Nearly two months after it was announced that the Stillman football program was returning after an 11-year absence, the team’s head coach and next athletic director have now been revealed.
Former SIAC Coach of the Year Teddy Keaton will take the reins, returning to the position he held when the program was discontinued in 2015.
In Keaton’s five seasons as head coach of the Tigers, he led the team to a 27-26 overall record (16-15 in SIAC competition), including a 7-4 first season that tied for the SIAC West division title.
After a stint as the running backs coach at Miles, the Stillman alum then transitioned into a head coaching position at Allen, leading the team to a 6-3 record (the school’s most wins in a season in 60 years).
In 2024, he was hired to take over a Clark Atlanta team that had just produced its second winless season in the past four years.
Keaton led the Panthers to instant success, posting a 7-3-1 record and clinching a berth in the SIAC championship game.
His final season at Allen and his first with Clark Atlanta were highlighted by star quarterback David Wright III winning the SIAC Player of the Year award.
After a down year in 2025, which saw Clark Atlanta regress to a 3-7 record, Keaton was unceremoniously terminated from his position, being replaced by Terry Sims.
Stillman’s last stint in football featured a return from a 49-year hiatus in 1999, firing off eight straight seasons with a record at or above .500 from 2000-2007.
Stillman is one of two HBCU Athletic Conference members to announce the revival of its football program this year, with Wilberforce announcing its return after an 80-year absence less than two weeks ago.
