University of Memphis Athletics
West Hires Two to Fill Out Football Staff
Mar 04, 2002 | Football
March 4, 2002
Craig Boller, who coached the defensive line at The University of Memphis in 1978-79 and went on to coach the defensive line for the 1996 world champion Dallas Cowboys, has been hired by head coach Tommy West to again coach the Tiger defensive front. Boller replaces Joe Cullen, who left Memphis in January of 2002. No stranger to the Mid-South area, Boller left a two year stint in private business and returned to Memphis in 2000 to coach the defensive line for the Memphis Maniax of the XFL with former Tiger player and coach Kippy Brown. A native of Belmond, Iowa, Boller coached the Cowboys defensive front from 1995 through 1997. Working with such noted players as Leon Lett and Charles Haley, Boller helped improve the Dallas rush defense from 16th in the NFL in 1995 to ninth in 1996. The Cowboys were able to holds seven opponents to under 100 yards rushing, including four teams under 65 yards. The improved run defense helped the Cowboys' defense maintain the top defensive ranking in the NFL throughout much of 1996 before finishing the year as the third ranked defense in the league. In 1995, Boller started the season as a defensive assistant, working closely with defensive coordinator Dave Campo. He took over the defensive line duties in the postseason as the Cowboys marched to the Super Bowl XXX title. Dallas' defensive line accounted for 12 sacks during those three games, the most sacks over a three game span for Dallas since the first three games of the 1994 season. Before joining the staff at Dallas in 1995, Boller spent eight years as the defensive line coach at Iowa State. Prior to coaching the Cyclones, Boller was an assistant at Oregon State from 1980-86. He was on the same Beaver's staff with Cowboy defensive coordinator Dave Campo, special teams coach Joe Avezzano and tight ends coach Robert Ford. Boller was a member of the U of M (then Memphis State University) staff under Richard Williamson for two seasons, 1978-79. During that period of time he coached such Tiger linemen as Keith Clark, Rick Ackerman and Stanley Adams, all of whom played in the NFL. Prior to his arrival in Memphis, Boller worked as a part-time assistant at Tennessee under head coach Johnny Majors. The Iowa State graduate began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Knoxville High School, 1971-73. He moved to William Penn College (Iowa) in 1974. The Statesmen posted a 30-3 record during the time Boller was a member of the coaching staff, including an 8-2 mark and a Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title in 1976 when he served as head coach for WPC. A three year letterman at Iowa State as a defensive tackle, Boller was a prep standout at Belmond High School. He was an all-state fullback at Belmond High, where he played on three consecutive unbeaten teams. He earned four letters each in football, basketball and track, while earning five letters in baseball. Boller has two daughters, Valerie and Kimberly.Tim Keane, who served as a member of the University of Kentucky football staff from 1997 through 2000, has been hired as the defensive secondary coach at The University of Memphis. Keane replaces Tim Walton who left the Tigers to join the staff at Syracuse in February. "I have known coach Keane for a number of years and was fortunate enough to work on the same staff with him at Tennessee," said Memphis head coach Tommy West. "He has spent most of his career as a defensive secondary coach and brings a great deal of experience to our defensive staff. I'm glad to have him aboard." During his tenure at Kentucky, Keane coached the cornerbacks from 1997 until 1999 and took over the entire secondary during the 2000 season. He was instrumental in the development of numerous young cornerbacks, including Eric Kelly who tied a UK record with 13 pass breakups during the 1999 season and three pass interceptions. Keane also took former running back Kenneth Grant and turned him into a defensive back who started every game in 1999 and recorded seven pass breakups. In 1998, the veteran defensive coach took wide receiver Marvin Lowe and converted him to cornerback. Lowe notched 10 pass breakups, the third highest season total in Kentucky history. Keane's secondary limited opponents to a completion rate of just 48.8 percent in 1998, marking the first time in nearly ten years that Kentucky held opponents under 50.0 percent passing. A native of Linden, New Jersey, Keane went to Kentucky after coaching the defensive backs at Louisiana Tech for three seasons, 1994-96. There he helped develop All-America cornerback Willie Smith, who led the nation in interceptions in 1995 and also was a two-year All-Big West Conference selection. As a team, Tech improved from 3-8 to 6-5 during Keane's three campaigns. Prior to his stay at Louisiana Tech, Keane coached the secondary at Tennessee from 1990 through 1992. Tennessee posted a 27-8-2 record during that time, won the 1990 SEC Championship and played in the Sugar, Fiesta and Hall of Fame Bowls. During the 1990 season, Keane worked with a young running back coach on the Tennessee staff, Tommy West. Safety Dale Carter was a consensus All-American in 1991 and a two-year All-SEC choice. Cornerback Jeremy Lincoln was a first-team All-SEC pick in 1991. Both Lincoln and Carter went on to play in the NFL. Keane also helped to develop safety Jason Parker, who was named to the Freshman All-SEC team in 1992. For 18 seasons prior to coaching at Tennessee, Keane coached at his alma mater, Arkansas State University. He began as receiver and quarterback coach in 1972 and moved to the secondary in 1974. He later became defensive coordinator and served in that capacity from 1981 through 1989. Under Keane's guidance as the coordinator, ASU led Division 1-AA in total defense in 1985 and his 1988 unit led Division 1-AA in turnover ratio. Arkansas State advanced to the 1-AA playoffs from 1984-87 and finished as the national runner-up in 1986. Six of his Arkansas State defensive backs went on to play in the National Football League. Keane was a three-year letterman at quarterback at Arkansas State from 1965-67. Following graduation in 1968, he began his coaching career at the junior high level. He was an assistant football coach at Little Rock High School in 1970-71 before returning to ASU to earn a master's degree in 1973. Keane has a 18-year old daughter, Ashley.
