J.J. Eckert will be entering his fifth year at Northeastern State’s head football coach after being named the 20th coach on December 12, 2018.
Eckert has deep roots in Northeastern Oklahoma as a Tahlequah native and a four-year letter winner at Northeastern State (1994-97).
Northeastern State made strides in its first season back in the fall, winning two of its first four games of the season and having five student-athletes named All-MIAA. In the classroom, the RiverHawks had 29 student-athletes named to the MIAA Honor Roll for having at least a 3.0 GPA, and Madison Wrather became the program's second-ever two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American.
Through a challenging first season at NSU, Eckert had six All-MIAA selections and a large signing class of 42 student-athletes to rebuild the tradition-rich program. However, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the vast majority of football programs to stand idle for the 2020 season but allowed the RiverHawks to continue rebuilding. In a non-traditional spring 2021 season, the RiverHawks took the field facing several Great American Conference teams in scrimmages and traveled to Texas for an exhibition game at Tarleton State. In the postseason, the RiverHawks had its first Academic First-Team accolade in Madison Wrather.
Up through the 2018 season, Eckert has served as head coach at Kilgore College since the spring of 2007 and came off a 10-2 season and a national ranking at number-4 (No. 4) in the final NJCAA poll. Eckert guided the Rangers last season to a Southwest Junior College Football Conference (SWJCFC) Championship, and a win in the Heart of Texas Bowl. He was also recognized as 2018 SWJCFC Coach of the Year following a 62-19 win, over Northeastern Oklahoma A&M.
Eckert went 72-53 with the Rangers, winning SWJCFC Regular Season Championships three times (2007, 2012, and 2018). Kilgore took the NJCAA Region 14 crown twice in 2015 and 2018 under Eckert, and participated in five postseason bowl games.
Eckert served as the program’s offensive coordinator, while coaching quarterbacks and receivers at Kilgore. As head coach at Kilgore, 17 former student-athletes of Eckert’s were named NJCAA All-Americans, and he had seven Academic All-Americans.
Eckert’s first head coaching stop was a Garden City Community College (Garden City, Kan.) where he coached the 2005 and 2006 seasons.
While at Garden City, Eckert went 13-8, and participated in the Dixie Rotary Bowl. In two seasons, he had 15 Academic All-Americans, and six NJCAA All-Americans.
Eckert spent four seasons (2001-04) as offensive coordinator at Kilgore College working with quarterbacks, receivers, and special teams. In his first stint with the Rangers, they went 40-14, and finished the 2001 season at NJCAA Runner-Up. Kilgore won the 2001 and 2004 SWJCFC Regular Season Championships and took NJCAA Region 14 titles those same years.
Eckert’s first coaching stop was at his alma mater, where he was NSU’s quarterback and receivers coach during the 1998 and 1999 seasons. Northeastern State went 18-6 while on staff, claimed the 1999 Lone Star Conference title, and reached the NCAA Semifinals.
Prior to coaching, Eckert won two Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference (OIC) titles as quarterback at Northeastern State. He was a member of the 1994 NAIA National Championship team, and part of the 1995 NAIA Runner-Up team.
At Tahlequah High School, Eckert was a two-year football starter, and named All-State in football and golf. In 1993, he was named Tahlequah Athlete of the Year, and was a Daily Oklahoman First Team All-State selection at linebacker.
Eckert graduated from Northeastern State in 1997 with a Bachelor of Education in Health and Physical Education. In 1998, he earned a Masters of Science in College Teaching at NSU.
Eckert is a member of the 2015 NSU Hall of Fame Class that honored the 1994 NAIA National Championship football team.
Eckert is married to wife, Amanda, and they have three children.
Eckert’s father, Tom, is a member of the Northeastern State Hall of Fame (2001), and coached at NSU for 16 seasons.
Under Eckert's Tutelage as Head Coach
- 3 SWJCFC Regular Season Championships
- 6 Postseason Bowl Appearances
- 22 Academic All-Americans
- 23 NJCAA All-Americans
Education
- College: Northeastern State - Bachelors of Education, Physical Education, 1998
- College: Northeastern State - Masters of Science, College Teaching, 1999
Coaching Experience
| Year |
|
Coaching Record |
| 1998-99 |
Northeastern State (Quarterback and Receiver Coach) |
|
| 2000-04 |
Kilgore College (Offensive Coordinator) |
|
| 2004-07 |
Garden City Community College (Head Coach) |
13-8 |
| 2007-18 |
Kilgore College (Head Coach) |
72-53 |
| 2018-P |
Northeastern State (Head Coach) |
|
College Postseason Coaching Experience
| 2018 |
C.H.A.M.P.S Heart of Texas Bowl (Kilgore College) |
| 2016 |
Mississippi Bowl (Kilgore College) |
| 2015 |
C.H.A.M.P.S Heart of Texas Bowl (Kilgore College) |
| 2012 |
Brazos Valley Bowl (Kilgore College) |
| 2007 |
C.H.A.M.P.S Heart of Texas Bowl (Kilgore College) |
| 2005 |
Dixie Rotary Bowl (Garden City) |
| 2004 |
Brazos Valley Bowl (Kilgore College) |
| 2001 |
Red River Bowl (Kilgore College) |
| 1999 |
NCAA Division II Semifinals (Northeastern State) |
