Manual football names new head coach. Keith Eckloff of Seneca High School to lead Crimsons
Manual High School has selected a former rival as its new head football coach.
The school announced Monday that Keith Eckloff has been named the new leader of the program. Eckloff, 52, spent the past five seasons as head coach at Seneca, compiling a 16-31 record.
Before taking the Seneca job, Eckloff was an assistant coach at Male, which is Manual’s archrival.
“I can’t tell you how excited I am,” Eckloff said. “Obviously, it’s a tremendous job I’m stepping into.”
Eckloff replaces Josh Gillispie, who went 9-3 as the Crimsons interim coach last season and was named Class 6A Coach of the Year by the Kentucky Football Coaches Association. Manual lost to Ballard 48-42 in double overtime in the second round of the Class 6A playoffs.
Gillispie was named interim coach in July after Donnie Stoner was removed from his coaching duties.
Gillispie was not immediately available for comment Monday.
“We sincerely appreciate interim coach Josh Gillispie for guiding the program through the 2023 season,” Manual athletic director David Zuberer said in a news release. “His commitment and love for Manual is unmatched.”
Eckloff was an assistant at Seneca, Ballard and Male before taking over as head coach at Seneca in 2019. His 2022 squad went 8-4 and recorded the first playoff victory at the school since 2011.
This year’s team finished 4-6 after falling to Atherton 34-0 in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs.
“It was a great experience coaching here,” Eckloff said. “I learned a lot, and I felt like we made a lot of progress here by getting the program to where it was really competitive. I’m going to miss these kids here a lot.”
Eckloff will inherit a Manual program that will lose quarterback Eli Creech and running back Zeek Washburn, among several other key players, to graduation.
Top returners will include sophomore running back Gerian Traynor, junior wide receiver Willis Nofsinger, sophomore lineman David Pellman and junior linebacker Jaylen Hayes.
Manual hasn’t reached the third round of the playoffs since 2008.
“There’s a lot of young talent,” Eckloff said. “I think the sky is the limit. I don’t think there’s any cap on what we can accomplish.”
Kentucky's Mr. Football: Daniel Thomas, record-setting Bell County High School RB, wins award
Reach Jason Frakes at jfrakes@courier-journal.com and follow him on X @kyhighs.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Keith Eckloff named new DuPont Manual High School football head coach
