March 23, 2015
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt soccer coach Darren Ambrose knew Kelly Keelan well before her coaching career started. He recalls watching her play on the club circuit back when she was still in high school more than a decade ago.
That’s how long Ambrose has known Keelan, who he first watched play when he was recruiting one of her club teammates to come play for him at Penn.
“The relationship goes way back,” he said.
Ambrose has watched Keelan grow as a player and a coach, and says her passion for the sport of soccer is unrivaled. He jumped on the chance to hire Keelan as an assistant coach for the Commodores. This will be their second go-around together as Keelan spent two years under Ambrose at Penn. She will coach the goalkeepers at Vanderbilt.
“Her passion for the game is similar to mine and I think that is the biggest thing I’m looking for,” Ambrose said. “When you look for assistant coaches, you want someone who is passionate about the game – and she is. For a young female coach, it is a rare find. She loves to watch the game. She breaks down the game. She is just passionate about it. And I think that is important when you get into a place like this where you’re going to work unbelievably hard and long hours.
“She knows goalkeeping. She trains them well. I think she is not just about smacking balls at goalkeepers, which a lot of people can do. I think she can break down some of the finer points of the position.”
Keelan previously coached under Ambrose and alongside Vanderbilt assistant coach Ken Masuhr at Penn for two years in a part-time capacity. She left after the 2013 season to take a full-time role at Georgetown, where she spent the last year coaching the goalkeepers.
Ambrose actually coached against Keelan when she was a player at George Mason. Then when he was looking for a goalkeepers coach a couple years ago at Penn, Keelan’s name came up as a possible candidate as she was from the Philadelphia area and, at that time, was getting her feet wet in college coaching as a graduate assistant at Ohio University.
“I really enjoyed working with Darren and Ken up at Penn,” Keelan said. “Just the idea of helping build a program (at Vanderbilt) really excited me. When I came down, and visited the campus more, and saw how much potential was there in the program and what the university offers the student-athletes, it kind of sold me – just like a recruit. I think this staff works hard. I think we’re up to the challenge and I believe in what Darren’s doing. It just made it that much easier to say yes.”
In her lone season at Georgetown, the Hoyas allowed just 24 goals while reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament and the BIG EAST Championship Game. She coached All-Northeast Region goalkeeper Emma Newins, who was named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team as well after posting nine shutouts, 71 saves and a 1.19 goals-against average.
“I seem to always go towards great education, great academic schools,” Keelan said of her time at Georgetown. “It was a rewarding experience to work with the girls and the staff there. (Georgetown head coach) Dave (Nolan)’s great. He was very knowledgeable. It was easy to learn from him as well.” Prior to Georgetown, Keelan spent two seasons at Penn. In 2013, the Quakers finished the year 12-1-4 overall, setting a program record for fewest losses in a season. Penn also shut out 12 of its 17 opponents and allowed just eight goals all season. The women went 5-1-1 in the Ivy League to finish in second place, and at the end of the season three players were named first-team All-Ivy, including one who was a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-America (just the second All-America in program history) and the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year.
The Quakers went 9-6-1 overall in 2012, Keelan’s first season, and ended the season 5-2-0 in the Ivy League to finish third.
“I really admire (Ambrose’s) work ethic and his commitment, not just the program but to the individual players,” Keelan said of her previous experience working with Ambrose. “Yes, it is obviously soccer, but at the same time, (the student-athletes) are people, too, and he truly cares and invests in them as people. I really admire him and it is kind of remarkable how hard he works. His vision for the program and the goals he sets our something I value.”
A native of Broomall, Pa., and daughter of two soccer coaches, Keelan decided to stick with the family trade. She got her first gig as a graduate assistant coach at Ohio University, working with the Bobcats’ goalkeepers and field players in skill development, while also assisting with practices and other day-to-day operations for the program. Under Keelan’s supervision in 2010, the Ohio defense tied program records for fewest goals allowed (21) and shutouts (six).
Keelan enjoyed a standout college career at George Mason, where she was recruited as a goalkeeper. During her four years with the Patriots, she played both goalkeeper and forward, appearing in 71 games including 40 starts. As a forward, Keelan amassed 21 goals and 11 assists for 53 points. In goal, she tallied 58 saves and had a 1.39 goals-against average for her career. In one game against James Madison, while she was playing goalkeeper she ran to the other side and scored a goal on a free kick that wound up being the game-winning goal. Keelan also served as a team captain and was named All-Colonial Athletic Association. As a junior in 2008, she led GMU in the amazing combination of goals, points, saves and shutouts. In 2007, she led the Patriots in goals, assists, points and shots.
“What a unique experience,” Keelan said of playing both positions in college. “In terms of coaching, I hope to provide that insight. If I am working with the forwards, it is, `All right, this is where the goalkeeper is going to be. These are their weaknesses. This is where the strengths are. This is how you approach it.’ Hopefully, the same thing with goalkeepers, `This is what they are going to look to do, you have to anticipate this and this.’ Hopefully just give them any type of advantage we can in both positions. I understand the responsibilities and expectations of the positions. I can hopefully relay it a little bit more and connect with them better that way as well.”
In addition to her career at GMU, Keelan also played with the Philadelphia Liberty of the WPSL (Women’s Premier Soccer League) and was a goalkeeper in England’s U-19 National Pool in 2006 (her parents are from England so she has dual citizenship). She also played for the Philadelphia Charge, a WUSA youth team, and on the West Chester United club team for seven years.
Keelan currently holds an NSCAA Premier National Coaching License and an NSCAA Goalkeeping Coaching License. She completed her bachelor’s degree in Health, Fitness and Recreation Management in May 2010 at George Mason, and then earned a Master’s of Science degree in coaching education at Ohio.
