Pete Kettela, Former UC Riverside Football Coach & Student-Athlete Passes Away
10/3/2013 2:53:00 PM | General
Flagstaff, AZ—The UC Riverside Athletics Family is saddened to announce the passing of former head football coach and three-sport student-athlete Pete Kettela who died on Sunday, September 29, 2013. He is survived by his wife, Jill, who is hosting a Celebration Of Life this Friday, October 4 at 5:30 pm at Flagstaff Ranch Golf Club (3600 S. Flagstaff Ranch Road, Flagstaff, AZ 86001).
"Our deepest sympathies and prayers are with the Kettela family," said UC Riverside Interim Director of Athletics Jim Wooldridge. "I met him briefly at the UCR football reunion in 2007, and when you talk to those guys who played with him and for him at UC Riverside, you learn pretty quickly what a tremendous positive impact he had on our student-athletes, our university and our community."
Kettela transferred to UC Riverside in 1959 and was a three-sport athlete during his two seasons with the Highlanders excelling in football, baseball and basketball.
He was the starting quarterback at UCR during the 1960 season in which the Highlanders went undefeated, and Kettela was honored at season's end with a spot on the Small College All-American team. He was inducted into the UC Riverside Athletics Hall of Fame on June 12, 1986 as a member of the hall's first class.
Kettela began his professional career at UC Santa Barbara as the offensive coordinator for the Gauchos, before returning to UC Riverside in 1966 as the team's head football coach. He resigned in 1970 with an overall record of 23-19-2 during his five years at the helm.
"Pete was a great leader, a great coach to play for, and a very positive individual who had a wonderful and warm personality," remembered Nick Goldware '70 who played under Kettela at UC Riverside. "He was very upbeat, positive, and had that motor-running type-A personality and a childhood grin that gave one the impression that the fun was just about to start."
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After leaving UC Riverside, Kettela went on to serve as an assistant coach at Pacific, Stanford and San Jose State, and in 1978 he joined the Green Bay Packers organization as a scout later being promoted to special offensive assistant and offensive backfield coach.
Kettela became the head coach of the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL, and in 1984, he joined the Arizona Outlaws of the USFL as an assistant coach. The following season he was named offensive coordinator of the USFL's Portland Breakers.
He would later return to the college game serving as an assistant at UNLV and Long Beach State. From 1992-2007, Kettela was the director of player personnel for the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League where the team appeared in the ArenaBowl on five occasions winning the championship two times.
"Our deepest sympathies and prayers are with the Kettela family," said UC Riverside Interim Director of Athletics Jim Wooldridge. "I met him briefly at the UCR football reunion in 2007, and when you talk to those guys who played with him and for him at UC Riverside, you learn pretty quickly what a tremendous positive impact he had on our student-athletes, our university and our community."
Kettela transferred to UC Riverside in 1959 and was a three-sport athlete during his two seasons with the Highlanders excelling in football, baseball and basketball.
He was the starting quarterback at UCR during the 1960 season in which the Highlanders went undefeated, and Kettela was honored at season's end with a spot on the Small College All-American team. He was inducted into the UC Riverside Athletics Hall of Fame on June 12, 1986 as a member of the hall's first class.
Kettela began his professional career at UC Santa Barbara as the offensive coordinator for the Gauchos, before returning to UC Riverside in 1966 as the team's head football coach. He resigned in 1970 with an overall record of 23-19-2 during his five years at the helm.
"Pete was a great leader, a great coach to play for, and a very positive individual who had a wonderful and warm personality," remembered Nick Goldware '70 who played under Kettela at UC Riverside. "He was very upbeat, positive, and had that motor-running type-A personality and a childhood grin that gave one the impression that the fun was just about to start."
Â
After leaving UC Riverside, Kettela went on to serve as an assistant coach at Pacific, Stanford and San Jose State, and in 1978 he joined the Green Bay Packers organization as a scout later being promoted to special offensive assistant and offensive backfield coach.
Kettela became the head coach of the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL, and in 1984, he joined the Arizona Outlaws of the USFL as an assistant coach. The following season he was named offensive coordinator of the USFL's Portland Breakers.
He would later return to the college game serving as an assistant at UNLV and Long Beach State. From 1992-2007, Kettela was the director of player personnel for the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League where the team appeared in the ArenaBowl on five occasions winning the championship two times.
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