Athens IFL Franchise Lands Seven-Time Champion Rob Keefe as Team’s First Head Coach

Athens, GA - The new Indoor Football League (IFL) franchise coming to Athens, Georgia may not have a team name yet, but it now has a proven leader as head coach.

Veteran coach Rob Keefe has been named the inaugural Head Coach and Director of Football Operations for the Athens franchise, which is set to begin play in 2027 at Akins Ford Arena. One of the most accomplished coaches in indoor football, Keefe most recently led the Bay Area Panthers to the 2023 IFL National Championship. Overall, he has won seven professional indoor football championships including three as a head coach.

“The opportunity to build a team from the ground up, establish a winning culture, and connect with a community as passionate about football as Athens is incredibly exciting,” said Keefe. “Our goal is to build a championship-caliber organization that the entire region can be proud of. I can't wait to get to work and begin assembling a team that reflects the toughness, character, and competitive spirit of this community.”

Over the past three seasons with Bay Area, Keefe compiled a 39-13 overall record, leading the Panthers to three consecutive playoff appearances, a league title, and back-to-back Western Conference regular-season championships with 13-3 records in both 2024 and 2025. His defenses consistently ranked among the league’s best, including the IFL’s top-ranked defense in 2025.

Before Bay Area, Keefe helped orchestrate one of the greatest turnarounds in league history. As the Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator with the Northern Arizona Wranglers in 2022, he helped guide a team that had won only one game the previous season to the IFL Championship behind the league’s top-rated defense.

Keefe also enjoyed championship success as Head Coach of the Albany Empire of the Arena Football League, winning ArenaBowl XXXII in 2019. He previously served three years as Head Coach of the Orlando Predators, and in 2010, he became the youngest head coach in AFL history to win a championship when he led the Spokane Shock to an ArenaBowl XXIII title at just 29 years of age.

Across his AFL head coaching career, Keefe posted an 84-40 overall record, ranking among the league’s all-time winningest coaches with a .677 winning percentage and two ArenaBowl titles. In his combined ten seasons as a head coach in the AFL and IFL, Keefe has never had a losing regular season.

“From the beginning of our search, we set out to find a proven leader with a championship pedigree, a relentless work ethic, and the ability to build a successful organization from day one,” said team president Mike Sammond. “Rob checked every box. His track record speaks for itself, but what impressed us most was his vision for creating a culture that players, fans, and the Athens community can rally behind.”
 
As a player, Keefe was a member of the Philadelphia Soul’s 2008 ArenaBowl XXII championship team and is the only person in Arena Football history to win both an ArenaBowl (AFL) and ArenaCup (af2) championship as both a player and coach.
In Athens, Keefe will also serve as the team’s Defensive Coordinator, bringing a championship pedigree, proven leadership, and a track record of building winning football programs wherever he has coached.

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Rob Keefe’s Coaching Background
Served as Head Coach unless otherwise noted.
Teams listed in Bold won league championship.
2025: Bay Area Panthers
2024: Bay Area Panthers
2023: Bay Area Panthers
2022: Northern Arizona Wranglers (Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coortdinator)
2021: Iowa Barnstormers (Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator)
2019: Albany Empire
2018: Albany Empire
2016: Orlando Predators
2015: Orlando Predators
2014: Orlando Predators
2013: Utah Blaze (Defensive Coordinator)
2012: Utah Blaze (Defensive Coordnator)
2011: Spokane Shock
2010: Spokane Shock
2009: Spokane Shock (Defensive Coordinator)
 
Head Coaching Record                            Regular Season (Playoffs)
2025     Bay Area Panthers (IFL)                                13-3 (0-1)           
2024     Bay Area Panthers (IFL)                                13-3 (0-1)
2023     Bay Area Panthers (IFL)                                10-5 (3-0)  Won IFL National Championship
2019     Albany Empire (AFL)                                      10-2 (3-0)  Won ArenaBowl XXXII
2018     Albany Empire (AFL)                                      8-4 (1-1)
2016     Orlando Predators (AFL)                             12-4 (1-1)
2015     Orlando Predators (AFL)                             12-6 (0-1)
2014     Orlando Predators (AFL)                             11-7 (1-1)
2011     Spokane Shock (AFL)                                    9-9 (0-1)
2010     Spokane Shock (AFL)                                    13-3 (3-0)  Won ArenaBowl XXIII
 
 
About Athens Indoor Football:
Athens Indoor Football is a new professional indoor football franchise set to begin play in March 2027 at Akins Ford Arena in Athens, Georgia, as a member of the Indoor Football League (IFL). Led by an ownership group that includes Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis, College Football Hall of Famer David Pollack, and former MLB All-Star and NFL standout Brian Jordan, the organization is committed to bringing high-energy, family-friendly entertainment and championship-caliber football to the Classic City. For more information, visit AthensFootball.com.

About the Indoor Football League:
The Indoor Football League (IFL) is the premier professional indoor football league in North America and the longest continuously operating indoor football league in the United States. Founded in 2008, the IFL features fast-paced, high-scoring action played on a 50-yard field inside arenas across the country. Currently in its 18th season, the IFL features 14 franchises with Athens, GA and Austin, TX entering the league in 2027. For more information, visit GoIFL.com.