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Williams Names Kelton New Head Football Coach
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The search for the next head football coach at Williams College is over, and the job hunt has ended with a historic hiring.
On Monday, the college officially announced Aaron Kelton as the successor to Mike Whalen, who left Williams in March to become the coach and assistant athletic director at Wesleyan University. Although records at Williams College cannot verify every coach in the program's 126-year history, it is believed that Kelton is the first black head football coach in school — and New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) — history.
Kelton said in an interview Monday afternoon that he has been informed by other sources that he is the first black head football coach in Williams history.
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"This is monumental," Kelton said. "I'm elated by it. It shows the commitment Williams has by making sure it goes about the process in the right way, by giving everyone an opportunity. It helps carry on the rich tradition that Williams already has."
In a press release, Williams College Athletic Director Harry Sheehy expressed his excitement in the hiring of Kelton.
"I’m thrilled that Aaron and his wife Charlotte will be joining the Williams athletic family and college community," Sheehy said. "The search committee was impressed with Aaron’s energy and passion for teaching the game of football to young men, and this passion resonated with people on our campus throughout the process. He’ll be a tireless teacher, coach, and recruiter. Current and future Eph football players will be inspired and challenged to reach for their potential under Aaron’s tutelage. It’s with much enthusiasm that we call on him to carry forward the great tradition that is Williams football."
Kelton joins the Ephs after four seasons coaching in the Ivy League at Columbia University — he was the Lions' defensive coordinator for the last two seasons following two seasons as their secondary coach. He came to Columbia after five seasons as a defensive coach at Virginia State, where he spent four as the linebackers coach and one as the secondary coach.
Following his graduation from Springfield College in 1992, Kelton was an assistant at his alma mater, Wellesley (Mass.) High School, for four years and an assistant at Wayland (Mass.) High School for one season. After one season each as an defensive assistant at Clarion and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he filled roles as the defensive coordinator, defensive special teams coordinator and recruiting coordinator at Concord College (West Virginia) from 1999 to 2001.
The job at Williams will be his first head coaching position.
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A native of Boston, Kelton was an all-state football player at Wellesley High before lettering in his four seasons at Springfield College, where he was the starting quarterback for two seasons. Although most of his professional coaching experience is on the defensive end of the ball, Kelton said that his understanding of how to stop the offense — combined with his playing experience as a quarterback — translates into a well-rounded pedigree.
He said his four seasons at Columbia have prepared him for some of the off-the-field requirements a Williams coach, which includes demanding the highest academic standards for his players, as well as recruiting new athletes on a national level.
Kelton has received prized NFL Summer Internships for the last three years, allowing him to serve on the coaching staff of three pro clubs — Indianapolis Colts in 2007, Jacksonville Jaguars in 2008 and Arizona Cardinals in 2009.
"These coaches are the best at what they do," he said of his experience working with pro coaching staffs. "Working with guys like Tony Dungy (Colts), Jack Del Rio (Jaguars) and Ken Whisenhunt (Cardinals) opened my eyes. They are so detail-oriented. It made me focus on doing it the right way and focusing on all of the little things."
The Ephs are coming off a 6-2 season, and they will return 18 of their 22 starters this fall. Williams hasn't won the NESCAC Championship since 2006. Kelton said he'll bring a "different dynamic" to the sidelines at Weston Field, an approach that he believes will lead to a conference title.
"There is not a lot that has to be changed, but I will make my own little changes to help motivate the players, so we can be 8-0 and champions of the NESCAC," he said.
| Tags: Williams College, Aaron Kelton |
