Longtime DeBoer Assistant Ron McKeefery Named Oregon State Football Chief of Staff

Ron McKeefery, special assistant to Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer, is headed to Corvallis. Learn more about McKeefery, and his new role, in this piece.

Jan 8, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; Washington Huskies strength and conditioning coach Ron McKeefery against the Michigan Wolverines during the 2024 College Football Playoff national championship game at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Every successful organization - in any line of work - needs a glue guy; someone with a wide variety of experience, who is capable of connecting with different departments, and excels at helping people find common ground.

Today, Oregon State announced the hire of its football team's glue guy: chief of staff Ron McKeefery. He was most recently Kalen DeBoer's Special Assistant to the Head Coach at Alabama (2024-25).

"Ron McKeefery brings a wealth of knowledge to the Oregon State program, having administered programs all over the world," head coach JaMarcus Shephard offered in the school's press release. "His ability to help build and develop a nationally ranked football team has been put on display at numerous locations. I look forward to working arm-in-arm with Ron to build this program at Oregon State."

McKeefery possesses a riveting resume. In May 2024, the Beavers' new chief of staff earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Christian Counseling from the Colorado Theological Seminary. He also holds decades of experience as a strength & conditioning coach with time spent in the NFL, SEC, and Major League baseball's Kansas City Royals organization.

Like many members of JaMarcus Shephard's first Oregon State staff, McKeefery is well connected to his new boss. As Eastern Michigan's Director of Strength and Conditioning from 2014-16, McKeefery performed in parallel to the Eagles' offensive coordinator, Kalen DeBoer, a prominent mentor for Shephard. When DeBoer accepted Fresno State's head coaching job in 2020, McKeefery came with him. Most recently, the trio of DeBoer, McKeefery, and Shephard worked in tandem at Washington (2022-24) and Alabama (2024-25).

"I'm grateful for the opportunity to work with Coach JaMarcus Shephard again," McKeefery said. "We have an established foundation of trust and shared standards. I'm looking forward to supporting Coach Shephard and the Oregon State football program in any way I can."