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| Nebraska Wesleyan athletics photo by Antonyo Johnson |
Nebraska Wesleyan football coach Brian Keller has announced that he will retire at the conclusion of the 2025 season, closing a three-decade career leading his alma mater. Keller will coach his final game on Saturday, November 15, when the Prairie Wolves host Simpson.
"Brian Keller has led our football program for more than 30 years, and I want to congratulate him on a tremendous career serving Nebraska Wesleyan," said athletic director Dwight Merilatt. "His leadership and positive influence on thousands of student-athletes has always been on display throughout his coaching career."
A 1983 Nebraska Wesleyan graduate, Keller has guided the Prairie Wolves since 1996, becoming the longest-tenured head coach in the American Rivers Conference and the winningest coach in program history. Over the past 30 seasons, he has led the Prairie Wolves through eras of growth and transition, from the NAIA to NCAA Division III, and later into the American Rivers Conference.
During his tenure, Keller's teams produced numerous all-conference and All-America performers, achieved success on the field, and earned national distinction for academic excellence. His student-athletes combined for 33 Academic All-America honors and 10 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships.
"I want to thank all of the thousands of players, assistant coaches, staff and administrators for helping me live out a dream of being the head football coach at Nebraska Wesleyan," Keller said. "To the Nebraska Wesleyan football alumni, supporters, and community members, a big thank you for all you did for our football team over the years. The support was amazing. I look forward to more time with my family and friends, but I'll forever be rooting for the Prairie Wolves on Saturday afternoons."
A native of Seward, Nebraska, Keller played for the Prairie Wolves from 1979–82 as a defensive lineman and linebacker before returning to campus as an assistant coach in 1984. Following a stint at Eastern Oregon State College, where he earned his master's degree, Keller returned home to take over as NWU's head coach in 1996.
Keller also serves as an instructor in the Department of Health and Human Performance. He and his wife, Jeanette, are the parents of three sons, Crew, Braly, and Quinn, all Nebraska Wesleyan graduates and former Prairie Wolves football players.
"Coach Keller has served Nebraska Wesleyan University with great devotion and heart, positively impacting countless student-athletes," said university president Darrin Good. "We are deeply grateful for all he has contributed to NWU, and we wish him every joy in this next chapter."
A national search for the next head football coach will begin immediately.