Aaron Kelton facts for kids

Aaron Kelton (born around 1970) is an American college football coach. He helps young athletes learn and play football at the college level. Currently, he is the head football coach for Savannah State University. He has held this important role since 2022.

Before joining Savannah State, Coach Kelton led other college teams. He was the head coach at Williams College in Massachusetts from 2010 to 2015. He also coached at Shorter University in Georgia from 2016 to 2017. In 2019, he was the temporary head coach for Howard University in Washington, D.C. for the last three games of the season.

Early Life and Education

Aaron Kelton grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. He went to Wellesley High School. There, he was a talented athlete. He played football, baseball, and basketball.

After high school, he attended Springfield College. He graduated in 1992 with a degree in psychology. While at Springfield College, he played football for all four years. For two of those years, he was the starting quarterback, a key position on the team.

Coaching Journey

Coach Kelton started his coaching career in high school football. He coached in Massachusetts from 1992 to 1996. His first job coaching college football was in 1997 at MIT.

He then spent a year coaching at Clarion and another at Concord. From 2001 to 2005, he coached at Virginia State. For most of his time there, he was the defensive coordinator. This means he was in charge of the team's defense.

From 2006 to 2009, Kelton coached at Columbia. He started as the secondary coach, working with defensive backs. Later, he was promoted to defensive coordinator.

Leading the Williams Ephs

In May 2010, Williams College hired Aaron Kelton as their new head football coach. This was a big step in his career. He became the first black head coach for a varsity sport at Williams College. He was also one of only a few black head football coaches at the NCAA Division III level.

In his first year, 2010, Coach Kelton led the Ephs football team to an amazing season. They had a perfect 8–0 record, meaning they won all their games. They also won the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) championship. He was the first Williams College football coach to have an undefeated first season. Because of this success, he was named the 2010 NESCAC Coach of the Year.

He coached Williams until the end of the 2015 season. He decided to leave after his team struggled against their main rival, Amherst College.

Coaching at Shorter and Morgan State

After Williams, Kelton became the head coach for the Shorter Hawks in 2016 and 2017. During these two seasons, the team did not win any games. In 2017, he also worked as the temporary athletic director for Shorter.

In 2018, Coach Kelton joined the Morgan State Bears. He served as a co-defensive coordinator, sharing the responsibility for the team's defense.

Time at Howard University

In July 2019, Aaron Kelton moved to Howard University. He started as the director of football operations. This role involves managing the daily activities of the football program.

Later in November 2019, he became the temporary head coach for the Howard Bison. This happened when the head coach at the time took a leave of absence.

Coaching Achievements

Aaron Kelton has coached college football for many years. His overall record as a head coach is 36 wins and 67 losses.

• Williams Ephs (2010–2015): He led the team to a 23–25 record. In 2010, they had a perfect 8–0 season and won the NESCAC championship.
• Shorter Hawks (2016–2017): The team had an overall record of 0–22 during his time as head coach.
• Howard Bison (2019, interim): As interim head coach, he had a record of 1–2.
• Savannah State Tigers (2022–present): His current record with Savannah State is 12–18.