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Kevin Keys
Associate Athletics Director - External Operations
College: B.S., Liberty ('77)
Email: kkeys@liberty.edu
Kevin Keys has been a member of the Liberty University Athletics Department Senior Staff since rejoining the program in August 2005. At the time of his return, Keys was named Assistant Athletics Director for External Operations; he was promoted to his current position of Associate Athletics Director for External Operations in August 2007.
Keys, who brings a wealth of athletics experience and expertise in the area of external relations, oversees the Flames’ sports marketing and promotional programs as his primary function. He also oversees athletics communications, non-business aspects of the ticket office operations, marching band, cheerleaders, the annual golf tournament and Flames Sports Network broadcasts. He came to Liberty after working for five years as a vice president at Morgantown Printing in Morgantown, W.Va.
During his tenure, Keys has grown the sponsorship revenues generated for the department by more than 120 percent each year and refocused the effort to brand the department in all areas of public image. He has also served on several University committees that concentrated on public image such as the University style guide, branding efforts, e-commerce and licensing. Keys is the University's licensing coordinator in cooperation with Licensing Resource Group.
Keys is no stranger to Liberty or to the athletics department as the 35-year veteran of intercollegiate athletics started his career in 1973 as a statistician for the men’s basketball program. He was promoted to assistant sports information director in 1975, also handling coverage for the football and baseball programs. After graduation in 1977, he was named the school’s first-ever sports information director and remained in the position until 1985, which allowed him to see the department grow from the NCCAA level to NCAA Division I status.
During his tenure, Keys produced 44 publications which received CoSIDA honors at the regional and national levels, including 11 “Best in the Nation” awards. Keys also was instrumental in establishing the Flames Sports Network. He established and produced the athletics department’s first-ever corporate marketing program.
Keys quickly became active on the regional and national scene as he served as the president of the NAIA-SIDA from 1982-84 and was honored with the 1984 Ike Pearson Award, signifying the top SID in the NAIA ranks. In 1983, Keys played a significant role in the creation of the Virginia Sports Information Directors Association (VaSID), the first organization of its kind in the nation. In 2002, Keys received the VaSID Distinguished Service Award, honoring individuals with over 20 years of sports information service in the Commonwealth of Virginia. He also served as the information director for the Mason-Dixon Athletic Conference for three years.
Upon leaving Liberty in 1985, Keys moved to Morgantown, W.Va., and joined the West Virginia University athletics department staff as the sports publications director, a position he held for 15 years. While under his supervision, 72 publications were recognized by CoSIDA for excellence at the regional and national levels, including six which received “Best in the Nation” distinction.
In his position, Keys administered the production of all printed materials for the athletics department, totaling over 150 publications annually, and worked as a core member of the Communications Group, which handled all external affairs aspects for the BCS athletic program. During his tenure at West Virginia, he co-authored a book chronicling the history of the Mountaineer football program.
The Beltsville, Md., native has officiated basketball and softball for more than 30 years and worked at least one state playoff basketball game in West Virginia 11 straight years, including the high school championship in 2000.
Keys and his wife, Lori, a native of Lynchburg, have two children, Josh, 27, who graduated from Liberty in 2007 and is currently a college women’s basketball coach, and Jamie, 26, who graduated from Liberty in 2009 and serves as Liberty Athletics’ assistant licensing coordinator and athletics marketing assistant.
