Washington University in St. Louis

Aaron Keen was announced as the Washington University in St. Louis football head coach on Jan. 6, 2020. Keen is a 1994 WashU graduate and former assistant coach.
 
Keen is the 31st football coach in program history and enters his sixth season at the helm of the Bears’ program.
 
In 2024, the Bears finished the season 8-2, marking the fewest losses since 2018 and the second time in three seasons with eight wins. Senior Brendan Mayo was named D3football.com First Team All-Region 5 after also earning an All-CCIW First Team Offense nod. First-year Jack Middeton was named CCIW First-Year Defensive Student-Athlete of the Year and All-CCIW First Team Defense. Joining them on the All-CCIW Team was senior Collin Goldberg (First Team Offense), senior Kenneth Hamilton (Second Team Offense), senior Tyler Brooks (Second Team Offense), senior Peter Lynch (Second Team Offense), senior Nate Light (Second Team Defense), and Joy Chane (Second Team Defense). Academically, 53 Bears were named to the CCIW Academic All-Conference Team and 12 earned a spot on the NFF Hampshire Honor Society.
 
During the 2022 campaign, Keen led the Bears to their best start since 1995, going 6-0 for the just the fifth time in program history. WashU’s season culminated in another trip to the Culver’s Isthmus Bowl against UW-River Falls and the Bears finished the season 8-3. Eight Bears earned all-conference honors in 2022, led by a pair of first team honorees in Collin Goldberg and Gus Christensen.
 
Academically, 54 Bears earned CCIW All-Academic honors and eight players were recognized by College Sports Communicators on the All-District Team.
 
In his first full season of play, 2021, Keen guided WashU to a 7-4 record including 7-2 in conference play. The Bears went on to play in the program’s first-ever bowl game – the inaugural Culver’s Isthmus Bowl – against UW-River Falls.
 
Seven student-athletes earned CCIW honors following the 2021 season. Academically, six players were named CoSIDA Academic All-District honorees and graduate student Andrew Whitaker went on to earn CoSIDA Academic All-America honors.
 
Keen arrived on the Danforth Campus after spending six seasons at Eastern Michigan University. He served as the team’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach the last three seasons. Prior to taking over the offense, he was the Eagles special teams coordinator and tight ends coach for three years.
 
Working under head coach Chris Creighton, Keen helped Eastern Michigan to three Bowl appearances and was a part of one of the greatest turnaround stories in College Football. The 2016 EMU team tied the Football Bowl Subdivision mark for biggest turnaround, improving on their win total from one in 2015 to seven.
 
EMU recorded a 6-6 record in 2019, and appeared in the Quick Lane Bowl. Under Keen’s leadership, the EMU offense set the program record for touchdowns in a season (49), touchdown passes in a season (27) and passes completed in a season (313). Additionally, EMU's 379 points and 5,271 total yards of offense rank second all-time at EMU.
 
Keen has over 25 years of collegiate football coaching experience at different levels. Prior to EMU, he spent three seasons at Minnesota State University. Keen joined the staff in 2011 as offensive coordinator before serving as acting head coach in 2012 and 2013. He was named the American Football Monthly NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year in 2012, and led the Mavericks to a 24-2 overall record in two seasons.
 
Keen spent three seasons as the offensive coordinator, quarterbacks and receivers coach at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, and five seasons as head coach at Illinois College. He led IC to a 23-27 record as head coach.
 
Keen spent the first eight years of his career as assistant coach (1994-2002) under Larry Kindbom at WashU. He coached tight ends in 1994, linebackers and special teams from 1995-98, and was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 1999-2002.
 
A Cheyenne, Wyo. native, Keen received his bachelor’s degree from WashU in 1994 and his master’s degree from the University of Missouri in 1997.
 
Keen was a three-year starter at quarterback for WashU, and ranks fourth in school history in passing yards (4,329) and fifth in total offense (4,083). In 1991 and 1993, he was an All-American and all-conference selection. He also received an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship in 1994.
 
Keen and his wife, Michelle, have two sons, Brandon and Cody, and a daughter, Addison.

KEEN COACHING EXPERIENCE
2020-Present - WashU, Head Coach
2017-20 - Eastern Michigan, Assistant Coach/Offensive Coordinator/QB
2014-16 - Eastern Michigan, Assistant Coach/Special Teams Coordinator/TE
2013 - Minnesota State, Interim Head Coach
2012 - Minnesota State, Acting Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator
2011 - Minnesota State, Assistant Coach/Offensive Coordinator     
2008-10 - Nebraska-Omaha, Assistant Coach/Offensive Coordinator     
2003-07 - Illinois College, Head Coach
1999-02 - WashU, Assistant Coach/Offensive Coordinator/QB
1995-98 - WashU, Assistant Coach/Linebackers/Special Teams Coordinator
1994 - WashU, Assistant Coach/Tight Ends

Updated July 2025