The 2024-25 season marks Chad Keller’s 21st season as an assistant coach with the Embry-Riddle men’s basketball team. Keller joined the Embry-Riddle coaching staff in August of 2004 after serving as the Head Boys’ Basketball Coach at Leesburg High School from 2001-04.
During Keller’s tenure, the Eagles have posted an overall record of 424-175, have won six conference tournament championships and four conference regular season titles and have made 12 trips to the National Tournament, including an NAIA national tournament semifinal appearance in 2015. Keller has played a key role in the Eagles’ recruiting efforts. He has established a number of contacts within the state of Florida and has built a strong recruiting network within in the United States. He has teamed up with Coach Ridder to bring in All-American players Romeo Crouch, Dalton Barnes, Tyler DeBord, David Butler, Blake Touchard, DeForest Carter, Ray Graham and Cesar Pastrana.
Keller’s first season at Embry-Riddle in 2004-05, saw the Eagles capture the conference tournament title with a dramatic win over his alma mater, Flagler. Keller’s coaching efforts are concentrated primarily on the Eagles’ defense and that season, his hard work paid off as the ERAU defense finished second in the country in defensive field goal percentage (.391) en route to the Sweet 16 at the national tournament and a 26-8 overall record.
The following year, the Eagle defense took it up another notch and led the nation in defensive field goal percentage, limiting opponents to 36.0 percent from the floor in 2005-06. The Eagles won the league’s regular season and tournament titles for the second straight year and earned the No. 1 seed going into the national tournament before closing out the year at 31-3.
Keller has also been responsible for the coordination and administration of the very successful Embry-Riddle Men’s Basketball Team Camps. One of the top team camp programs in the Southeast, the Embry-Riddle Team Camps attract more than 50 high school programs for week-long and weekend programming each year. The camps have helped the Eagles’ recruiting efforts significantly as a number of ERAU letterwinners were former campers.
Prior to joining the Eagles’ staff, Keller served as the head coach at one of the top high school programs in the state of Florida, guiding Leesburg to a 155-47 overall and six consecutive Sweet 16 appearances from 1998-2003 during his seven years working with the program. His teams were part of a string of 11 consecutive 20-win seasons and in 2002, Keller’s Yellow Jackets (29-6) advanced to the State Final Four for the first time in more than 25 years.
Leesburg’s success in 2002 earned Keller Florida Dairy Farmers Class 5A Florida Coach of the Year honors. In addition, Keller coached two McDonald’s All-American nominees and three All-State players.
However, Keller was most proud of his team’s achievements in the classroom as his team elevated their academic prowess with a 3.15 grade point average in 2004. This commitment to blend academics and athletics is further evidenced by seven players signing college scholarships in Keller’s four seasons including two NCAA Division I players in Marlyn Bryant (South Florida) and Francis Cuyler (Middle Tennessee State).
A 1997 graduate of Flagler, Keller served as team captain his junior and senior seasons with the Saints. During his collegiate career, Keller was a starter for FC helping them post three straight 20-win seasons. He led the Florida Sun Conference in assists per game from 1995-97 and as a senior finished in the top 20 of the NAIA in assists per game. He closed out his career third on Flagler’s all-time assists list and second among single-season leaders.
Keller attended St. Cloud High School where he was an All-Orange Belt Conference selection and holds the school record for assists in a season and in a game (18). He has been inducted into the St. Cloud High School Basketball Alumni Hall of Fame.
Keller is also very active in the local community. He is often asked to speak at a variety of functions and makes frequent visits to local elementary and middle schools. A member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches since 2004, Keller is extremely proud of the strong relationships he has built, which includes providing mentorship to several individuals who have gone into the coaching profession, including Ryan Ridder (Head Coach, University of Tennessee at Martin), Reed Ridder (Assistant Coach, UT-Martin), Daniel Mondragon (Head Coach, Davis & Elkins), Denver Cobb (Assistant Coach, UT-Martin), Nick Miller (Head Coach, Pinellas Park High School), Mark Isenhour (Head Coach, Brookwood High School), and Ben Witherspoon (Assistant Coach, UCF).
Keller graduated from Flagler with a degree in Business Administration and completed his master’s in Sports Coaching at the United States Sports Academy in 2006. Keller is the father of Kiley, Colby and Caden, and step-father to Colin and Vivian. He and his wife Gwynne reside in Ormond Beach
