Pete Kettela Explained

Pete Kettela
Birth Date:28 May 1938
Death Place:Flagstaff, Arizona, U.S.
Player Sport1:Football
Player Years2:1959–1961
Player Team2:UC Riverside
Player Positions:Quarterback
Coach Years1:1965–1969
Coach Team1:UC Riverside
Coach Years2:1970
Coach Team2:UC Santa Barbara (OC)
Coach Years3:1971
Coach Team3:Pacific (CA) (assistant)
Coach Years4:1972–1976
Coach Team4:Stanford (assistant)
Coach Years5:1977
Coach Team5:San Jose State (OC)
Coach Years6:1981
Coach Team6:Green Bay Packers (off. asst.)
Coach Years7:1982
Coach Team7:Green Bay Packers (off. backfield)
Coach Years8:1983
Coach Team8:Edmonton Eskimos
Coach Years9:1984
Coach Team9:Arizona Outlaws (receivers)
Coach Years10:1985
Coach Team10:Portland Breakers (OC)
Coach Years11:1989
Coach Team11:UNLV (assistant)
Coach Years12:1990
Coach Team12:Long Beach State (OC)
Coach Years13:1991
Coach Team13:Carolina Cougars
Coach Years14:1992–2007
Coach Team14:Arizona Rattlers (assistant)
Admin Years1:1978–1980
Admin Team1:Green Bay Packers (scout)
Admin Years2:1992–2007
Admin Team2:Arizona Rattlers (dir. player pers.)
Overall Record:24–20–2 (college)
4–4 (CFL)

Peter P. Kettela (May 28, 1938 – September 29, 2013) was an American gridiron football player, coach, and executive. He served as the head football coach at the University of California, Riverside from 1965 to 1969 and as the head coach for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League (CFL) in 1983.

Athletic career

Kettela played football, baseball, and basketball at UC Riverside from 1959 to 1961. He was the starting quarterback for the Highlanders during their undefeated 1960 season and was named to that year's Small College All-American team. Kettela was inducted into the UC Riverside Athletic Hall of Fame on June 12, 1986 as a member of the Hall's first class.

Coaching career

Kettela served as the offensive coordinator at University of California, Santa Barbara in 1970 and as an assistant coach at University of the Pacific in 1971 before spending five seasons as a member of the Stanford Cardinal coaching staff and one season as the offensive coordinator at San Jose State. In 1978, Kettela moved joined the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL) as a scout. In 1981, he joined the coaching staff as special offensive assistant and was promoted to offensive backfield coach the following year.[1]

In 1983, Kettela replaced Hugh Campbell as the head coach of the Edmonton Eskimos. He was fired after the defending Grey Cup champions got off to a 4–4 start and was replaced by former Eskimos quarterback Jackie Parker.[2]

The following season, Kettela served as an assistant coach with Arizona Outlaws of the United States Football League. In 1985, he was the offensive coordinator of the USFL's Portland Breakers.[3] Kettela served as an assistant at UNLV in 1989 and in 1990 he was the offensive coordinator under Pro Football Hall of Famer George Allen at Long Beach State. Following Allen's death, he was a candidate for the head coaching job that ultimately went to Willie Brown.[4] In 1991, Kettela was named head coach of Carolina Cougars of the Professional Spring Football League.[5] The league folded before a game was ever played.

From 1992 to 2007, Kettela was the Director of Player Personnel and an assistant coach for the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League.[6] During his tenure with the Rattlers, the team appeared in the ArenaBowl five times, winning twice.

Kettela retired to Flagstaff, Arizona. He died on September 29, 2013.[7]

Head coaching record

College

Notes and References

  1. News: Packers Name Kettela . The Hour . March 4, 1982 . October 9, 2010 .
  2. News: Terry Jones . Eskimos jobs in jeopardy: Team president . Edmonton Sun . July 26, 2010 . October 9, 2010 .
  3. News: Transactions . the Associated Press . January 12, 1985 . October 9, 2010 .
  4. News: Brown vows to be his own man . Press-Telegram . January 16, 1991 .
  5. News: Geoffrey Wilcox . Carolina Cougars set for inaugural PSFL season . The Herald . January 9, 1992 . October 9, 2010 .
  6. News: Richard Obert . League Still Strong Entering 21st Year . Arizona Republic . May 8, 2007 .
  7. Web site: PETE KETTELA, FORMER UC RIVERSIDE FOOTBALL COACH & STUDENT-ATHLETE PASSES AWAY. UC Riverside. October 4, 2013.