I CHOOSE JACKSON COUNTY: Jennifer Keedy’s Life as a Coach’s Wife and Lifelong Cheerleader

Jennifer Keedy never imagined that a blind date during her freshman year at Arkansas State University would lead to a lifetime rooted in love, football, and Jackson County. Originally from Little Rock and a graduate of Hall High School, Jennifer made the move to attend ASU in 1967. It didn’t take long for fate to step in when she was set up on a blind date with a senior from Newport named Bill Keedy. That first date turned into a forever partnership.

Jennifer and Bill quickly became inseparable. She was a Chi Omega sorority member and even cheered for ASU her sophomore year, but it was clear her biggest cheerleading role would come off the sidelines. After a classic “Greek” courtship, complete with being “dropped and pinned,” Jennifer and Bill married on August 3, just after her 20th birthday.

As their honeymoon came to a close, life on the sidelines of high school football began. Bill jumped into his first coaching job as head junior high coach in Paragould and, at just 29, took over the senior high program. For seven years, Jennifer and Bill called Paragould home, and she embraced every moment of it. In fact, she only missed one game in all those years because it was held during the school day while she was teaching.

A brief stint in Sylvan Hills followed, but soon a position opened up back home in Newport. Coach Counce was retiring, and Bill returned as head coach of the Newport Greyhounds. It was the beginning of a legendary chapter for both the Greyhounds and the Keedy family.

Jennifer’s role went far beyond being a coach’s wife. She was the emotional backbone of the team’s extended family. From Thanksgiving meals with players to late-night hospital visits with injured athletes whose families couldn’t be there, Jennifer never hesitated to step in. One student even lived with them for a semester. “I was meant to be a cheerleader for life,” Jennifer says with a smile.

There were tough moments, too. Jennifer supported Bill through the heartbreaking loss of a player to an aneurysm and always kept her promise to stay quiet when someone criticized her husband, a tough ask when you’re married to a man as competitive as Coach Keedy.

Football wasn’t just Bill’s passion. It became the family’s shared language. Their son Billy, along with grandsons Will and Jake, naturally absorbed the love of the game. Watching film at home wasn’t a chore; it was family time. Jennifer recalls telling Bill at the start of each season, “I’ll see you in November.” Even when he was home, his heart and mind were often wrapped up in the game.

After retiring from coaching, Bill stayed close to the action as a color commentator for the Arkansas State football team. Following his passing, Jennifer found strength and joy in continuing to support Greyhound athletics, especially through her grandsons.

Now, for the first time in decades, a season will begin without a Keedy on the field or in the booth. But Jennifer’s heart, and her cheer, remain deeply rooted in Jackson County.

“I loved being a coach’s wife,” she says. “And I still love being a Greyhound.”