VIDEO: Kevin McKeethan Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman head football coach Mike Turner has announced the hiring of Kevin McKeethan to be the program's new quarterbacks coach.
McKeethan's most recent stop was at the University of Tennessee as the program's Special Teams Quality Control assistant.
"I'm from East Tennessee," McKeethan said. "When you grow up playing high school and college football in East Tennessee, you know Carson-Newman. You know what it stands for spiritually and you know it means great football on the field. It's fantastic to be here for that reason and it's fantastic to work for coach Turner."
Prior to his year in Knoxville, McKeethan had stops at Charleston Southern, New Mexico State, Kent State and Greensboro College.
Carson-Newman's QB cupboard is hardly bare. Rising junior quarterback Derrick Evans is returning following an all-conference sophomore campaign. The Eagles also have exceedingly capable backups in Tyson Herron and Tyler Thackerson.
"I could not come into a better situation," McKeethan said. "To come here and coach the position that I coach, with the offense that we run here. This is a mature room and a talented room. We look for big things out of Derrick. Tyler has a different skill set and brings a lot of things to the table. Tyson brings the mental aspect to the game. Any one of those three could win a football game for you."
In 2017 as NMSU recruiting coordinator, McKeethan put together the third-ranked recruiting class in the Sun Belt Conference, as ranked by Scout.com. Individually, he signed a pair of three-star prospects for the Aggies.
McKeethan's wide receivers recorded 2,939 receiving yards on 253 receptions for an average of 11.62 yards per catch in 2016. This continued NMSU's trend of hovering around 3,000 passing yards a season as the Aggies featured a balanced offensive attack.
The Aggies topped 3,000 receiving yards in 2015. Two players amassed over 500 yards receiving in 2014, paced by Tyrian Taylor's team-high 691 yards on 39 catches.
McKeethan spent 2013 and 2014 as the Aggies' tight ends coach. In 2012, he served as a graduate assistant coach, where he worked with the quarterbacks and assisted the offensive coordinator.
McKeethan spent the 2011 season as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Greensboro College in North Carolina. There, he mentored freshman quarterback Ryan Throndset to all-conference honors. Throndset compiled the best completion percentage in school history, as well as top-five marks in passing yardage and total offense. McKeethan coached four first-year players to the all-conference squad in 2011, including first-team receiver Dexter Russell, who set a school record for receiving yards in a game.
McKeethan served as a graduate assistant at Kent State from 2007-2010, working with Jerry McManus and Doug Martin. He was responsible for coaching the scout teams, film breakdowns and out-of-area recruiting. McKeethan also assisted with coaching the quarterbacks and wide receivers. In 2010, he worked with All-MAC receivers Tyshon Goode and Sam Kirkland.
McKeethan earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Maryville College in 2007. He was a letterwinner as a quarterback in football and earned the top offensive player award in 2005. He led the team to a conference title in 2007. He also played baseball.
He was a three-year academic all-conference selection and seven-time member of the Maryville College Dean's List.
McKeethan earned a master's degree in sports and recreational management from Kent State in 2010. A native of Oak Ridge, Tenn., he began his coaching career at Oak Ridge High School in 2006.