Keith Gilmore - Football Coach - Colorado State Athletics

Keith Gilmore

Title:
Defensive Line
Email:
keith.gilmore@colostate.edu
Phone:
(970) 491-6131

Keith Gilmore is in his second season as the defensive line coach at Colorado State in 2019, having joined the staff in January 2018.

A 32-year coaching veteran, Gilmore came to CSU after most recently serving as the defensive line coach at Notre Dame from 2015-16.

In 2018 Gilmore coached a defensive line that featured a proliferation of young talent, as true freshman Devin Phillips started 10 games before a season-ending injury, and true sophomores Emmanuel Jones, Ellison Hubbard and Livingston Paogofie combined to start 22 more games on the defensive front. Hubbard led the team with 2.5 sacks, while Jones, junior college transfer defensive end Jan-Phillip Bombek and senior defensive end Caleb Smith tied for second with 2.0 apiece.

With the Fighting Irish, Gilmore coached an explosive defensive line that was highlighted by All-American and 2016 NFL Draft selection Sheldon Day. In his first year under Gilmore's tutelage, Day recorded 15.5 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks as Notre Dame finished 10-3 and played in the Fiesta Bowl. Isaac Rochell also starred on the defensive line at Notre Dame under Gilmore, and was a seventh round NFL draft pick in 2017.

Before coming to Notre Dame, Gilmore spent 2009-14 as defensive line coach at Power 5 programs Illinois (2009-12) and North Carolina (2013-14). He tutored four NFL draft picks at Illinois — Corey Liuget (2011 first round), Whitney Mercilus (2012 first round), Akeem Spence (2013 fourth round) and Mike Buchanan (2013 seventh round) — a program that had not had a defensive lineman drafted in the 14 seasons prior to Gilmore's arrival. Gilmore also coached Kareem Martin at North Carolina (2014 third round).

Gilmore joined Illinois after a two-year stint as assistant head coach and defensive line coach at Cincinnati (2008-2009), where he helped lead the Bearcats to a 2008 Big East Championship and trip to the 2009 Orange Bowl. In 2008, Cincinnati ranked ninth in the nation in sacks and 19th in rush defense (113.8 yards per game). Gilmore coached Connor Barwin at Cincinnati, who was drafted by the Houston Texans in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft.

A native of Detroit Mich., Gilmore has also had coaching stops at Central Michigan, Howard, Norfolk State, Eastern Michigan, Wayne State, Grand Valley State, Northern Michigan and Michigan State.

Gilmore was a three-year letterwinner and two-time All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honoree as a linebacker at Wayne State University, where he graduated in 1981 with a degree in recreation management. Keith and his wife Bridget have five children: Daughters Keyontay and Grace, and sons Keith, Kierre and Grant.