University of Tennessee Athletics
Rowing
Keys, MJ
MJ Keys
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- mkeys3@utk.edu
Keys arrived on Rocky Top prior to the 2023-24 season, having spent the previous five seasons as an assistant coach on head coach Kim Cupini’s SMU staff.
"I am incredibly grateful to have been given the opportunity to help build an amazing program here at Tennessee with Kim and the entire staff,” Keys said. “With rowing facilities that are world class, and having the support from an already exceptionally successful athletic department, we are eager and ready to push this program to its full potential.”
In her first season on Rocky Top, Keys helped lead Tennessee to its best season in program history. The Lady Vols ascended to No. 3 in the CRCA national rankings by season’s end, and placed third nationally—a program-best finish—at the 2024 NCAA Championships.
Keys and the rest of the Tennessee coaching staff earned the CRCA National Staff of the Year Award for their remarkable efforts in 2023-24.
At the 2024 Big 12 Championships, the Lady Vols tied their best-ever finish, placing second as a team and medaling in all five boats. Tennessee’s five CRCA All-Americans in 2023-24 marked a program record, as UT upped its all-time First Team All-American count from three to seven.
Along with sending all three boats to the A/B semifinals for the first time in program history at the 2023 NCAA Championships, SMU’s 1v8 had the best boat finish in SMU history with a first-place finish in the petite finals. The Mustangs’ ninth-place finish at the NCAA Championships was the best showing ever by an AAC program.
In 2022, SMU swept all four races at the AAC Championship and the Mustangs went on to finish 12th overall at the NCAA Championships with the 1V8+ in 11th, 2V8+ in 10th and the V4+ winning the C final for 13th. The second varsity eight was named AAC Boat of the Year, and the coaching staff won AAC Staff of the Year. SMU tallied eight All-AAC honorees with five first-team selections that season. In addition, three Mustangs were named Pocock CRCA All-Americans.
During the 2021 campaign, Keys helped the Mustangs earn their first conference title after winning all three races at the AAC Championship. The program earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships for the first time in program history. SMU’s first varsity eight was named the AAC Boat of the Year, with eight Mustangs earning all-conference nods. SMU capped the 2021 season by finishing 13th in the NCAA Championships
In her second season, SMU defeated Alabama by over 12 seconds in the first varsity eight during the Mustangs’ first event of the 2020 spring slate, before the remainder of the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Keys’ first season in Dallas saw SMU win the conference championship in the first varsity eight in 2019. SMU was the only program to place in the top three of all six events at the AAC Championship, finishing second overall. Four Mustangs earned All-AAC recognition, with the coaching staff bringing home the 2019 AAC Staff of the Year award. SMU’s first varsity eight was the 2019 AAC Boat of the Year.
“MJ has been instrumental in our recruiting and coaching over the last five years,” Cupini said. “We have worked together closely and I could not be more excited that she is adding to our staff with her international experience and race experience in multiple sports. Her knowledge of training from years in the sport will be extremely impactful to our student-athletes.”
Prior to joining Cupini’s staff at SMU, Keys was an assistant coach at Christchurch Boys High School in New Zealand alongside her twin brother, head coach Logan Keys.
CBHS earned national championships in the novice eight and novice four in 2018 while also capturing national titles in the U17 single, double and quad. The team also captured national championships in the U18 pair, quad and four and a Maadi Cup title in the U18 eight in 2018.
Keys began her collegiate rowing career at Clemson during the 2012 season. As a freshman, she logged a pair of first-place finishes, with the second varsity 8+ and first varsity 4+.
After transferring to San Diego to play for Cupini, Keys competed with the varsity 8+ in each race as the No. 8 seat, helping the Toreros win the 2014 WCC Championship. That season also saw San Diego place 15th at the NCAA Championships, the program’s first-ever appearance at the postseason event. Keys would go on to earn All-WCC honors as a senior in 2015.
A native of Christchurch, New Zealand, Keys earned her B.A. in philosophy from San Diego in 2015.
"I am incredibly grateful to have been given the opportunity to help build an amazing program here at Tennessee with Kim and the entire staff,” Keys said. “With rowing facilities that are world class, and having the support from an already exceptionally successful athletic department, we are eager and ready to push this program to its full potential.”
In her first season on Rocky Top, Keys helped lead Tennessee to its best season in program history. The Lady Vols ascended to No. 3 in the CRCA national rankings by season’s end, and placed third nationally—a program-best finish—at the 2024 NCAA Championships.
Keys and the rest of the Tennessee coaching staff earned the CRCA National Staff of the Year Award for their remarkable efforts in 2023-24.
At the 2024 Big 12 Championships, the Lady Vols tied their best-ever finish, placing second as a team and medaling in all five boats. Tennessee’s five CRCA All-Americans in 2023-24 marked a program record, as UT upped its all-time First Team All-American count from three to seven.
Along with sending all three boats to the A/B semifinals for the first time in program history at the 2023 NCAA Championships, SMU’s 1v8 had the best boat finish in SMU history with a first-place finish in the petite finals. The Mustangs’ ninth-place finish at the NCAA Championships was the best showing ever by an AAC program.
In 2022, SMU swept all four races at the AAC Championship and the Mustangs went on to finish 12th overall at the NCAA Championships with the 1V8+ in 11th, 2V8+ in 10th and the V4+ winning the C final for 13th. The second varsity eight was named AAC Boat of the Year, and the coaching staff won AAC Staff of the Year. SMU tallied eight All-AAC honorees with five first-team selections that season. In addition, three Mustangs were named Pocock CRCA All-Americans.
During the 2021 campaign, Keys helped the Mustangs earn their first conference title after winning all three races at the AAC Championship. The program earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships for the first time in program history. SMU’s first varsity eight was named the AAC Boat of the Year, with eight Mustangs earning all-conference nods. SMU capped the 2021 season by finishing 13th in the NCAA Championships
In her second season, SMU defeated Alabama by over 12 seconds in the first varsity eight during the Mustangs’ first event of the 2020 spring slate, before the remainder of the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Keys’ first season in Dallas saw SMU win the conference championship in the first varsity eight in 2019. SMU was the only program to place in the top three of all six events at the AAC Championship, finishing second overall. Four Mustangs earned All-AAC recognition, with the coaching staff bringing home the 2019 AAC Staff of the Year award. SMU’s first varsity eight was the 2019 AAC Boat of the Year.
“MJ has been instrumental in our recruiting and coaching over the last five years,” Cupini said. “We have worked together closely and I could not be more excited that she is adding to our staff with her international experience and race experience in multiple sports. Her knowledge of training from years in the sport will be extremely impactful to our student-athletes.”
Prior to joining Cupini’s staff at SMU, Keys was an assistant coach at Christchurch Boys High School in New Zealand alongside her twin brother, head coach Logan Keys.
CBHS earned national championships in the novice eight and novice four in 2018 while also capturing national titles in the U17 single, double and quad. The team also captured national championships in the U18 pair, quad and four and a Maadi Cup title in the U18 eight in 2018.
Keys began her collegiate rowing career at Clemson during the 2012 season. As a freshman, she logged a pair of first-place finishes, with the second varsity 8+ and first varsity 4+.
After transferring to San Diego to play for Cupini, Keys competed with the varsity 8+ in each race as the No. 8 seat, helping the Toreros win the 2014 WCC Championship. That season also saw San Diego place 15th at the NCAA Championships, the program’s first-ever appearance at the postseason event. Keys would go on to earn All-WCC honors as a senior in 2015.
A native of Christchurch, New Zealand, Keys earned her B.A. in philosophy from San Diego in 2015.
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