Aug. 9, 2004

BALTIMORE, Md. — Johns Hopkins defensive coordinator Keith Emery is one of 10 NCAA Division III coaches who have been named to American Football Monthly’s "Hot Coaches" list. American Football Monthly selected a total of 80 coaches at eight different levels of football (NFL, NCAA Division I-A, NCAA Division I-AA, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA, Junior College and High School) as coaches to watch in 2004. The list includes head coaches, offensive coordinators and defensive coordinators and Emery is the only coach from the Centennial Conference included among the 10 Division III coaches.

AFM’s research staff explored the best and brightest at all levels. The results: a complete and comprehensive review of coaches that will be scrutinized and analyzed throughout the fall but are considered the cream of the crop.

"Our research staff looked at coaches at all levels of competition–high school through the NFL," said AFM’s Managing Editor Rex Lardner. "We believe this listing includes the top coaches at all levels that are either ready for a breakout year, poised to move up the ranks, or continuing a successful tradition."

Emery is entering his fourth season as the defensive coordinator at Johns Hopkins and his seventh year as a member of head coach Jim Margraff’s staff. Emery’s unit reached new heights last season when the Blue Jays led the nation in pass efficiency defense (61.4 rating) for the second time in three years, while pacing the Centennial Conference in scoring defense (7.0 ppg.), total defense (242.4 ypg.), passing yards allowed per game (129.5 ypg.) and interceptions (28). The Blue Jays did not allow more than 14 points in any of their 11 games in 2003 and held eight of their 11 opponents to 10 points or less. JHU posted three straight shutouts at one point last season (first time JHU posted three straight shutouts since 1959) and Emery’s unit allowed a total of just one touchdown in the first five games of the season.

Emery wasted little time establishing himself when elevated to the defensive coordinator’s position prior to the 2001 season. Emery’s 2001 unit led the nation in pass efficiency defense and Hopkins became the first Division III team since 1980 to go through an entire season without allowing a touchdown pass. The Blue Jays allowed just 14.0 points per game in 2001 — 9.3 points per game less than in 2000.

Emery’s defense has paved the way for the winningest three-year period in school history. After positing a 6-3 record in 2001, the Blue Jays set a school record with nine wins (9-2), while grabbing a share of the program’s first-ever Centennial Conference title in 2002. The 2002 Blue Jays also made the first playoff appearance in school history and defeated Frostburg State, 24-21 in the ECAC Southwest Championship game.

Last season’s record-breaking unit led the way for the Blue Jays to post a 10-1 record and grab a share of a second consecutive Centennial Conference Championship. The Blue Jays also defeated King’s, 41-13 to win the ECAC South Atlantic Championship. Hopkins was ranked in the top 25 for nine of 11 weeks during the 2003 season. Prior to the 2003 season the Johns Hopkins football team had never been ranked in the top 25.

Johns Hopkins will open the 2004 season at home against the University of Rochester on September 4 at noon.

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