Don Keeton

Don Keeton

Coach Don Keeton enters his seventh season as the Drury men's and women's track and field coach and has been a big part of the success of the program.  Keeton has coach National Championship high jump qualifiers Tory Groover and Emilie Gray and Erin Dolan who was a distance specialist and one of the top runners in the Panther track program's history.   Also coached Jaimie Villa Zapatero Senior who won the 3,000 meter at the GLVC Indoor Championship his senior season.

Don came to Drury from Parkview High School where he was a health and physical education teacher and coached track and cross country from 1977-2008.  Keeton helped Parkview capture five men's and five women's conference titles.  Under Keeton, the Vikings track and field squads won three men's Class 4 District titles, a pair of Class 4 Sectional championships and finished in the top ten at state four times.  The women's team won the Class 4 District title in 2004.

Keeton also served as an assistant football coach from 1977-1983.  Prior to Parkview, Keeton taught at Cherokee Junior High School from 1971-77 and at Pipkin Junior High from 1969-71.  

In 1982 Keeton coached state high jump champion and record holder Bill Jaskinski who went 7'3".  Jaskinski was the national leader in 1982 with that mark.  Among the many great athletes Keeton has coached were Charles Tharp (high jumper), Bill Rainey (800 meters) and Tracy Partain (300 meter hurdler). 

Coach Keeton is certified at Levels I and II in the National TAC Certification.  He has attended numerous Track clinics and attended the 1980 Olympic Training Center Clinic in Colorado Springs.

Don graduated from the University of Missouri in 1969 with a bachelor of science degree in education.   He graduated with cum laude honors and was on the Dean's List for Scholastic Achievement.  Coach Keeton earned his masters in education from the University of Arkansas in 1973 with an emphasis on Physical Education and Health.