Temple University Athletics
James Franklin, the head coach of the second-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions, a trendy national championship pick this season, repeatedly talks about the importance of going 1-0 each week.
Franklin doesn’t want his players looking too far ahead.
But some three hours away, in Philadelphia, Temple Owls coach K.C. Keeler has a different view of things. Despite the Owls going 3-9 last season and just 13-42 over the last five seasons, Keeler has national title dreams.
The first-year head coach, who came over after successful stints at Sam Houston State and Delaware, the latter of which he won an FCS national championship with, says that if his players aren’t dreaming big, they need to change their mindset.
Temple Owls Coach K.C. Keeler Says His Players Should Have ‘Unrealistic’ Goals
Keeler, a 66-year-old Pennsylvania native, is off to a great start with his new program. The Owls are 2-0 this season with blowout victories over UMass and Howard, while starting quarterback Evan Simon has been the most efficient in the country.
But things get much harder for the cherry and white this Saturday when they host No. 13 Oklahoma, who comes in as a 21.5-point favorite.
Keeler isn’t blinking, however. It’s not in his DNA.
“When I walked in here I said, ‘Guys, if you’re realistic, you’re at the wrong place. I don’t want guys who are realistic.’ It’s unrealistic to think we can play with Oklahoma,” Keeler said during an appearance on ‘The Oklahoma Breakdown.’ “Well, guess what? Realistic guys do not play for me. Unrealistic guys play for me,” Keeler said.
That comment came after Keeler told a story about his opening press conference when he was hired at Delaware in 2000. Despite the pleas of his athletic director, Keeler started the conference by talking about winning a national championship despite the fact that the program went 4-6 the year prior.
That mentality has never left.
“Sometimes I put a lot of pressure on a program because I am out there saying, ‘This is who we want to be.'” Keeler said on the podcast. “But the alternative to an unrealistic mindset is that, in a game where his team is a 24-point underdog, Temple kicks off effectively down 24-0. “We live one time. I’m taking one shot at this thing right now. We’re going to go all-in, all the time.”
You have to respect that level of boldness. If you don’t deliver, it may look silly. But thus far, Keeler has delivered everywhere he’s coached. And if the head coach doesn’t believe, then it’s darn near impossible to get the players to do so.
So I’m with Keeler here. Realistic is boring. And with that logic, he could well have the Owls up and running in no time.