"Orange Teacher State Track Coach of the Year" Orange Outlook, March 2007

Orange track coach John Keller was the ridiculed by the coaches and officials at the 1993 CVC Championships, and almost disqualified, too, for actions that would initiate a feud between him and Solon coach Tom Iwan. So, how, fourteen years later, did Keller win the 2007 Fred Dafler state track coach of the year award?

It might have something to do with his seven CVC championships, five district titles, four regional runner-up finishes, and a state runner-up finish.

The award, presented by the Ohio Track and Cross Country Coaches Association, is traditionally given in recognition of a coach’s career accomplishments. Keller retired following the 2006 season after 15 years in charge of Orange track.

Going back to the ’93 CVC finals… The championship was supposed to be held at West Geauga, but because its track was being renovated, it took place at Orange. Orange’s track at the time had only six lanes, and the top six placers in each event received points. Well, Keller had an idea…

“I had a very good half-miler,” he recalled, “so I put him in the quarter mile on the first day, the qualifying day, then put him in both events the next day. I told him to take it easy in the 400 and save himself for the half-mile. He was going to score a point no matter what. The gun went off, and he jogged. I mean it wasn’t even close. And the Solon coach erupted. Everyone was looking at me, this young coach, completely outraged. They were like, ‘You took one kid’s chance to compete in the finals so that you could score one point by jogging.’”

This illustrates, not only Keller’s thirst for victory, but some of the challenges he faced as a young coach.

He was only 24 when he took over in 1991 after Dale Cramer retired. That was only Keller’s fourth year of coaching and third at the high school level.

“There was a lot more responsibility,” Keller said, “especially for someone young like me taking over for a guy who had been head coach for 30 years and had a very established program.”

His inexperience showed again at the state championship in 1993.

One Orange sprinter dropped the baton in the 4-by-100-meter race, effectively disqualifying the relay team, and Keller berated the kid right in public view. “That was my biggest regret of my career,” Keller said, “He didn’t practice very hard, and it was because of him that we lost, and I let him know about it, but it was already over. It was done. I should have taken him aside and said something to him privately.”

Keller’s intimidation factor, present there and in interviews with athletes, was evident even to students who didn’t run, but took his AP Gov class, where he tells the class on the first day, “If you don’t like politics, there’s the door.” Upon hearing his speech in 2005, Sandy Ginsburg told the cross-country team, “Guys, I just realized that Keller sounds the same when he’s coaching as when he’s teaching.”

His ability to communicate with his runners was one of the keys to his success.

“He got into the heads of the kids,” said Cramer, “and he had very good control of them. They did exactly what he asked. He was very much in command at all times.”

“He made you believe you could do well,” said six-time state placer Nathan Blatt, “I wouldn’t have made it to states all three years without him.”

There are more than 50 other athletes just like Blatt who can thank Keller for state championship appearances. E.J. Martin and Jason McDonald were the best of them. Both went to the state championships all four years of high school, starting in 1992, in various hurdle events. They helped Orange finish third in Ohio in 1994 and second in 1995.

They also competed in the National Indoor Track Championships their senior year. Keller drove them to the event, held in Syracuse, New York. Keller took many of his top runners to meets separate from the rest of the team.

In his retirement, Keller has gone from his track family to his own family. With Jennifer, his wife of twelve years, and three young daughters at home, having more time with his family was the main reason he retired.

After coming back from Duke for spring break, the first teacher that Nathan Blatt came to talk with was Keller. There was just something about him. “When I was running in a race,” Blatt said, “everyone told me they were yelling for me, but Keller was the only one I could hear.”