL history to win a championship, as the Shock defeated the Tampa Bay Storm in ArenaBowl XXIII.

Orlando Predators

Keefe began the 2012 season as the offensive coordinator of the Orlando Predators. On April 10, 2012, it was announced that Keefe had been fired and replaced as offensive coordinator by Ben Bennett. [2]

Utah Blaze

Keefe took over as the new defensive coordinator of the Utah Blaze midway through the 2012 season and engineered a dramatic turnaround on that side of the ball. After allowing an average of 64 points over the first 10 games of the season, Utah allowed just over 51 points per contest under Keefe. In the opening round of the 2012 postseason, the change in culture was loudly put on display as the Blaze defense surrendered a mere 34 points in a victory over the top-seeded San Antonio Talons.

Orlando Predators

On December 24, 2013, Keefe was named the new head coach of the Orlando Predators. [3] In his first season as head coach of the Orlando Predators, Keefe directed the franchise to its first division title since 2006, coming within one win of a berth in the Arena Bowl. The 2014 Orlando Predators secured the South Division Championship and reached the American Conference Championship after knocking off the 15-3 Pittsburgh Power in the opening round of the postseason.

Albany Empire

On November 7, 2017, Keefe was named the head coach of the AFL 2018 expansion team in Albany [4] later named the Albany Empire. He led the team to a victory in Arena Bowl XXXII in their second season. The Arena Football League, and all its teams, folded after the season.

In 2020, a new Albany Empire was launched in the National Arena League to begin play in the 2021 season, with Keefe announced as the inaugural coach. [5] He resigned on April 12, 2021, before ever coaching a game for the new team due to disagreements with the new owners. [6] [7] The next day, he was hired by the Iowa Barnstormers of the Indoor Football League to be the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator under Les Moss, who had been Keefe's assistant in Albany. [8]

Head coaching record

TeamYearRegular seasonPostseason
WonLostWin %FinishWonLostWin %Result
SPO 2010 133.8131st in NC West301.000Defeated Tampa Bay Storm in ArenaBowl XXIII
SPO 2011 99.5002nd in NC West01.000Lost to Arizona Rattlers in Conference Semifinals
SPO total2212.647–31.750
ORL 2014 117.6111st in AC South11.500Lost to Cleveland Gladiators in American Conference Final
ORL 2015 126.6671st in AC South01.000Lost to Jacksonville Sharks in Conference Semifinals
ORL 2016 124.7502nd in AC01.000Lost to Jacksonville Sharks in Conference Semifinals
ORL total3517.673–13.250
ALB 2018 84.6671st in AFL11.500Lost to Washington Valor in Semifinals
ALB 2019 102.8331st in AFL301.000Defeated Philadelphia Soul in ArenaBowl XXXII
ALB total186.750–41.800
Total [9] 7535.68285.615

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cleveland Gladiators</span> Arena football team

The Cleveland Gladiators were an arena football team based in Cleveland, Ohio, and members of the Arena Football League (AFL). The Gladiators played their home games at Quicken Loans Arena, which they shared with the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association and the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League. The franchise was originally based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and then later in Las Vegas, Nevada, before relocating to Cleveland for the 2008 AFL season. The Gladiators qualified for the playoffs eight times in their history, reaching the ArenaBowl in 2014.

The Orlando Predators are a professional arena football team based in Orlando, Florida and member of the Arena Football League (AFL). The team is currently owned by John Cheney, and play its home games at Kia Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Orleans VooDoo</span> Arena football team

The New Orleans VooDoo were a professional arena football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They were members of the Arena Football League from 2004 to 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iowa Barnstormers</span> Arena football team

The Iowa Barnstormers are a professional indoor football team based in Des Moines, Iowa. They are currently members of the Indoor Football League (IFL). They play their home games at Wells Fargo Arena, known in indoor football circles as "The Well".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spokane Shock</span> Arena football team

The Spokane Shock were a professional indoor American football team based in Spokane, Washington, that played their home games at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. The team was initially a member of arenafootball2 (af2), the Shock won division titles in all four seasons and ArenaCups in 2006 and 2009 before they joined the Arena Football League (AFL) in its 2010 relaunch. The team advanced to the playoffs three times after joining the AFL, winning ArenaBowl XXIII in their first season, making them the only arena football franchise to win both the ArenaCup and the ArenaBowl.

Bret Munsey is a former American football coach and executive. He most recently was an assistant coach for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. Previously, he was the head coach for the Orlando Predators and Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League (AFL), and also an executive for the Florida Tuskers and Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Bennett</span> American football player and coach (born 1962)

Allen Beverly "Ben" Bennett II is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals and Chicago Bears. He also was a member of the Jacksonville Bulls, Chicago Bruisers, Dallas Texans, Sacramento Surge, San Antonio Riders, Orlando Predators, San Jose SaberCats and Portland Forest Dragons. He was a football coach in the Arena Football League (AFL), AF2, and National Arena League (NAL). He played college football for the Duke Blue Devils, earning third team All-American honors in 1983.

Kahlil Rafiq Carter, is an American former professional gridiron football player and coach.

The 2006 AF2 season was the seventh season of the AF2, the Arena Football League's minor league. It was preceded by 2005 and succeeded by 2007. The league champions were the Spokane Shock who capped off an impressive inaugural season with a win over the Green Bay Blizzard in ArenaCup VII.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brett Dietz</span> American football player and coach (born 1981)

Brett Dietz is American football coach and former quarterback. He is the head football coach at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, a position he has held since 2020. Dietz played college football at Hanover College in Hanover, Indiana and professionally with several teams including the Turku Trojans in Finland Vaahteraliiga and in Arena Football League (AFL), Af2, and the National Indoor Football League (NIFL) for the Cincinnati Marshals, Louisville Fire, Tampa Bay Storm and California Redwoods.

Durwood Clinton Roquemore is a former American football cornerback who played professionally in the National Football League (NFL), United States Football League (USFL), and Arena Football League (AFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyle Rowley</span> American football player (born 1979)

Kyle Rowley is an American former arena football quarterback who played in the Arena Football League (AFL) and the af2. He played college football at Brown.

Les Moss is an American football coach and current head coach of the Northern Arizona Wranglers in the Indoor Football League (IFL). He was the head coach of the Jacksonville Sharks of the Arena Football League (AFL) from 2010 to 2016 and the assistant head coach of the Albany Empire of the AFL from 2018 to 2019. He was the head coach of the IFL's Iowa Barnstormers for the 2021 season. He is the son of former NFL, AFL, CFL and NCAA head football coach Perry Moss, who is enshrined in the AFL Hall of Fame.

Lee Johnson is an arena football coach and former offensive lineman and defensive lineman. He played his college football at the University of Missouri, and was an AFL offensive lineman and defensive lineman from 1995 to 1996. He has been a football coach since 1997. After being the defensive coordinator for the Orlando Predators from 2010 to 2011, he became the San Antonio Talons head coach in 2011.

Andrew Olson is an arena football coach and former wide receiver. He was previously the head coach for the Spokane Shock and Portland Thunder of the Arena Football League (AFL). He played his college football at the Western Washington University, and was an af2 wide receiver from 2008 to 2009. He has been a football coach since 2011. After being the offensive coordinator for the Spokane Shock in 2011, he became the Shock head coach in 2012.

Matthew Sauk is an arena football coach and former quarterback. He played college football at Utah State, was an af2 quarterback from 2001 to 2005, and an AFL quarterback from 2002 to 2008. He has been a football coach since 2008. After being the offensive coordinator for the Utah Blaze from 2011 to 2013, he became the Portland Thunder head coach in 2014. He was the head coach of the Salt Lake Screaming Eagles of the Indoor Football League (IFL) in 2017 and the Columbus Destroyers of the Arena Football League in 2019.

Cedric Walker is a former American football defensive back and coach who is currently the head coach and defensive coordinator of the Billings Outlaws of the Arena Football League (AFL). Walker played football at Stephen F. Austin University; once his stint there concluded, he signed with the AFL's Charlotte Rage. Walker played for a succession of AFL teams over his ten-season career; these included the Orlando Predators, Arizona Rattlers, Indiana Firebirds, Chicago Rush, Austin Wranglers, and Las Vegas Gladiators. At the end of his AFL Career, Walker had amassed some 522 solo tackles ; this was the league's seventh-highest total. Walker also won one ArenaBowl as a player; this came with the Arizona Rattlers in 1997.

The Arena Football Hall of Fame is the official Hall of Fame of the Arena Football League (AFL). The inaugural class was announced in 1998 and the Hall was not formally organized until 2011. Prior to 2011, there were four classes: 1998–2000 and then another in 2002. The Arena Football Hall of Fame is the highest honor for players, coaches, and contributors involved in the AFL. The voting process consists of fans and current Hall of Fame members voting on the finalists. The finalists are selected by the League Office in which they collect ballots from the Arena Football Hall of Fame Advisory Board, a group which consisted of former players, executives, journalists and media personnel with a long-time involvement in the league. The league began to decline in 2015, so no Hall of Fame announcements have been made since this year. The league folded for a second time in 2019. After the league's second closure, ArenaFan, a long-running fan site, announced it had taken over operations of the Arena Football Hall of Fame.

Terence Francisco Moore is a former American football linebacker. He played eight seasons in the Arena Football League (AFL) for the Spokane Shock, Orlando Predators, Cleveland Gladiators and Albany Empire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albany Empire (NAL)</span> National Arena League team

The Albany Empire were a professional indoor football team based in Albany, New York. They were members of the National Arena League from 2021 to 2023 and played home games at MVP Arena. They are named after the defunct Arena Football League (AFL) team of the same name that won the last ArenaBowl before the AFL folded.

References

  1. ↑ "Rob Keefe Set To Shine On ESPN2 Monday - MERCYHURST COLLEGE OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE". Hurstathletics.cstv.com. April 25, 2008. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
  2. ↑ Frank, Jared (April 10, 2012). "Orlando Fires Former Shock Coach Rob Keefe". kulr8.com. Archived from the original on March 12, 2018. Retrieved March 12, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. ↑ "Orlando Predators Introduce Rob Keefe As New Head Coach". orlandopredators.com. December 24, 2013. Archived from the original on December 26, 2013. Retrieved December 24, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Albany AFL Names Rob Keefe as Head Coach". arenafan.com. November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  5. ↑ "'I look at it as an opportunity,' Rob Keefe says of return to Albany". Times Union . September 8, 2020. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Rob Keefe steps down as coach of Albany Empire". Times Union. April 12, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Rob Keefe: 'When visions don't align ... sometimes it's difficult to move forward'". Times Union. April 12, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Barnstormers Name Rob Keefe as Assistant Head Coach". OurSports Central. April 13, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Rob Keefe Coaching Record". ArenaFan.com. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.