In 1990, Aaron Keen came to St. Louis as a member of one of football head coach Larry Kindbom’s first recruiting classes. Thirty years later, on Jan. 6, 2020, the University announced that Keen will return to take the reins from his former coach and become the next head coach of Washington University’s football team.

“It’s a pretty special time for me,” Keen said. “Having graduated from Washington University, having coached there for eight years, built a lot of relationships in the area and at the University and connected with a lot of people that have gone through there, to come back to Washington University at this point in my life is pretty special.”

Courtesy of Eastern Michigan Athletics

Aaron Keen coaches on the sideline for the Eastern Michigan University Eagles. Keen, a two time All-American Quarterback for the Bears, started his first day as Washington University’s head football coach Wednesday, January 15.

Keen, who spent the last three seasons as the offensive coordinator at Division I Eastern Michigan University (EMU), returns to Wash. U. after 18 years of coaching elsewhere. A two-time All-American quarterback, after graduating Keen coached under Kindbom from 1995 to 2002. He then left to become the head coach at Illinois College, but returning to Wash. U. remained a goal of his.

“It is a job that I’ve thought about for a long time,” he said. “When I left in 2002, it was my goal someday to come back and be the head coach at Washington University. You never can control the timing of things—how many other football programs in the country have had the same head coach for 31 years? I mean, it’s just amazing, the fact that it came open at this point. I feel fortunate to be in the situation that I’m in where I was able to interview for the position and I was the right guy to fill it.”

Since departing from Wash. U., Keen has been a head coach at the Division II and III levels as well as an offensive coordinator and special teams coordinator at the Division I level. In 2019, his final season at Eastern Michigan, he coached the Eagles to one of the greatest offensive seasons in school history.

“The experience of what he was able to be a part of—the transformation of EMU—gave him a perspective and a direction that really prepared him for this time to be back at Wash. U.,” Athletic Director Anthony Azama said.

Keen’s excellence in the X’s and O’s of football was at full display at EMU.

“He put in the offense here the last three years,” EMU head coach Chris Creighton said. “He’s got a high football IQ and he just he does an exceptional job coaching quarterbacks. I think that that’s the key.”

Over the last 30 years, Keen has earned a reputation as brilliant offensive mind. As the acting head coach at Minnesota State University (MSU) in 2012, he led the Mavericks to a 13-1 record. The focal point of the MSU offense was future Minnesota Viking player Adam Thielen. Keen was named the American Football Monthly NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year for his performance that season.

“He has a great background and a ton of experience in designing offenses through his [experience at] Eastern Michigan, Minnesota State, even when he worked here at Wash. U. as an [offensive coordinator], and so I was really curious what he would do, given our players, given our speed and given everybody’s unique skill set,” said junior defensive back Andrew Whitaker, who was part of a group of players who met with coach Keen. “When he worked at Eastern Michigan, he had a great quarterback in [EMU’s Mike] Glass III. So he designed quick routes and some outside routes to really utilize his arm strength. I don’t know what our offense scheme is going to be yet, but I’m excited for him to get his mind on it.”

Keen’s excellence on the field is matched by his excellence off it. Kindbom and Creighton both discussed how his leadership skills earned him the respect of his peers.

“He’s loyal. He’s hard working. [He] cares about the guys that he’s coaching,” Creighton said. “He did a great job of leading the offensive staff, incorporating everybody, getting everybody to work together and be on the same page.”

Azama said that he is hopeful that Keen will continue the success that Kindbom has enjoyed while building a program that can compete in the Collegiate Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin.

“The thing you have to look at is what you are ultimately trying to accomplish,” Azama said. “What’s the context as far as the situation of the current state, and that helps you really determine fit. When you look at the momentum that [Kindbom] created, the new conference that we’re in, the fact that our conference typically has two teams go to the playoffs and that this past year a national champion came out of our conference, for us to be where we need to be from a competitive standpoint, the standard that we have as far as academically and then how we want the program to be engaged on campus and in the community—Aaron spoke to all that when he talked about his vision.”

Keen officially took over as head coach today, Jan. 16. With a leader in place, the first order of business for Keen will be putting together his staff.

“The relationships are so important in this profession and it’s not just the coaches and the players. I think it’s between the coaches that are on your staff,” Keen said. “It’s the relationship between coaches and administrators. That process is going to begin as I start work here on Thursday.”