BOLIVAR, MO -- Southwest Baptist University head football coach, Jack Peavey, has resigned. Peavey served as the Bearcats' head coach for the past two seasons.

SBU President, C. Pat Taylor, stated: “We appreciate the contributions that Coach Peavey has made to our football program. We're thankful for his hard work, which led to an increase in the number of football players. We wish Jack and his family the very best.”

In conjunction with this announcement, Southwest Baptist University Director of Athletics, Brent Good, announced the hiring of Keith Allen as the Interim Head Football Coach.

"Keith has served as the Assistant Head Football Coach, Defensive Coordinator and Recruiting Coordinator since 2005. Keith brings a wealth of experience having served as an assistant coach at numerous Division I schools including Oklahoma University, Texas Christian University, NE Louisiana and San Jose State. Coach Allen is a 1997 graduate of Oklahoma University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering and completed his Master of Arts degree in 2000 in Liberal Arts from Texas Christian University. He and his wife Melissa have a year-old son, James, reside in Bolivar and have been married since 1999.

Keith Allen

"Keith will continue as coordinator of the SBU defense and retain the current staff. In addition to his coaching abilities, Keith has also excelled in recruiting and creating Academic Athletics recruiting days in which student-athletes from surrounding states with academic success are invited to the campus and are eligible for academic and athletic scholarship money.

“We are excited that Keith has accepted this role, and we are confident that he and his staff will bring quality leadership to all facets of the football program, not limited to the playing field, but extending to the student-athletes' academic, social, and spiritual growth in accordance with the principles and expectations of Southwest Baptist University,” commented Brent Good, Director of Athletics. “We are confident that Keith and the 2007 SBU Bearcats will be prepared and represent our university in a competitive and Christ-like manner.”

Allen will inherit a team that includes 13 returning starters and 33 returning letter-winners. The 2007 season opens on Thursday night, August 30, 6:00 p.m., at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas.