The Jimmie Keeling era is over at Hardin-Simmons University, and what an era it was. Coach Keeling led the Cowboys to 10 conference championships and 20 playoff games. He won 172 games and lost just 53. The Cowboys program went from nonexistent in 1989, to a national power by the end of the 1994 season.
The school picked the right guy to lead the Cowboys program, if the were looking for a guy who could take a group of football players and make them a team, but that's not all they got.
Keeling was a great example for the players. You have no idea how many players I have come across after their playing days were over who said, "Coach Keeling was like a father to me." Former Cowboy quarterback Justin Feaster said, "For the last 5 years, Coach Keeling has been the most influential person in my life. I have the utmost respect for Coach Keeling and everything he stands for."
When we asked him to talk about 1 of his stars, he always started with, "First of all, he's a really good kid." He loved having good football players, but he expected his guys to be "good kids", first.
Jimmie Keeling was more than a football coach. He was a life coach. Coach Keeling shaped players for his entire career. He showed the men on his team how to live with his example, and then helped them become productive members of society.
He was also a trainer of coaches. Countless former players and graduate assistants are coaching right now in the high school or college ranks because Coach Keeling gave them a shot on his staff.
Jimmie Keeling won over 500 games as a head coach in high school and college, but that was not his greatest area of impact. He made the people around him better people, and that's why HSU is going to miss Coach Keeling.
That's why I am going to miss Coach Keeling.
