Keith Allen joined the San Jose State University football coaching staff in June 2002 as the special teams coordinator. He also will work with the defensive unit.  His 2002 Kick Off Return unit ranked  was 3rd nationally, and Spartan return specialist led the nation in average kick off return yards.

Three times in 2002 a Spartan was selected as the WAC special teams player of the week, the most ever for the Spartans.  

From his days as a fifth-grader in Tulsa, Okla., he wanted to be a football coach. Perhaps his grandfather, L.B. Smith, who took Allen to Dallas Cowboys games in Texas Stadium had something to do with his present occupation.

Allen's dad, Doug Allen, owned a construction company in Tulsa and his expertise in the field rubbed off on the impressionable youngster. He was an outstanding student in math and science through high school and his counselors encouraged him to major in engineering at the University of Oklahoma.

He did just that in college majoring in civil engineering and earned his bachelor's degree in 1997. At the same time, Allen began pursuit of his goal to become a football coach by working as an undergraduate assistant with the Sooner football team in 1996. He did such a good job that after graduation, he was retained as a graduate assistant for the 1997 season. By the time he finished his second season as a graduate assistant, he had gained experience working with a defensive line, defensive backs and strength and conditioning programs at the Division I level. Allen quickly added to his experiences joining the Texas Christian University staff as the director of recruiting and assistant director of football operations. TCU had winning records during his two seasons and played in the 1998 Sun and 1999 GMAC Mobile Bowls.

Allen spent the last two seasons at Quincy University, a Division II school in Quincy, Ill., as the defensive, special teams coordinator and recruiting coordinator.

"A lot of people said Coach Hill is a real good coach and (San Jose State) was a chance to get back to Division I-A," Allen says. "Special teams and recruiting are my niches and the job (opening) here fit me well." He bases his coaching philosophy around a four-point plan that starts with 1.) A system and a plan and being organized with a plan of attack; 2.) A philosophy or a style. In Allen's case, it's an attacking style that places an emphasis on scoring, first; creating turnovers, second; and generating field position, third; 3.) Taking what the opponent gives you; and, 4.) Creating an environment that allows a player to do his best.