Temple’s Head Coach K.C. Keeler Praises East Carolina Ahead of Saturday’s Showdown
Photo Credit: Ryan S. Brandenberg
Winning football games is nothing new for K.C. Keeler, and his first season at Temple has been no exception. Taking over a program that hadn’t topped three wins in any of the last three years, Keeler has already led the Owls to a 5-3 record, including a 3-1 mark in American Conference play heading into this weekend’s home clash with East Carolina.
The 66-year-old Pennsylvania native has built an impressive coaching résumé over the decades, posting a career record of 276-115-1 across stops at Rowan, Delaware, Sam Houston State, and now Temple. Keeler’s track record of winning at every level has quickly given the Owls new life, putting them in the mix for a late-season push in conference play.
The Pirates and Owls will square off at 2 p.m. ET Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, with the game streaming live on ESPN+.
On Facing East Carolina
“East Carolina is really good. You look at their losses — NC State, BYU and Tulane — all fairly close fashion. The BYU one was the only one that got away from them. Tempo team. Very accurate quarterback. Really good receivers. I like their offensive line. Complete team. They play really physical defense. So, as I told our kids, they're every bit as good as us. That's how we have to kind of look at things. We have to feel we're every bit as good as them, and they're every bit as good as us.”
Keeler called ECU one of the most complete and physical teams his squad will see this year, crediting the Pirates’ balance on both sides of the ball and their ability to win in multiple ways.
On ECU’s Offensive Identity
“More traditional drop back. Gonna play with tempo. I like their running game. They are a pretty complete team. Defense is very physical. So, when you look at the best teams in this league, you're thinking South Florida, Memphis, obviously Navy, Tulane, and you're thinking East Carolina. That's where they've gotten back to. If we want to think we're in the upper echelon of this league, and that's where you want to be, you've got to beat those guys. You get them at your place. So I think that's the mentality we have. We know they're a really good opponent. But at the same time, we have to have a lot of confidence we're a good football team.”
The veteran coach put ECU in the same tier as the American’s top contenders, noting how the Pirates’ blend of tempo, balance, and toughness has helped them return to form in 2025.
On ECU’s Long Layoff
“I think they had 16 days between games. They played on a Thursday. I've had those, and I hated those. You're looking for things to do. You're off for half a month. I always felt like half a bye is the perfect time. Sometimes having the full week, it can kind of get you stale. It's a little bit longer than you need. I love having the Wednesday or Thursday game, and you have the next week, so you get an extra 3-4 days or so. They've been off 16 days. It'll be interesting to see if they come out fresh or they come out a little bit like they haven't played. To me, the season is about getting into a rhythm. I think it's a little hard to get into a rhythm when you have 16 days off.”
Keeler mentioned that ECU’s extended break could go either way — the rest might give them fresh legs, or it could disrupt their rhythm after two straight Thursday night games.
On ECU’s Defense
“I think their defensive line is really good. That's the whole key to this thing. They're good up front. They have talent in the back-end, and they have good linebackers, but if you look at anything, it's that defensive line. They are really physical up front. It's going to be a real test for our offensive line.”
Keeler pointed directly to the Pirates’ defensive front as a major concern, calling it one of the most physical units in the conference and emphasizing it’ll be a big test for his offensive line.