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University of Massachusets Athletics
Jared Keyte Announced As Massachusetts Football's Defensive Coordinator
January 21, 2025 | Football
Keyte comes to Amherst after spending the past two seasons on Harasymiak's staff at Rutgers
AMHERST, Mass. - University of Massachusetts football and head coach Joe Harasymiak have officially named Jared Keyte as the program's defensive coordinator.
Keyte comes to Amherst after spending the past two seasons on Harasymiak's staff at Rutgers, serving as the nickels coach for the 2024 season and as the defensive quality control/interim defensive line coach in 2023. He helped the Scarlet Knights to back-to-back bowl games, including the 2024 Rate Bowl at Chase Field. He also was part of back-to-back winning seasons at Rutgers for the first time since 2011-12.
Keyte also coached at the University of Maine from 2016-22, most recently serving as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 2022. While with Maine, Keyte helped coach 10 All-CAA Conference players and two All-Americans.
With the Black Bears under Harasymiak, Keyte was the outside linebackers coach (2016-18). He helped Maine to the 2018 CAA Championship with a 7-1 conference record. Maine then advanced to the first Football Championship Subdivision national semifinal game in program history and finished the year with a 10-4 overall record. Keyte assisted in coaching the No. 1 rush defense in the FCS during Maine's CAA Championshio and final four run.
At Maine, Keyte spent time as the special teams coordinator (2018-21) and also served as the safeties coach (2019-21). As the program's special team's coordinator in 2021, Keyte helped the Black Bears' special teams unit to numerous top rankings, both in the conference and nationally. Maine led the CAA and ranked third nationally in blocked kicks, ranked second in the CAA and fifth nationally in kickoff return average and checked in at third in the conference in punt coverage.
In 2018, Keyte directed and implemented all phases of the Maine's special team's unit. Under his guidance, the Black Bears averaged 21.1 yards per kickoff return, including a pair of kickoff return touchdowns from the All-CAA and CAA Special Teams Player of the Year, Earnest Edwards.
Edwards earned six All-American honors and led the nation in kick return average (28.5) and kick return touchdowns (two). Under Keyte, Edwards went on to set numerous career records in 2019, while also matching his own record for kick returns in a game with two.
Prior to Maine, Keyte was a defensive quality control coach at Rutgers in 2015, working with the linebackers, including All-Big Ten selection Steve Longa, who finished fifth in the nation in solo tackles. Keyte also served as a graduate assistant at Springfield College where he coached defensive backs in 2013 and worked with the linebackers, while serving as co-defensive coordinator in 2014.
In 2012, Keyte coached the quarterbacks at Utica College after playing the same position for four years. He assisted in coaching a group that led the league in scoring offense, total offense, passing touchdowns, passing efficiency and saw quarterback Andrew Benkwitt named Empire 8 Player of the Year.
A native of Holland Patent, New York, Keyte earned his bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Utica in 2012. Keyte was a four-year letterwinner for the Pioneers at quarterback.