Secondary coach Keelon Brookins came to Coastal Carolina’s defensive staff in early 2025.
Brookins spent 2024 at Louisiana Tech coaching the corners. He has worked with Coastal defensive coordinator Jeremiah Johnson at Louisiana Tech (2024), Northern Iowa (2023, 2018-2021) and Kent State (2022).
Louisiana Tech’s 2024 defense finished the season as the No. 12 ranked total defense in the nation, allowing just 308.4 yards per game. The ranking is a 98-place improvement over where they finished in 2023 (110). Johnson’s group also showed a 91-place improvement in scoring defense, going from 117 to No. 26 and 88-place bump in rushing defense, going from 132 to No. 44.
In 2023, Brookins', defensive backs combined for seven interceptions, 11 pass breakups, and 301 total tackles. He tutored UNI senior defensive back Woo Governor who earned First-Team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors after tallying 62 total tackles, including three for loss with two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
While at Kent State, Brookins played a large role in the success of Third Team All-MAC defensive back Nico Bolden who led the Golden Flashes with 103 total tackles and ranked ninth nationally in solo tackles per game with 5.7.
During Brookins’ first stint at Northern Iowa (2018-2021), he was instrumental in the development and coaching of nine all-conference defensive backs while helping the Panthers reach the FCS Playoffs three times during his first four years on staff, including a trip to the FCS quarterfinals in 2019.
Brookins' defensive backs played a large role in the Panthers’ 14 interceptions in the fall of 2021 to aid the efforts of the nation’s 13th ranked scoring defense at 18.0 points allowed per game. Defensive backs Benny Sapp III (First-Team) and Omar Brown (Honorable Mention) were named All-MVFC.
Despite the COVID-19-shortened spring season in 2021, three UNI defensive backs earned first-team all-league honors under Brookins' tutelage as the Panthers’ secondary played a vital role in the nation’s sixth ranked scoring defense, yielding just 15.3 points a game.
The 2019 season saw the Panthers defense intercept 19 passes while score four defensive touchdowns which ranked third and fourth in the country, respectively. Four Panther defensive backs earned postseason All-MFVC distinction, headlined by first-team selection Omar Brown ranked third nationally with three fumbles recovered while his sixth interceptions ranked 20th.
In 2018, the Panthers ranked sixth nationally in interceptions with 18 as part of a defense that ranked seventh nationally in defensive touchdowns (4) and 17th nationally in scoring defense (21.3). Defensive back Xavior Williams earned First-Team All-MVFC honors after recording 42 total tackles, 29 solo tackles, and four interceptions.
Prior to his coaching career, Brookins played at Wisconsin before transferring to UNI in 2017. He recorded 33 tackles with six tackles for loss, four sacks and a pair of interceptions to earn MVFC All-Newcomer Team honors as a senior while helping the Panthers earn a trip to the second round of the FCS playoffs.
Brookins graduated from Wisconsin in 2016 with a degree in education before obtaining his master’s degree in Leisure, Youth and Human Services from Northern Iowa in 2022. A native of St. Paul, Minnesota, he is married to his wife Olivia Arkell-Brookins and has a son, Hendrix, and daughter, Harlee.
