University of North Carolina Athletics
Staff Directory
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- Phone:
- 919-962-0466
O'Keefe joined the Tar Heels after spending the previous four seasons at Saint Louis University (2010-13) as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for one of the premier programs in men's college soccer.
O'Keefe is the primary recruiting coordinator for Carolina, while also assisting the coaching staff on all other aspects of the program. The 2015 UNC signing class was ranked No. 7 in the nation.
He had coached or recruited 32 players that have been drafted and played professionally in the United States (MLS, NASL or USL PRO) and abroad before joining the Carolina men’s soccer program.
O'Keefe was named the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Mid-Atlantic Region Assistant Coach of the Year following the 2012 season. O'Keefe helped the Billikens to one of their best seasons in recent history as SLU captured the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament title and was the No. 8 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.
In 2013, O'Keefe was named one of CollegeSoccerNews.com's top 15 assistant coaches in the country after leading Saint Louis to the A-10 regular season crown.
Previously, O'Keefe served three seasons as an assistant at Elon University and was the associate head coach in 2009. Hired in February 2007, he helped the Phoenix win a Southern Conference regular-season championship in 2008, the first such title in program history.
Prior to taking the position at Elon, O'Keefe spent one season as an assistant coach at the University of Cincinnati, where he helped the Bearcats win the 2006 Big East Championship and qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
O'Keefe began his Division I coaching career at Wake Forest University. He was hired by the Demon Deacons in 2003, and later assisted the 2004 club in capturing the ACC regular-season championship and the top seed in the NCAA Tournament. The following season the 2005 squad advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament.
He served as the director of coaching for the Burlington Soccer Club in Burlington, N.C., prior to arriving at SLU. He was charged with managing coaching staffs in an organization that involved more than 250 players and 18 teams. Earlier in his coaching career, O'Keefe was the assistant director of coaching for the Twin City Soccer Association, a club in Winston-Salem, N.C., with more than 600 players and 25 teams.
O'Keefe began his coaching career at his alma mater, Greensboro College, in 2000. In three seasons, he helped the Pride win three regular-season and tournament conference crowns. In addition, Greensboro was consistently nationally ranked in O'Keefe's three years as an assistant coach.
O'Keefe graduated from Greensboro College in 1997 with a bachelor's degree in history and secondary education. As a player at Greensboro, he helped the Pride to three NCAA Division III Tournament appearances, a 1994 conference title and a 1996 South Region championship.
O'Keefe holds a United States Soccer Federation (USSF) "A" License and a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Advanced National Diploma.
