Keenan Jeppesen returns to McMaster as Associate Director for High Performance
June 2, 2022
Countless couples have had to postpone their weddings because of the pandemic.
Though a bit disappointed, Keenan Jeppesen and his fiancé had a lot to be thankful for last Christmas.
She gave birth to his first child (she has a daughter from a previous relationship) and he was appointed McMaster University’s Department of Athletics & Recreation Associate Director with responsibility for High Performance.
The position, said, Jeppesen, is a perfect fit.
“I will oversee everything that has to do with our varsity teams and it allows me to work with young people which is something I truly love,” he said. “Also, I love sport, I have a business mind and I like to build organizations. The business component of this role, figuring out how to develop strong teams from a staff perspective as well as from an athletic and competitive standpoint and processing efficiency is something that appeals to me.”
Jeppesen is quite familiar with McMaster’s culture and environment.
He was a member of the basketball team during the first year of his MBA program at the DeGroote School of Business and Director of Basketball Operations.
Acquainted with some of the university’s staff and coaches, he intends to work with them to redefine High Performance and create a culture that fosters inclusivity and championships.
“Along with Athletic Director Shawn Burt, we are going to explore what High Performance means and put some pillars behind it,” he said. “The priority is to look beyond some of the traditional measures of a varsity athletic department and simply looking at wins and losses. That will be a major component because we are in the business of sport and competitive by nature. That’s part of the job. But in my opinion, developing student athletes and supporting their academic journey is just as important. As a former student athlete, I know there’s a huge amount of time spent in the athletic facility and you can’t separate athletics and academics. You need the support of the athletic department in your academic pursuits. Beyond that, we have a responsibility to help these young people become strong leaders and in their professional pursuits.”
Keenan Jeppesen with his fiancé (c) and stepdaughter (Photo contributed)
Jeppesen’s interest in young people and their growth led to his association with the Onyx Initiative founded by husband and wife Wayne and Nigela Purboo.
The non-profit was launched in October 2020 to bridge the gap in the recruitment and selection of Black college and university students and recent graduates for corporate Canada positions.
As Director of Outreach with the Onyx Initiative, Jeppesen combined his passion for diversity and inclusion with his marketing and corporate partnerships experience. His corporate career started in New York City with Viacom where he was part of the advertising and sales team for several departments, including subsidiary Black Entertainment Television (BET). He was also Vice-President of Marketing & Media Relations at Ubiquiti Networks, leading brand efforts for the company’s consumer product line in Los Angeles.
Purboo is a McMaster University alumnus.
“Wayne and I had a connection through the McMaster sports community and we hit it off and knew we would work together on a project at some point not knowing exactly what it would be until the George Floyd murder,” said Jeppesen who will remain with the organization as a consultant. “In light of that shocking incident and the subsequent protests around the world, Wayne and Nigela were compelled to do something.
“He reached out to me knowing that my passion is working with young people, especially those in marginalized communities who are Black. It was a magical journey for about 18 months connecting young Black students and professionals with the corporate world. It is a journey I can relate to and something I was fortunate to have help with in my early career.”
Keenan Jeppesen with his mom Linda Jeppesen and siblings (Photo contributed)
Born in Vancouver and raised in Ontario, Jeppesen was a standout basketball player in high school and college.
As a 6’7’’ 230-pound forward at Saltfleet District High School in Stoney Creek, he averaged 20.2 points and led the school to the Hamilton-Wentworth senior boys championship in 2003-4.
When the time came to select a university, he settled on Ivy League schools in the United States. He chose Brown after visiting Cornell and cancelling a trip to the University of Pennsylvania.
Jeppesen was seeking a school with a legacy of higher education.
“Looking at the basketball landscape in Canada now makes me incredibly proud,” he noted. “I am realist and didn’t feel that I could play in the NBA (National Basketball Association). I thought I would have opportunities to play professionally overseas. I knew there was going to be life after basketball and I was looking for an opportunity that would put me in the best position to flourish after my basketball career was over.”
After Jeppesen’s sophomore season in which he averaged team-highs 16.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, the coach who recruited him – Glenn Miller -- left for the University of Pennsylvania. The player planned to follow the coach, but Penn’s admission office refused to consider his application.
“It was a really bizarre situation that left me in no man’s land,” he said. “I had isolated myself from teammates who were pretty upset, and rightfully so, that I was leaving.”
Craig Robinson – the brother-in-law of the United States first Black President Barack Obama – was hired to coach Brown.
“He called me and said, ‘I love your game and I would really love to work with you’,” recalled Jeppesen. “He also told me I had some bridges to build with my teammates and he was confident we could do it together. I knew who he was because I am a political junkie and I had read President Obama’s first book. We chatted a lot about his brother-in-law and that had a lot to do with my decision to trust Coach Robinson who I have tremendous respect for and a great relationship with to this day.”
In his junior season, Jeppesen played just seven games before leaving the program for personal issues.
“I had some anxiety and depression issues and Coach Robinson was again incredibly supportive,” he said.
At the end of the season, Jeppesen returned home to focus on his mental health and wellbeing.
“I wasn’t going to leave an Ivy League school without securing my degree,” he said. “The arrangement I made with the help of Coach Robinson was that I could come back home and study at the University of Western Ontario (now Western University) and transfer my credits to Brown. I graduated from Brown and walked with my classmates.”
Going undrafted in the National Basketball Association (NBA) lottery in 2008, Jeppesen represented Canada at the International University Sports Federation (FISU) Games in Belgrade in the summer of 2009.
After nearly eight years working in the United States, he returned to Canada to take up the Director of Basketball Operations post at McMaster in July 2018.
Keenan Jeppesen (l) with his siblings and their dad Keith Gooch (Photo contributed)
Jeppesen’s father, Keith Gooch, spent seven years in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a defensive back. His parents met in Vancouver where Gooch played six seasons with the BC Lions before going to Edmonton.
Linda Jeppesen, who her son describes as his rock, is an Ingredient Technologist.
