Aaron Kelton
	Head Coach of Football Aaron.E.Kelton@williams.edu 413-597-3023

 

Record:  8-0-0

2010 – Little Three Champions

2010 – NESCAC Champions

2010 – NESCAC Coach of the Year

2010 -- Appeared in Sports Illustrated's Faces in the Crowd (12/27)

 

 

 

Aaron Kelton was named the Ephs’ head football coach on May 17, 2010. Williams is the first head coaching opportunity that Kelton has had in his first 19 years in coaching.

Kelton is the first African American head football coach in NESCAC and at Williams.

Kelton came to Williams from Columbia University, where he served as the Lions’ defensive coordinator for two seasons after having served the two previous seasons as secondary coach.

Under Kelton the Columbia Lions fielded one of the Ivy League’s top defensive backfields. Kelton developed DB Tad Crawford ’07, who was a high draft choice in the Canadian Football League. In addition to his on field duties at Columbia, Kelton was the Lions’ recruiting coordinator in the District of Columbia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Kelton has coached on both the high school and the collegiate levels, starting in the fall of 1992 at Wellesley (MA) HS.

Aaron Kelton’s coaching path:

1992-94 -- Wellesley (MA) HS (Asst.)

1995 -- Wayland (MA) HS (Asst.)

1996 -- MIT (Asst.)

1997 -- Clarion University (Asst.)

1998-2000 -- Concord University (Defensive Coordinator)

2001-2005 -- Virginia State (Defensive Coordinator)

2006-2007 -- Columbia University (Defensive Backs)

2008-2009 -- Columbia University (Defensive Coordinator)

2010-present -- Williams College (Head Coach)

Aaron Kelton on the sideline

Kelton inherited a Williams team that had finished 6-2 in NESCAC for three consecutive years and turned in the first perfect season by a rookie head coach at Williams in 125 seasons. Kelton’s 8-0 season was just the seventh time Williams had completed a season without a loss or a tie.

Kelton, who hired just one coach to his staff at Williams, was able to come on board and blend a mix of coaches and athletes into a cohesive and unbeatable team in 2010.

Passionate is the word that best describes Kelton and his approach. His Eph players will tell you they've never worked harder and yet, never had more fun. The mutual respect engendered between the coaches and the players was a key ingredient in the Ephs success this fall.

"I just love these kids," said Kelton. "You have to have great players and a great staff to win and I have both. My staff did an excellent job in preparing the team to win each week. I'm thrilled and honored to represent Williams College and all that it stands for and will continue to work hard towards continuing this success."

14 of Kelton’s 2010 Ephs were named All-NESCAC, including 10 First Team members and his senior QB Pat Moffitt, was the NESCAC Offensive Player of the Year. Kelton was named the NESCAC Coach of the Year.

Moffitt along with classmates Kevin Rose (guard/center) and Dan Canina (defensive end) were named to the New England Football Writers Div. II/III Team.

Under Kelton the Ephs led NESCAC in 5 of 11 team statistical categories, were second in two and third in two.

The Ephs led NESCAC in scoring (36.6), pass defense (192.2) despite opponents throwing 41.4 times a game, pass defense efficiency (90.3), passing offense efficiency (168.8) and total offense (477.6).

A native of Massachusetts Kelton was born in Boston and graduated from Wellesley [MA] High School, where he was a three-sport athlete, competing in football, basketball, and baseball.

He graduated from Springfield College in 1992 with a B.S. in psychology and lettered all four years for the Pride in football, starting two years at quarterback.

Kelton received three prized NFL Summer Internships, which enabled him to serve as a member of the coaching staff of the Indianapolis Colts in 2007, Jacksonville Jaguars in 2008, and the Arizona Cardinals in 2009. He also attended the NCAA Expert Coaches Academy in Miami in May 2006.

Kelton is currently working on completing an M.Ed. in integrated studies from Virginia State.

Kelton and his wife Charlotte and daughter Kelsi reside in Williamstown.

Ephs sing after Kelton's 1st win 9/25/10 33-15 over Bowdoin

 

What they said about Aaron Kelton when he was hired at Williams:

Norries Wilson, head football coach at Columbia University

“I’m ecstatic that Williams College has selected Aaron. It will be a great loss for us but a phenomenal opportunity for him.

“He will bring a high level of excitement with him, a great intensity and drive to win. With all of that, he will make it fun for the kids.

“Aaron helped us to gain a measure of respectability for our program, and I’m sure he’ll continue in the long line of Springfield College grads and become a great head coach at Williams.”

Mike Delong, 27-year head football coach at Springfield College

“Aaron Kelton is an outstanding young man, who did not talk much about coaching when he was here. Most of our kids who go into coaching go through here as GAs [graduate assistants], but Aaron went back to Wellesley High School to start his coaching career. He took a non-traditional route into coaching and he has just worked and worked his way up the ladder to be a coordinator in the Ivy League and now the head coach at Williams. Hard work and an impressive personal character have characterized Aaron’s career. He’s an outstanding person, and I’m sure he’ll be an outstanding head coach.

“I can still see him running a naked bootleg for a TD against Norwich in the rain. He was a great athlete for us and we’re extremely proud that he’s going to be the next head coach at Williams.”

Mike London, head football coach at the University of Virginia

“Aaron is a great communicator, which is essential in any leadership position. He possesses great energy and enthusiasm and is very dedicated to his coaching. He takes great pride in teaching players how to play the right way and he’s very detail-oriented. He’ll get the best out of all of his players.

“Aaron is a man of great character, who will make an impact on the Williams program through hard work, communication, and preparation.”

Ernest Jones, associate head football coach, University of Buffalo

“I met Aaron about 8-9 years ago when we were both doing the NFL and NCAA minority coaching programs and I was impressed right away. He’s smart, articulate, and with his commitment to his faith he’ll do things the right way and he’ll represent your program very well. Your kids will love him. The alumni will love him and the community will love him. I know his heart and I know his spirit, and when you folks get to know him you will know what a great hire you made.

“Every place I’ve been, and my last stop was at the University of Cincinnati with Brian Kelly (now head coach at Notre Dame), I recommended we hire Aaron. My last offer to him was to be a defensive coordinator, but he told me he really wanted to be a head coach.

“Aaron is a great motivator and he’ll make sure that the young men who play for him do everything they can to be ready to compete and they’ll do things the right way all the time.”

KiJuan Ware, running backs coach, Miami (OH)

“When I visited Springfield College as a prospective student-athlete I saw Aaron’s picture on the wall as an African American quarterback and I said to myself, that’s going to be me.

“Throughout our careers we’ve stayed in constant contact – bouncing ideas and suggestions off each other, talking football, and coaching the game.

“Aaron is a leader in every sense of the word. Every place he’s coached his defensive unit has been nationally ranked and the kids love to play for him. He will make it exciting for the Williams players for sure.

“We’ve been close friends for a long time. He’s going to be a force to be reckoned with in the NESCAC. He’ll bring a new energy to Williams football. I’m going to enjoy following his teams.”

	Bill Barrale
	Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach bbarrale@williams.edu 413-597-2345

	George McCormack
	Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers gmccormack@williams.edu 413-597-4230

	Marshall Creighton
	Recruiting Coordinator & Special Teams Coordinator marshall.k.creighton@williams.edu 413-597-3326

A 2002 graduate of Williams College, Creighton returns for his fifth season back in the Purple Valley after stints at both Northeastern University and Tufts University. Creighton began his coaching career at Northeastern University immediately following graduation.  During the 2002 Atlantic-10 Championship season Marshall worked as an Offensive Assistant, assisting in all phases of weekly preparation and with the Quarterbacks. 

The following season Marshall joined the staff at Tufts University where he coached on both sides of the ball, working with the Wide Receivers and Linebackers.  Marshall also received a MA in Educational Studies from Tufts University. 

In the last four years, Marshall has coached four different 1^st Team All-NESCAC WRs and two 2^nd Team All-NESCAC WRs.  This offseason Marshall has added Special Teams Coordinator and Recruiting Coordinator to his list of responsibilities

In the spring, Marshall doubles an Assistant Baseball Coach where he has helped the Ephs to win the NESCAC West Division in each of his four years.

A member of three NESCAC championship teams and two undefeated teams, Marshall shared time as the starting QB in 2000 and started at CB in 2001.  He was awarded the Dr. Edward Caughlin Award for overcoming adversity after his senior campaign.

Marshall and his wife Liz (a former Ephs basketball player) reside in Williamstown with their son Cole.

	Kyle Smesko
	Offensive Line Coach Kyle.W.Smesko@williams.edu 413-597-3708

Experience is always a plus. Faceless, but important pretty much sums up the offensive line in football. The five guys up front on a football team that have little to no chance to accrue a stat in a game, but are indispensible to the success of a team scoring is a humbling place to play. Perhaps appreciated only by the rest of the offensive unit, coaches and family members this group’s success can only be truly noted by those in the know about just how the game of football is played.

Experience is always a plus. For his first hire at Williams College Eph head football coach Aaron Kelton has landed 14-year coaching veteran Kyle Smesko to serve as the Ephs offensive line coach. The past seven years Smesko has coached the offensive line at two Division III institutions.

Most recently Smesko coached the offensive line at Thiel College for three years.

Prior to coaching Thiel’s offensive line, Smesko was the o-line coach the four previous years at Franklin & Marshall College.

Smesko was a four-year letterman at running back at Allegheny, served as a team captain and was named all-conference on Gator teams that were ranked no. 1 and no. 2 in the country, while compiling an impressive record of 38-5. He has seen good offensive line play up front and he has coached the o-line. Experience is always a plus.

“Kyle is a talented coach who is going to bring a lot of passion and drive to the offensive line unit,” notes Kelton. “He’s been at some great schools and he really wants to be at Williams, and we want folks who want to be here.”

Smesko also lettered for three years in track & field at Allegheny and he was a teammate of previous Eph football assistant Andy McKenzie.

Smesko’s last seven years of collegiate coaching found him coaching the offensive line at both Thiel and Franklin & Marshall and additionally at both institutions he was responsible for recruiting the state of Ohio.

Right out of college Smesko joined the Allegheny coaching staff and served as the offensive coordinator for the JV team, running backs coach, and wide receivers coach for a year before moving on to Yale.

In his five years at Yale, Smesko coached the tight ends for his first three years and then the wide receivers for two years, while being responsible for the Elis special teams and serving as the prime recruiter in eight states.

Also at Yale Smesko served under current Wesleyan assistant and former Amherst head coach Jack Siedlecki, and with former Eph standout player Rob Neviaser. That duo along with McKenzie and his contacts with prior Eph coaches Mike Whalen and Dan DiCenzo at the Yale camps peaked Smesko’s interest in the job at Williams. I knew of Williams College from my days working at Yale,” notes Smesko. “Because of Rob, coach Whalen and coach DiCenzo who worked the Yale camp I learned about Williams. I also knew that it was a very good school academically.” 

Smesko is the second football/track & field graduate of Allegheny to join the Eph athletic department in recent years, joining the Ephs head coach of men’s and women’s track & field, Fletcher Brooks (AC ‘93).

Smesko graduated from Allegheny in 1997 with a B.A. in economics, including a concentration in environmental geology.

	Marshall Maxwell
	Assistant Coach of Football 413-597-3326

Maxwell enters his fifth season at Williams and will again oversee the defensive line.  Maxwell has done an outstanding job in re-establishing the Eph front four by expanding the depth of the line with frequent substitutions. The D-line was thinning out before Maxwell joined the staff, but he has re-stocked it and rejuvenated it.

A 1995 graduate of nearby Hoosac Valley High School, Maxwell served as captain of both the football and track teams.  He went on to the University of New Haven, where he had an outstanding career as a defensive lineman. 

Maxwell earned All-ECAC honors in 1997 and 1998 and was captain of the team as a senior.  He also played in the Division II national championship game in 1997.

Maxwell graduated in 1999 from New Haven with a degree in law enforcement. Maxwell is currently working at the Berkshire County Sheriff’s Office and lives in Adams with his wife Jennifer and their daughter Samara (2).

	Aaron McGinty
	Assistant Coach of Football aaron.mcginty@yahoo.com 413-597-2986

Aaron McGinty joins the Williams staff fresh off a spring season that found him coaching the defensive backs for Swarco Raider Tirol of the Austrian Football League (AFL). During his time in Innsbruck, Austria, McGinty fielded the AFL’s second best defensive backfield.

In 2009 McGinty served as a Bill Walsh Minority Fellowship Intern with the Arizona Cardinals. In Arizona McGinty worked with the defensive backs and special teams.  He began his coaching career as the defensive backs coach at Northwestern Oklahoma State University in 2008, where he was responsible for the fourth-best pass defense in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

From 2002-03 McGinty played at Tuskegee University after having played at San Jose City College in 2001 and 2002. At San Jose City College he was named to the All-Golden Gate Conference Second Team twice. In 2002 he was also named the defensive back of the year.

McGinty received a B.A. in General Studies from Northwestern Oklahoma State.

McGinty is single and resides in Williamstown.

	John Allen
	Outside Linebackers 413-597-3326

	Joe Doyle
	Assistant Offensive Line Coach 413-597-3326