Coaching Accolades
- 20 NFL Draft Picks
- 36 Players in the NFL
- 5 All-Americans
- 13 Bowl games as a collegiate coach, 15 overall
- 17 Of 18 seasons spent as a collegiate coach on the West Coast
- Coached Hornung Award Finalist & All-Pac-12 Selection Adoree’ Jackson (USC)
Notable Players Coached
- Sabby Piscitelli (Tampa Bay)
- Keenan Lewis (New Orleans)
- Brandon Hughes (Philadelphia)
- James Dockery (Carolina)
- Al afalava (Chicago)
- Brandon Hardin (Chicago)
- Jordan Poyer (Buffalo)
- Ryan Murphy (Denver)
- Desmond Trufant (Atlanta)
- Greg Ducre (San Diego)
- Marcus Peters (Kansas City)
- Kevin King (Green Bay)
- Travell Dixon (Carolina)
- Jermaine Kelly (Houston)
- Josh Shaw (Cincinnati)
- Kevon Seymour (Buffalo)
- Adoree Jackson (Tennessee)
- Iman Marshall (Baltimore)
- Marvel Tell (Indianapolis)
- Leon McQuay (Kansas City)
- Su’A Cravens (Washington)
- Jaire Alexander (Green Bay)
- Josh Harvey-Clemons (Washington)
- Jevon Holland (Miami)
- Ugo Amadi (Seattle)
- Tyree Robinson (San Francisco)
- Brenden Schooler (New England)
- Brady Breeze (Detroit)
- Verone McKinley (Miami)
- Deommodore Lenoir (San Francisco)
- Thomas Graham (Chicago)
- Nohl Williams (Kansas City)
Notable Player Accolades
- All-Pac 10 Honorable Mention (Oregon State)
Travers Family Head Fotball Coach Tosh Lupoi announced the return of Keith Heyward as the Bears’ defensive pass game coordinator on January 15, 2026.
Heyward began his second stint with the Golden Bears in March of 2025 as a defensive backs coach. He served as Cal’s outside linebackers coach in 2021. In 2021, Cal’s defense finished fourth in the Pac-12 in total defense at 366.3 ypg and also finished fourth in sacks with 25.
Prior to his return to Cal, Heyward served as the defensive coordinator at Oregon State for a season.
In 2023, he served as a defensive quality control coach for the Las Vegas Raiders. 2023 was his lone season outside of collegiate coaching.
Before his lone season in the NFL, he spent one season as UNLV’s defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach. That season, the Rebels intercepted 15 passes, most in the Mountain West and 14th nationally. In addition, UNLV ranked in the top half of the Mountain West for red zone defense, third down defense and sacks.
Prior to his two years in the desert, he coached safeties at Oregon for four seasons and served as co-defensive coordinator for his last three seasons and assistant head coach for last two. Over the course of his time in Eugene, the Duck defense jumped from 126th nationally in points per game (41.4) in 2016 to ninth (16.5) in 2019. Oregon also improved from 518.4 yards per game (126th) to 329.1 yards per game (22nd). Oregon also went from 246.5 ypg (121st) to 108.9 (13th) in rushing defense, and 271.9 ypg (113th) to 220.1 (53rd) in pass yards allowed. Overall, Oregon intercepted 59 passes during his tenure; UO was the only team in the country with at least 15 for three straight seasons from 2017-19. Heyward oversaw fourteen all-conference selections, a freshman All-American and three NFL draft picks during his tenure as co-defensive coordinator.
In 2016, Heyward coached defensive backs at Louisville. The Cardinals finished 9-4 and played in the Citrus Bowl that season while boasting a defense that ranked 14th in the nation in total defense. The Louisville defense featured future NFL Draft picks Jaire Alexander and Josh Harvey-Clemmons.
Prior to Louisville, he served as USC’s passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach. Under his guidance, Iman Marshall was named a Freshman All-American and cornerback-wide receiver Adoree’ Jackson was named a Hornung Award finalist and All-Pac-12 member. In 2014, Su’a Cravens was named First-Team All-America, Jackson earned Freshman All-America honors and Josh Shaw was selected in the fourth round of the NFL Draft.
From 2012 to 2013, Heyward coached the secondary at the University of Washington. He guided Washington’s pass defense to No. 23 national ranking in 2012. The following spring, Desmond Trufant was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft by Atlanta and he also worked with future Husky draft pick Marcus Peters.
Heyward’s first full-time coaching stop at the FBS level was at his Alma Mater, Oregon State. He coached the Beaver’s secondary for four seasons (2008-11). While in Corvallis, he coached future NFL Draft picks Brandon Hughes, Keenan Lewis, Jordan Poyer, Brandon Hardin, Al Afalava, James Dockery and Suaesi Tuiaunei. The Beavers ranked second in the Pac-10 in 2011, allowing 214.4 yards passing per game under Heyward and eight members of OSU secondary earned all-conference honors during his tenure.
His first coaching stop came in 2007 at Cal Poly, where he was the team’s linebackers coach with the Mustangs. He helped Cal Poly finish first in the Great Western Conference for rush defense and third for total defense.
Out of college, Heyward stepped into coaching at Oregon State. For two seasons (2005-06) he served as defensive graduate assistant. He helped develop future NFL players Keith Ellison and Sabby Piscitelli. The Beavers defense ranked first in the Pac-10 against the run, in addition to sacks and tackles for loss yardage and the 2006 Beavers finished with the program’s second-ever 10-win season.
As a player, he was a four-year letterman (1997-2000) for Oregon State. He started 35 consecutive games, and was a part of OSU’s 2000 11-win season. In total, he tallied 88 tackles, 23 pass breakups and five interceptions and was a Pac-10 Honorable Mention selection in 2000. He was a part of professional rosters with the British Columbia Lions, Scottish Claymores and Los Angeles Avengers. Also saw action in preseason NFL camps with the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks.
