Teddy Keaton facts for kids
Keaton at Stillman in 2013
|
|
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | Clark Atlanta |
| Conference | SIAC |
| Record | 7–3–1 |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | December 14, 1976 Brewton, Alabama, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Stillman College |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1999–2004 | Stillman (assistant) |
| 2005–2006 | Odessa Roughnecks (DC) |
| 2006–2007 | Lakeland Thunderbolts |
| 2008 | Huntington Heroes |
| 2008 | Webber International (DB) |
| 2009–2010 | Webber International (OC) |
| 2011–2015 | Stillman |
| 2016–2017 | Miles (RB) |
| 2018–2023 | Allen |
| 2024–present | Clark Atlanta |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 52–57–1 (college) 27–5 (NIFL/AIFA) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 1 SIAC West Division (2011) | |
Teddy Keaton was born on December 14, 1976, in Brewton, Alabama. He is a well-known American football coach. Since 2024, he has been the head football coach for Clark Atlanta University. Before that, he led the football team at Allen University from 2018 to 2023.
Keaton graduated from Stillman College in 1999. He started his coaching journey there as an assistant coach until 2004. He also worked as a running backs coach for the Miles College Golden Bears. Coach Keaton has experience in arena football, where he was a defensive coordinator for the Odessa Roughnecks. He also served as head coach for the Lakeland Thunderbolts and Huntington Heroes. Later, he returned to college coaching. He was a defensive backs coach for one season. Then, he became the offensive coordinator at Webber International University from 2008 to 2010. On December 2, 2010, Keaton became the head coach at Stillman. The football program at Stillman ended after the 2015 season. His record at Stillman was 27 wins and 26 losses.
Coach Keaton's Career Journey
Starting at Stillman College
In 1999, Stillman College brought back its football program after 50 years. The college president, Dr. Ernest McNealey, hired Theophilus Danzy as the head coach. Coach Danzy quickly brought Teddy Keaton onto his staff. Keaton started as the first assistant coach and director of football operations. He held this role for two years while finishing his degree.
In 2001, Keaton received a promotion. He became the special teams coordinator, recruiting coordinator, and running backs coach. Under his guidance, Stillman had its first player ever to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season. His special teams were also very successful. They ranked high in NCAA Division II for blocked punts (3rd) and kick returns (12th), averaging 23.5 yards per return.
Coaching the Odessa Roughnecks
After his successful time at Stillman, Keaton moved to arena football. He joined the Odessa Roughnecks in the NIFL as the director of player personnel and defensive line coach. His impact was immediate. The defensive line averaged three sacks per game.
Because of his success, Chris Williams promoted Keaton in 2005. He became the defensive coordinator and director of college scouting. In 2005, the Roughnecks had their best season. They went undefeated in the regular season with a 14-0 record. Their defense was ranked number one in almost all categories in the NIFL.
Leading the Lakeland Thunderbolts
In 2005, Teddy Keaton got his first chance to be a head coach. He took over the Lakeland Thunderbolts in the AIFA League. In his first season, the Thunderbolts finished with a 13-2 record. Their defense was ranked second overall in 2005-2006.
In his second season, the Thunderbolts had an even better record of 14-2. They had the number one defense in the league and a high of 55 interceptions. Their success helped six players move up to the Arena Football League. These players included Terrence Royal, Marvin Brown, Robert Branch, Brenden Givan, Othesse Wells, and Larry Kendrick. Coach Keaton and the Lakeland Thunderbolts won a Championship that season. Keaton left the Thunderbolts in 2007 because the team's owners closed the program.
The Huntington Heroes Experience
In 2007, Keaton became the head coach of the Huntington Heroes in West Virginia. His success continued there. The Heroes finished first in the Eastern Division with a 5-1 record. They were ranked at the top in both offense and defense for the AIFA. Keaton left the Heroes during the season. This was due to a lack of support from the team's management.
Returning to College at Webber International
In 2008, Keaton went back to college coaching. He became the offensive coordinator for Webber International. The team's offense improved greatly under his leadership. Their ranking jumped from 80th to 37th in his first season. Many players received honors from the Sun Conference. Also, Webber had its first player ever drafted into the NFL, Vincent Anderson, who joined the New York Giants.
Back to Stillman College as Head Coach
On December 4, 2010, Dr. McNealey hired Keaton as the fourth head coach of the Stillman Tigers. In his first season as head coach, Keaton led Stillman to a 7-4 record. This tied them for first place in the Western Division of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC). They were just one loss away from playing for the Conference Championship.
For the next three seasons, Stillman had a 6-5 record each year. The Tigers achieved many football honors. They ranked 4th in the nation in NCAA Division II for total defense. They also developed Ronnie Partridge, a punter who was named All-American twice. Eleven players also graduated as Academic All-Americans. After the 2016 season, Stillman College changed its leadership. The new president decided to stop all intercollegiate sports except men's and women's basketball.
Coaching at Allen University
On January 8, 2018, Teddy Keaton was named the head football coach at Allen University. He coached there until 2023.
Coach Keaton's Personal Life
Teddy Keaton is married to Brittani Sutton. He has two daughters, MacKenzie and Taylor, from a previous relationship. His parents are Derrick and Sandra Dixon. He is a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. He also belongs to the Black Coaches Association and the American Football Coaches Association. He is a member of Progressive Baptist Church.
Coaching Records
Arena Football League Records
| Season | W | L | T | Finish | Playoff results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeland Thunderbolts (NIFL) | |||||
| 2006 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 1st Atlantic South | Won AC Quarterfinal (Montgomery Maulers) Lost AC Semifinal (Fayetteville) |
| Lakeland Thunderbolts (AIFA) | |||||
| 2007 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 1st Southern | Won Round 1 (Carolina) Won SD Championship (Mississippi) Won Championship Bowl I (Reading) |
| Huntington HeroesThunderbolts (AIFA) | |||||
| 2008 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1st Eastern | Left Team After 6 Games |
| Totals | 27 | 5 | 0 | (including NIFL and AIFA playoffs) | |
College Football Records
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stillman Tigers (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) (2011–2015) | |||||||||
| 2011 | Stillman | 7–4 | 5–2 | T–1st (West) | |||||
| 2012 | Stillman | 6–5 | 4–3 | 3rd (West) | |||||
| 2013 | Stillman | 6–5 | 2–3 | T–3rd (West) | |||||
| 2014 | Stillman | 5–6 | 4–3 | 3rd (West) | |||||
| 2015 | Stillman | 3–6 | 1–4 | T–5th (West) | |||||
| Stillman: | 27–26 | 16–15 | |||||||
| Allen Yellow Jackets (NAIA independent) (2018–2020) | |||||||||
| 2018 | Allen | 2–6 | |||||||
| 2019 | Allen | 3–6 | |||||||
| 2020–21 | No team—COVID-19 | ||||||||
| Allen Yellow Jackets (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) (2021–2023) | |||||||||
| 2021 | Allen | 4–5 | |||||||
| 2022 | Allen | 2–8 | 0–7 | 8th (East) | |||||
| 2023 | Allen | 7–3 | 5–3 | T–6th | |||||
| Allen: | 18–28 | 5–10 | |||||||
| Clark Atlanta Panthers (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) (2024–present) | |||||||||
| 2024 | Clark Atlanta | 7–3–1 | 6–2 | T–2nd | |||||
| Clark Atlanta: | 7–3–1 | 6–2 | |||||||
| Total: | 52–57–1 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
