NC State Found a Unicorn in Kevin Keatts

Coaches like NC State’s Kevin Keatts are few and far between.

Some coaches are strictly disciplinarians. They are straight business. Often they don’t know how to smile. They don’t care if you like them. The media is nothing but a nuisance and a distraction from priorities. Being a ‘players coach’ isn’t a compliment to them. They think Twitter is a futile waste of time.

On the other side of the spectrum, some coaches live for the limelight. They are the players best friend and surrogate father. They treat press conferences like it’s a weekly show. They are their own brand. They are entertaining. Players are drawn to play for them because of their charisma.

Keatts is the best of both of these worlds.

He is a disciplinarian. He was the head coach at military academy for 10 years (and assistant for 2 more) at Hargrave.

Recent quotes from Keatts:

”I’ll tell y’all a secret. If a player has a breakdown on the defensive end, he’s probably coming out”

“If you don’t play hard, somebody else is going to get your minutes”

Markell Johnson didn’t start against Penn State because he was late for practice three days before the game.

Keatts has a no cell phone policy. No cell phones in team meetings or team dinners. Players aren’t allowed to talk on the phone on the team bus. He makes them stand up in group settings, and introduce one of their teammates, sharing something personal about them.

He runs these players fill there is no body fat left. It’s called ‘Keatts Shape.’

What makes Keatts unique, is that he is all of that, but he is also one of the most likable coaches I’ve ever seen. He doesn’t see the media as a nuisance. He knows them by name, and respects and answers their questions. Keatts smile and swagger is infectious. His style is second-to-none. No coach is going to compete with his suit-game, and he rocked wolf-head Gucci shoes on the sidelines the other night. Keatts takes his team out for ice cream anytime they win a road game. He dances in the locker room after every victory. It’s nearly impossible for anyone not to like him, or want to be around him.

It’s very hard to possess both of these coaching styles. There is a tension that typically pulls a coach to chose one side, and dismiss the other. The balancing act of the two is too daunting for most.

Finding someone who embraces the tension successfully, and seemingly naturally, is like finding a unicorn.

Kevin Keatts is a unicorn.