Bronco head volleyball coach Jon Wallace announced Feb. 6, 2012 that Brad Keller, a 2002 graduate of Loyola Marymount University, was joining his staff effective immediately.   Bringing a resume of helping build national championship teams, Brad Keller spent the last six seasons on the collegiate level; including helping lead Southern California to the 2009 NCAA men's volleyball title match.

"We are really excited to have Brad join our staff.  He brings great energy as well as incredible knowledge that I believe will have an immediate impact on our player's development and our team's success," said Bronco head coach Jon Wallace.  "With Brad's personality, his strong morals and ethics, he will be a great fit for Santa Clara University. I am really looking forward to getting in the gym with the assistant coaches, Matt Lyles and Brad Keller, and working towards winning conference championships and then working our way deep into the NCAA tournament again."

"I am looking forward to the challenge and also honored for the opportunity to join Jon, Matt and the Santa Clara women's volleyball family. Santa Clara has a long history of success and I look forward to the building process that lies ahead," said Keller. "I love coaching and have a true passion for this game. It is so much more than just volleyball! We as a staff are eager and looking forward to helping the team pursue their goals and dreams.  As I begin to hit the recruiting trail, we are looking for winners both on and off the court.  The type of player that we want to recruit will want to be the best every day in everything they do, period. I can't wait to get out there because Santa Clara has a lot to offer both academically and athletically with a combination of a great education, wonderful location and a fresh staff. I am just excited to get going!"

Keller was most recently at UConn for the past year working with women's volleyball.  Prior to going to UCONN, Keller helped guide UC Irvine men's volleyball team to an 18-11 regular season record, and a No. 3 national ranking. The Anteaters finished sixth nationally in 2011.

Before his stint at UC Irvine, Keller served in the same position at the University of Southern California from 2007-10 with the men's volleyball team. As the offensive coordinator during the 2009 season, Keller helped guide the Trojans to the NCAA Championship Final, as his team ended the year ranked second in kills and assists nationally as well as fifth in hitting percentage. The men lost 15-12 in the fifth set to UC Irvine.  In four seasons with the Trojans, he coached two All-Americans as well as six All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation honorees. Keller was also involved in the recruiting process during his time at USC, where he helped sign recruiting classes that were rated as some of the best in the nation.

Keller has also worked in several capacities for USA Volleyball. In 2010 he was an assistant coach with the USA Volleyball Men's Junior National Team, guiding them to their first gold medal finish at this level in USA Volleyball history. That fall, Keller helped prepare the U.S. Men's National team for the 2010 FIVB World Championship as an advance scout, developing reports for use during World League competition.

He also founded the Bay to Bay Volleyball Club in San Jose, Calif. which is a youth boy's volleyball club that he created to serve the needs of the South Bay community. He served as the chief director from 2001-06 and was heavily involved in all aspects of the organization including training of coaches, institution of the business plan, club philosophy and communicating with parents, college recruiters and players. So far, Bay to Bay has produced 70 varsity collegiate athletes in the past 11 years.

As a student-athlete he played two seasons as an outside hitter at Loyola Marymount.

What others are saying about Brad Keller

Scott Kevorken, UC-Irvine, junior men's volleyball middle blocker

"Brad is one of the best coaches I've been lucky enough to work withthroughout my volleyball career. I have never been coached by someone who is able to hone in on a person's personality and be able to adapt his coaching style to exactly what they need.  Brad's extensive knowledge of the game and the way he communicates it is something I have never seen from any other coach. I have never met a single person who doesn't like Brad Keller as both a coach and a person.  I am fortunate enough to call Brad my coach as well as my friend, showing that he is an great person both on and off the court."

Sean Dennis, Southern California, former men's volleyball outside hitter

"On a technical level Brad is one of the best coaches I have had. He has one of the best work ethics of anyone I have ever known; he would be the first person in the office and the last out almost every day. I had the pleasure of playing for him for three years and the improvement in my passing as a converted opposite to outside was largely due to his help. Brad never once minded staying late to help me with extra reps or going over some game tape to critique my game. He also brought the fire almost everyday in practice! Some teams go through what I like to call the "Dog Days" during the middle of a season, and Brad would never allow that to happen. His energy and passion for the game made me look forward to every single day I was in the gym and inspired me to get better with every touch of the ball.

I think that Brad's most valuable asset is his compassion for his players. Playing a sport can be tough, but nothing is more reassuring than having a coach who has not only competed on the same level, but also who you feel comfortable talking to. Brad is approachable, always willing to listen to your struggles and then provide insight on how you can work through it TOGETHER. He always had my back and I would honestly do anything in return.  Congrats on the new hire Broncos!! Can't wait to follow up on how you all do next year!"

Mattison Quayle, UConn, junior women's volleyball outside hitter

"Brad has done tremendous things for the UCONN program. His knowledge of the game and coaching style has been an inspiration to all of our players. He connects with them on another level through his technical skill knowledge and enthusiasm for the game. We all had the utmost respect for him and will never forget what he has done for us individually, as a team and for the program. We are sad to see him leave but are very happy for his new opportunity which has been presented to him at Santa Clara. We wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors with this new team."

Murphy Troy, Southern California, 2011 National Player of the Year

"I had Brad as a coach for three years, and I really liked the person I got to know. He is a good friend and coach, and his support has helped me get to where I am today. You guys definitely got a good one!"

Ken Shibuya, Stanford men's volleyball, associate head coach 

"Brad Keller is one of the bright, up and coming stars in the coaching world. He has a great knowledge of the modern game and has the ability to implement those elements into a volleyball program. Not only is he very intelligent, he is also a forward thinker that seeks improvement at every level. I believe that is a quality that separates him from other coaches. As talented as Brad is as a coach, it his ability to connect with players and others around him that stand out. Everywhere he has been, the athletes rave about him. He has great interpersonal skills and a deep enthusiasm for teaching. One of the biggest things that Brad does is, he gets the team to "buy in." As all coaches know, that can be the biggest key for winning and losing. With Matt Lyles and Jon Wallace, this staff will bring a culture of winning and enthusiasm to the program at Santa Clara. The future looks very bright for the Broncos!"

John Hawks, SPIRE Institute, Director of Volleyball

"I worked with Brad at USC and Brad was my assistant coach for the US Men's Junior National team.  Santa Clara is really fortunate to have Brad on board. He brings great energy and a high level of experience to the gym as well as having a really good feel for the game. Brad is one of the top young coaches in the game right now and he also carries with him a nice reputation on the recruiting front. He works extremely hard and is as loyal as they come ... what a fantastic hire!"

David Kniffin, University of Illinois, assistant women's volleyball coach
 

"There is only one Brad Keller, and he is in demand. Good hire."

Collin Powers , Senior Manager, High Performance Indoor National Programs, USA Volleyball

 "The keys to Coach Keller's success are his connection to the players and a strong passion that fuels his coaching style." 

Jordan Kirk, UConn, women's volleyball senior outside hitter

"From the second I met Brad, I knew he was going to make a huge impact on our volleyball program at UConn. Every practice he focused on at least getting us "1% better." He not only implemented new techniques and strategies, but explained the logistics of these changes which increased the team's "volleyball IQ." He always stressed the importance of watching film to see the mistakes we were making in order to make the necessary changes, and had an open door policy with everyone on the team. We felt comfortable going into his office to discuss problems we had with him, our head coach, our practices, or to gain a better understanding of new concepts. 

During games, he offered us a new perspective on the game. His background in Graphic Design proved useful as his stat taking and hitter tendency charts were easy to read and very accurate. During time outs he would tell us who was likely to get the ball so we could play defense accordingly, and would say things like "I'll shave my head if they don't go to #5"--obviously instilling the utmost trust in every one of my teammates since we knew how much he loved his hair. 

I gained so much respect for him as not only a coach, but also a person. He has evolved into somewhat of a life coach for me as well, and his open door policy has allowed for several conversations where he would share very useful advice for life after college. 

Santa Clara is getting a very smart and dedicated volleyball coach who will work hard for a winning season. There is no doubt in my mind that Brad Keller will be a big part of turning Santa Clara's volleyball program around, and they are very lucky to have him on the team."

Diane Copenhagen, Southern California, former women's volleyball player

"Brad Keller will be a great addition to the Bronco staff. He is able to create a competitive and energetic atmosphere in the gym, which allows him to get the most from his players. His knowledge and passion for the game is contagious and has stuck with me years after training with him.  I am currently playing professionally overseas, and find myself still referencing and applying numerous things that Brad has taught me. He truly cares about his players and Santa Clara is lucky to have him."