While Huskies Drop Pounds, Weight Coach Adds to Reputation
When discussion centers around the University of Washington football team lately, all anyone talks about is brand, value and market share.
Reputation matters, too.
While there was a coaching change seven months ago In Montlake, which means a bit of a reset was necessary, the striking thing about Kalen DeBoer and his new staffers is outsiders seem to know all about them.
They've come to the UW with plenty of stature among their peers. Ryan Grubb is known for developing quarterbacks, JaMarcus Shephard for getting wide receivers ready to perform, Inoke Breckterfield for building a defensive line and William Inge for recruiting.
Seven of DeBoer's 10 assistant coaches have drawn some sort of offseason accolade so far by the various media entities weighing in throughout the offseason.
Some might question how anyone could possibly know enough about so many different assistant coaches to slot them on a long national list, outside of just comparing available stats, but name-dropping is part of the game.
Husky weight and conditioning coach Ron Keeferey is the latest to hear his name called out, turning up 36th on this Big Game Boomer grouping of him and his peers.
Not everyone gets mentioned this way. In fact, only a couple members of former UW coach Jimmy Lake's coaching staff have drawn any attention at all, suggesting DeBoer's guys overall are a significant upgrade.
McKeeferey followed DeBoer from Fresno State to Washington and has been well received by the players so far. He's demanding yet infuses fun into the workouts. He's a character, for sure.
He not only runs a creative and competitive weight room, the former all-conference defensive back from Ottawa University — that's Kansas, not Canada — has been much more involved in practice than his UW predecessors.
The stocky and outgoing McKeeferey, with a trademark crew cut, will stride through the clusters of Husky football players twisting and stretching, calling out a cadence not unlike that of the fictional drill sergeant played by Louis Gossett Jr. in the film "The Officer and a Gentleman."
McKeeferey largely was responsible for getting 42 UW players to shed weight before those guys reported for spring practice in late March.
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