Landon Keopple enters into his 11th season on the Southern Arkansas football staff, and enters into his ninth season as Offensive Coordinator. In his time as the Offensive Coordinator, Keopple has designed and developed one of the nation’s most prolific and balanced offenses.
With Keopple in charge of the offense since 2011, the Muleriders have averaged 35.0 points per game and 459.9 yards of total offense per game with 292.3 yards coming through the air, and 167.6 yards on the ground. Additionally, Keopple’s offense has produced 25 all-conference players, eight all-region recipients, and four all-Americans.
In each of the past four seasons, Keopple’s offensive attack has led the Great American Conference (GAC) and ranked in the Top-25 nationally in Total Offense with over 5,000 yards gained each season. Keopple’s offense has now amassed over 5,000 yards of Total Offense in five of the seven years with him as the OC.
Last year, the Muleriders ranked 21
st in Division II in Total Offense (458.4 ypg). The two seasons prior, SAU ranked 20
th in DII averaging 469.8 ypg in 2016 and 471.3 ypg, respectively. The best overall year offensively for the Muleriders came in 2014 as Keopple’s offense ranked 10
th nationally going for 505.4 ypg.
The recent success of the Mulerider offense can be directly attributed to quarterback play. Under Keopple’s guidance as the quarterback’s coach and offensive coordinator, SAU has turned itself into “Quarterback U” as the last three starting QBs dating back to 2012 have broken numerous school records and have been lauded with all-conference, all-region and national acclaim.
The first among the trio of standout QBs under Keopple was two-time All-GAC QB, Tyler Sykora. In his three years as a starter, Sykora steadily improved each season and ended his career at SAU holding 17 school records, many of which were career marks.
Following Sykora was Si Blackshire, who was the Muleriders’ signal-caller for the 2014 season. In that year, Blackshire was named to the All-GAC Honorable Mention team as he led the league and ranked ninth individually in DII in Total Offense at 331.1 ypg.
Most-recently, Keopple has kept the successful QB trend going with Barrett Renner taking over as a redshirt freshman in 2015. Renner enters his senior season as a three-time All-GAC honoree with first-team acclaim twice.
In his first season as starting QB, Renner was the GAC’s Freshman of the Year, as well as an all-region selection and regional finalist for the Harlon Hill Award (DII Player of the Year). That year, he set SAU single-season records in Passing TDs (33), Completions (252), Attempts (405), Completion Percentage (62.2), and Total Offense (3,713).
At the completion of his junior season, Renner established five career passing records and has bettered his own season records for Passing TDs (35 | 2017), Completions (279 | 2016), Attempts (430 | 2016), and Completion Percentage (66.7% | 2017).
Prior to his position at SAU, Keopple was at Ouachita Baptist University where he spent the 2007 and 2008 season as a graduate assistant in charge of the wide receivers. While at OBU, he coached All-America receiver, Julius Pruitt, who most-recently played with the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League (AFL). Upon graduating from OBU, Pruitt was signed as undrafted free agent by the Miami Dolphins. In his time at OBU, Keopple also helped the Tigers to their first winning season in 25 years.
Before OBU, Keopple spent the 2006 season at Arkansas High School in Texarkana, working as an assistant coach under his father, current Southern Arkansas Head Coach Bill Keopple. While there, (Landon) Keopple worked with the receivers at Arkansas High and helped guide the team to the 6A state championship.
As a prep player, Keopple was an Arkansas All-State quarterback at Fayetteville High School in 2000. Afterwards, he attended the University of Central Arkansas in the fall of 2001 on a golf scholarship before transferring to the University of Tulsa in the spring of 2002. While at Tulsa, Keopple was a three-year letterman in football and served as team captain his senior season of 2005 when Tulsa won the Conference USA championship against Central Florida. The Hurricane defeated Fresno State in the Liberty Bowl that same year, and Keopple also played in the 2003 Humanitarian Bowl against Georgia Tech.
Keopple received his B.B.A. in accounting with a minor in economics from Tulsa in 2006 and a Masters in sports administration from Henderson State in 2009.
Landon and his wife Dana have a daughter, Kinslee and a son, Knox.
Keopple's Offense By the Year
|
| Year | GP |
Points | Pts/GM |
Total Offense | TO/GM |
Passing Yards | PY/GM |
Rushing Yards | RY/GM |
| 2011 | 10 |
262 | 26.2 |
3,764 | 376.4 |
2,520 | 252.0 |
1,244 | 124.4 |
| 2012 | 11 |
408 | 37.1 |
5,474 | 497.6 |
3,418 | 310.7 |
2,056 | 186.9 |
| 2013 | 10 |
359 | 35.9 |
4,338 | 433.8 |
2,811 | 281.1 |
1,527 | 152.7 |
| 2014 | 10 |
387 | 38.7 |
5,054 | 505.4 |
3,035 | 303.5 |
2,019 | 201.9 |
| 2015 | 11 |
390 | 35.5 |
5,184 | 471.3 |
3,394 | 308.5 |
1,790 | 162.7 |
| 2016 | 12 |
420 | 35.0 |
5,637 | 469.8 |
3,534 | 294.5 |
2,103 | 175.2 |
| 2017 | 11 |
400| 36.4 |
5,042 | 458.4 |
3,210 | 291.8 |
1,832 | 166.5 |
Totals
75 Games |
2,626 | 35.0 ppg |
34,493 | 459.9 |
21,922 | 292.3 |
12,571 | 167.6
|
Coaching Experience
|
| Years |
Position |
School |
| 2011-Present: |
Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks coach |
SAU |
| 2010: |
Quarterbacks coach |
SAU |
| 2009: |
Wide Receivers coach |
SAU |
| 2007-2008: |
Wide Receivers coach |
OBU |
| 2006: |
Assistant coach/WR |
Arkansas HS |
