Ollie Keller

Ollie Keller

Biographical details
Born	(1929-03-08) March 8, 1929 Blount County, Tennessee
Died	April 21, 2019
Playing career
Football
1950-1951	University of Tennessee
1952–1953	Memphis State
Basketball
1951–1953	Memphis State
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1954	Hall HS (TN)
1955–1956	Maryville HS (TN)
1957–1967	Memphis Catholic HS (TN)
1968	Iowa State (assistant)
1970–1971	Memphis State (assistant)
1972–1975	Northeast Louisiana
1976	Colorado State (OC)
Head coaching record
Overall	14–24–3 (college)

Ollie Keller (born March 8, 1929) is a former American football player and coach. Keller was an avid sportsman and after three years of playing on service teams while in the Air Force, he had a distinguished football career as a member of General R.R. Neyland’s National Championship Team of 1950-51 at the University of Tennessee. He also enjoyed a notable career in football and basketball during 1952-53 at then Memphis State University. His sports career earned him an induction into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, Memphis State University Hall of Fame and into the initial class of the Blount County Sports Hall of Fame. Keller was a celebrated high school teacher, administrator, coach and athletic director and enjoyed a distinguished collegiate coaching career at Memphis State University, Northeast Louisiana University, Iowa State University, and Colorado State University. Keller served as principal of the Fairview Middle School and as assistant principal of Brentwood High. He served during the Gov. Lamar Alexander administration as Assistant Commissioner of the Department of Conservation and during the Gov. Don Sundquist administration as Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Environment and Conservation.

Coaching career

Keller began his coaching career at Halls High School followed by two years at his high school alma mater, Maryville High School. He spent the next ten years coaching at Memphis Catholic High School (1957–1967), which was a perennial football powerhouse. Keller move to the college level in 1968 as an assistant at Iowa State University under Johnny Majors followed by returning to Memphis State as an assistant in 1970. He served as the head football coach at Northeast Louisiana University—now known as University of Louisiana at Monroe—in Monroe, Louisiana for four seasons, from 1972 until 1975, compiling record of 14–24–3.

Head coaching record

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs
Northeast Louisiana Indians (NCAA College Division independent) (1972)
1972	Northeast Louisiana	3–7
Northeast Louisiana Indians (NCAA Division II independent) (1973–1974)
1973	Northeast Louisiana	3–5–2
1974	Northeast Louisiana	4–6
Northeast Louisiana Indians (NCAA Division I independent) (1975)
1975	Northeast Louisiana	4–6–1
Northeast Louisiana:		14–24–3
Total:		14–24–3