K . C . Keeler Kurt Charles " K . C . " Keeler ( born July 26 , 1959 ) is an American football coach and former player . He was the head football coach at the University of Delaware from 2002 to 2012 . Keeler served as the head football coach at Rowan University from 1993 to 2001 . His 2003 Delaware Fightin ' Blue Hens squad won the NCAA Division I - AA Football Championship , and returned to the Division I Championship game in 2007 and 2010 . Playing career . High school and college . Keeler played high school football at Emmaus High School in Emmaus , Pennsylvania . He went on to play collegiate football at the University of Delaware , where he was a linebacker from 1978 to 1980 under coach Tubby Raymond . He was a member of the 1979 Division II National Championship squad . NFL and USFL . In 1980 , Keeler signed a free agent contract with the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He was one of the last players released during the 1980 pre - season . He later earned tryouts again with the Eagles ( 1982 – 83 ) and with the United States Football League ' s Philadelphia Stars ( 1983 ) and Jacksonville Bulls ( 1984 ) . Coaching career . Amherst and Rowan . Keeler began his coaching career as an assistant at Amherst College in Amherst , Massachusetts in 1981 and then at Rowan University in Glassboro , New Jersey in 1986 . He became Rowan head coach in the 1993 season , ending his tenure in 2001 with an 88 - 21 - 1 ( . 804 ) record and seven NCAA Division III playoff appearances . He was , however , 0 - 5 in NCAA Division III National Football Championship Stagg Bowls at Rowan , losing by an average of 42 . 4 to 18 . 4 . University of Delaware . After Raymond retired in 2002 , Keeler was named the fourth Delaware head football coach in 62 years . He immediately brought a new offensive philosophy to the team , replacing its famed and historic Winged - T formation with a no - huddle , spread offense . Under Keeler , Delaware won its first national championship since 1979 and its first - ever Division I - AA title ( in 2003 ) with a 15 - 1 record and a 149 - 23 total score in the four - game playoff series . Keeler became as much of a celebrity in Delaware as Raymond . He was named " Delawarean of the Year " in 2004 by " Delaware Today " magazine and was listed as one of the top college football recruiters in the nation by " American Football Monthly " magazine . " The ( Wilmington ) News Journal " reported that Keeler was forced to hire an agent after the 2003 championship to help manage speaking engagements , guest appearances and private functions . His trademark sunglasses ( which he also wore during night games ) and wireless headgear were emulated with K . C . Keeler bobblehead s sold at games and local Newark , Delaware businesses . Keeler often attacked criticism that I - AA / FCS programs are of lesser caliber than I - A . “ We ’ re the LSU ; we ’ re the Georgia , the Florida of Division I - AA , ” Keeler said in a 2004 interview with " American Football Monthly " . “ We have every resource . There ’ s some people who have better resources than we do , but in general , the college campus we have is in one of the greatest college towns in America , and the academics . . . we led the nation last year in out - of - state applications , more than Michigan or Texas . But that ’ s what this school has become . Everybody wants to come to school here . " On June 19 , 2008 , Keeler was granted a 10 - year contract extension to keep him on as head coach of the Blue Hens through the 2017 season . However , following the 2012 season in which his team posted a 5−6 record , Keeler was fired . External links .