HBCU coach calls top five ranking ‘rat poison’

The lead-in to the HBCU football season has brought its fair share of preseason rankings and predictions. Many coaches downplay the significance of them publically — if they even acknowledge them at all. Clark Atlanta University head coach Teddy Keaton had a uniquely raw reaction to a recent poll on Twitter/X. Keaton took a look at Dr. Cavil’s Inside The HBCU Sports Lab poll and seemed rather irritated by it.

“This is rat poison,” Keaton typed. “Don’t believe the hype. How do CAU rank in creating great practice habits and great effort. Are we focused all 2 hours of practice. Are focused in the meeting room. That will tell our true rankings.”

Keaton’s Clark Atlanta squad was ranked fourth among Division II/NAIA HBCU football programs in the nation heading into the season. That’s a pretty high ranking — especially for a program that lost every single one of the ten games it played last season.

Teddy Keaton has built a solid reputation in HBCU football through his extensive coaching career, particularly within the SIAC. Keaton began his coaching journey at Stillman College as a graduate assistant in 1999, where he helped relaunch the program. Over the years, he has made significant contributions to various programs, including a transformative role at Allen University. At Allen, he took the fledgling program from concept to a 7-3 season in just five years, showcasing his ability to build successful teams from the ground up.

Keaton was hired as the head coach at Clark Atlanta University following the 2022 season, marking a new chapter in his career. He quickly made an impact by bringing in key transfers from his former team at Allen, including SIAC Offensive Player of the Year David Wright. This move demonstrated Keaton’s strong recruiting abilities and his influence on players, setting high expectations for Clark Atlanta’s future under his leadership, no matter how he feels about being ranked so high.

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