Keefers share a name and more
Dave Keefer is the head football coach at Greensburg Salem.
Dave Keefer is also the head football coach at Southmoreland.
No, this isn’t a case of a coach pulling double duty. There are actually two Dave Keefers, unrelated, who are part of the WPIAL’s coaching fraternity. We’re not talking James Smiths or Mike Jones’ here. These are two guys with not exactly common names who, while not part of the same family, have actually known one another for more than half of their lives and are connected in a number of ways on and off the field.
“I’ve known him for over 20 years,” said Southmoreland’s Keefer.
“I live in Mount Pleasant. He lives in Mount Pleasant. And get this: Before my mother retired, her and his mom worked at the same place.”
That would be Brown’s Candy Kitchen in Mount Pleasant, where Mark Keefer, Southmoreland’s Keefer’s brother, is manager. Mark has coached the offensive and defensive lines at Southmoreland since his brother took over as coach last season. Before Mark joined that staff, guess where he coached? He was an assistant at Greensburg Salem for that Dave Keefer during his first five years as head coach.
“I’m [ ticked] about that still to this day,” said Greensburg Salem’s Keefer, laughing. “I [ yell] at him every time. I tell him, ‘ You stole your brother off me, [ jerk].’”
People have confused one Dave Keefer for the other many times. One of those situations happened more than 25 years ago and may or may not have involved an When angry motorcycle the two see gang. each other, it’s sort of like the meme of Spider- Man pointing at Spider- Man coming to life.
“It’s still a joke to this day,” Greensburg Salem’s Keefer said. “It’s like, ‘ Hey,
Dave Keefer. Hey, Dave Keefer. How are you doing, Dave Keefer?’ We’ll just kind of go back and forth.”
Of course the two are both social studies teachers. Southmoreland’s Keefer, a former Marine, teaches at Southmoreland High School. He is a 1987 graduate. Greensburg Salem’s Keefer teaches at Greensburg School. Mount actually living As it Pleasant in turns He three Mount graduated Salem out, Dave in 1993. there Pleasant. Keefers Middle from are The Salem’s named other Dave. Keefer’s is Greensburg father, also in “the We town have of three Mount of Pleasant, them which really isn’t big,” said Greensburg Salem’s Keefer. “The majority of the people in town are familiar with all three Dave Keefers, so they know, but still, I always have to preface, ‘ Which one are you looking for and why?,’ because you never know.”