Keith Gill (athletic director) facts for kids

Keith Allen Gill is an American sports leader who helps run college sports. He is currently the commissioner of the Sun Belt Conference. This is a group of colleges that compete in sports across the United States. Mr. Gill is also important because he is the first African-American to be a commissioner for a major college football conference (NCAA Division I FBS).

Early Life and School Days

Keith Gill was born to Bill and Carrie Gill. He grew up in Winter Park, Florida. In 1990, he graduated from Winter Park High School.

High School Sports Star

At high school, Keith played football as a fullback. He also played baseball as an outfielder and was on the track and field teams.

• During his junior year, his football team had a great record of 9 wins and 2 losses.
• He was recognized as one of the best offensive players in Orange County.
• His baseball team won district and region championships, finishing with 26 wins and 6 losses.

In his senior year, Keith's football team again finished with 9 wins and 2 losses. They even won a special high school game called the Kumquat Bowl. For the second year, he was named to the all-Orange County offensive team. Keith was also chosen as a Scholar-Athlete Leader and received a special scholarship called the Youth Educational Sports Scholarship (YESS). His high school football coach, Larry Gergley, said Keith was "dedicated and hardworking."

College Education and Football

Keith went to Duke University for college. He played running back for the Duke Blue Devils football team. His main role was returning kickoffs.

• In his junior year, Keith was named to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) honor roll.
• He also made Duke's Iron Duke Student-Athlete All-Star team.

In 1994, Keith graduated from Duke with two degrees. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in history and another in sociology. Later, in 2007, he earned a Master's degree from the University of Oklahoma.

Career in College Sports

Keith Gill has held many important jobs in college sports. He has worked at different universities and for major sports organizations.

Leading Athletic Departments

Before becoming a commissioner, Keith was an athletic director at two universities:

• From 2012 to 2017, he was the athletic director at the University of Richmond.
• From 2007 to 2012, he was the athletic director at American University.

He also worked as a senior associate athletic director at the University of Oklahoma from 2000 to 2004.

Commissioner Roles

On March 18, 2019, Keith Gill was named the commissioner of the Sun Belt Conference. This is his current role. Before this, he was an executive associate commissioner for the Atlantic 10 Conference from 2017 to 2019.

Other Important Positions

Keith has also worked for the NCAA. The NCAA is a big organization that oversees college sports.

• From 1995 to 1999, he was an NCAA membership services representative.
• From 2004 to 2007, he was the director of membership services for the NCAA.
• He also worked as an assistant athletic director at Vanderbilt University from 1999 to 2000.

National Basketball Committee

Besides his work as commissioner, Keith Gill is part of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee. He started a five-year term on this committee during the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. In July 2024, he was chosen to be the vice-chair of the committee for the 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. He is set to become the chair for the 2025–26 NCAA Division I men's basketball season.

Achievements and Recognition

Keith Gill has received several awards and honors throughout his life.

• In high school, he was a semifinalist for the National Merit Scholarship Program.
• In 1990, he was one of 230 students chosen for Walt Disney World's Dreamers and Doers Award.