June 26, 2007

ABILENE, Texas - Earning awards is nothing new for Hardin-Simmons football head coach Jimmie Keeling, but now the legendary coach now has another award named after him as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes' Big Country Chapter has created the Jimmie Keeling Influence Award.

The award is to honor a lifelong commitment and a career of influence to coaches and students in the name of FCA. This new award, appropriately named the Jimmie Keeling Influence Award after high school and collegiate coaching legend Jimmie Keeling, goes to a man who represents, in order, God, family, and the thousands of people he has touched in the name of his faith and FCA.

The first award was presented to the late Myrle Greathouse at the recent Myrle Greathouse FCA All-Star game at Shotwell Stadium.

He has been active with the FCA for many years and in 2004 was given the Grant Teaff Lifetime Achievement Award by the organization.

"The Fellowship of Christian Athletes is very special and important to me for what it has done in the lives of young men and women," said Keeling. "The FCA builds strong Christian leaders. I don't know that I deserve having an award named after me, but I am very honored and humbled."

Keeling also has an award named after him at Hardin-Simmons, the Keeling Medal. It goes to the top senior football player that displays quality, character and integrity on the football field and in the classroom.

Keeling is entering his 18th season as the head coach of Hardin-Simmons University. He has won and has posted a record of 142-41. He also went 196-91-11 at the high school level.