Predators extend contract of Head Coach Rob Keefe
Wednesday October 7, 2015
ORLANDO – October 7, 2015 – The Orlando Predators have signed Head Coach Rob Keefe to a multi-year contract extension.
Keefe recently completed his second season as Head Coach of the Predators, leading the squad to back-to-back Arena Football League South Division championships. He holds a 24-15 record as the Predators’ head coach and is 49-28 overall in four seasons as an AFL head coach.
“We’re thrilled to have Rob Keefe under contract moving forward,” Predators Team President Jared Saft said. “Coach Keefe has done a tremendous job over the past two years developing a winning culture in our football program. We can't wait to get back on the field at Amway Center in front of the best fans in the league.”
Keefe is also looking forward to his future with the Predators.
“I am proud to be back as the Head Coach and VP of Football Operations for the Orlando Predators,” Keefe said. “The positive direction this organization is headed made my decision easy to continue what we have started here. The combination of great ownership, staff, fans, and players has made a wonderful environment to excel in and my ultimate goal is to help this organization bring a championship home for its community. I look forward to continuing our journey of success together.”
Keefe was named head coach of the Predators in 2014, taking over a squad that was 11-25 in the two previous seasons. Keefe led the Predators to an 11-7 regular season record, a South Division title and a berth in the American Conference Championship game in 2014. The Predators repeated as South Division champions in 2015, while improving their regular-season record to 12-6.
Keefe has been playing or coaching Arena Football since 2004. A five-year playing career included an af2 championship and culminated in an ArenaBowl Championship as a member of the Philadelphia Soul in 2008.
Keefe joined the coaching ranks in 2009 as the secondary coach of the Spokane Shock and helped lead the franchise to an af2 championship. He was promoted to head coach in Spokane in 2010, when the team joined the Arena Football League. Keefe went on to become the youngest head coach to win the ArenaBowl, when the Shock won it all in 2010. He coached the Shock for one more year before serving as defensive coordinator for the Utah Blaze in 2012 and 2013. He is the only person ever to win both af2 and AFL championships as both a player and coach.
ABOUT THE ORLANDO PREDATORS
The 2014 and 2015 back-to-back South Division Champion Orlando Predators enter their 25th season as Central Florida’s most exciting and innovative professional sports franchise. Proud members of the Arena Football League, the Predators have achieved unprecedented success on the field. Orlando has advanced to the AFL playoffs a league-leading 22 times in their history while securing seven conference championships, including two ArenaBowl Championship victories in 1998 and 2000.