Gene Keady
Encyclopedia
Lloyd Eugene "Gene" Keady (born May 21, 1936) is a basketball
coach. Currently an assistant coach at St. John's, he is most notable for being the head basketball
coach at Purdue University
for 25 years, from 1980 to 2005.
in Garden City, Kansas
. At the junior college level, Keady was named an All-American in football
for playing quarterback
. Keady continued his education at a higher level at Kansas State University
. At Kansas State, Keady was a letter-winner in three sports: football, baseball, and track. In the summer of 1958, Keady graduated from Kansas State with a B.S. in biological sciences and physical education.
. The only coaching position open at the school was for the basketball team. Keady coached in Beloit for six years from 1959 to 1965. Keady understood the value of education and never stopped learning, even while he was coaching. In 1964, he earned his master's degree in education from Kansas State. While coaching high school basketball, he compiled a record of 142 wins to 47 losses.
in Hutchinson, Kansas
. He served as the assistant coach for the Blue Dragons starting in 1965. After only one year, Keady was promoted to take over the head coaching position. Under Keady's leadership the Blue Dragons won six league titles, and Keady earned the title of junior college coach of the year three times for his region. The highlight of his early coaching career came in 1973 when Hutchinson finished second in the junior college national tournament after completing the season with 29 wins and 4 losses. His overall record at Hutchinson was 187–48, .796 winning pct.
. Head coach Eddie Sutton
and Keady made the Razorbacks into a perennial national contender. In 1977, Arkansas appeared in the NCAA tournament for the first time in nineteen years. In 1978, Arkansas made it to the Final Four
. Although they lost a close game to Kentucky
, making it to the Final Four was a huge success for Keady and Sutton. While at Arkansas, Keady gained fame for his impressive recruiting skills. Notable players recruited by Keady include Ron Brewer
, Marvin Delph
and Sidney Moncrief
. During his time at Arkansas, the team accumulated 94 wins with 24 losses.
. In his first year as a division one head coach, the team went 17–11, and finished tied for second in the conference. The team improved in his second year to go 21–8 and be named the regular season Ohio Valley Conference
Co-Champions. The team won the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament and earned a berth in the NCAA tournament. In the first round the team played Virginia Tech
, but lost in overtime. While at Western Kentucky, Keady and assistant coach Bruce Weber
compiled an overall record of 38–19.
head coach on April 11, 1980. Keady became the winningest coach in school history with 512 victories and second winningest coach in Big Ten Conference
history, only behind former rival, Bob Knight, and was the Big Ten Coach of the Year seven times. He was also National Coach of the Year six times in a sixteen year timescale from 1984 to 2000. However, Keady was never able to win an NCAA championship in his career despite his success, nor reach a Final Four with Purdue. Keady hired former Purdue guard, Matt Painter
(1989–1993), as his associate head coach for the 2004–2005 season. He was selected to take over the head coaching position.
Keady retired from coaching Purdue following the 2004–2005 season after leading Purdue to 18 NCAA Tournament
appearances. He took the Boilermakers to two Elite Eight
appearances and five total Sweet Sixteen appearances. His total NCAA tournament postseason record is 20–19. He led Purdue to five NIT
appearances with a record of 12–5 and a second and third place finish. Mackey Arena
's basketball court was named "Keady Court" in dedication to him. In October 2006 Keady was named the recipient of the 2007 John R. Wooden
"Legends of Coaching" Award. Keady is the ninth recipient of this award, as it was created in 1999. While coaching at Purdue, Gene was quoted by saying, "Recruiting is a lot like shaving, if you miss a day, you look like a bum." http://woodenaward.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/102406aaa.html
hired Keady to be his assistant coach. http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/news/story?id=5686861 His main roles as an assistant to Lavin are breaking down game film and serving as a bench coach on game days.
.
in Sydney as an assistant coach for the Dream Team
. Keady's national teams won a total of 2 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze medals with a 22–2 record. As the head coach of various USA Basketball teams, Keady racked up a record of 22–2 in four different tournaments from 1979 to 1991. He led Team USA to two gold medals: one in 1979 at
the National Sports Festival, and another in 1989 at the World University Games. Keady also grabbed the silver medal in 1985 at the R. Williams Jones Cup and the bronze at the 1991 Pan-American Games.
offered to him by senior basketball adviser to the president Wayne Embry
http://www.lafayettejc.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051206/SPORTS02010201/512060347/1045/SPORTS. The hiring was officially announced by the club on December 9 in a press release http://www.nba.com/raptors/news/PR_keady_051209.html. On May 18, 2006 it was announced that Keady will not be returning for the 2006–07 season because of his wife's illness http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060520/SPORTS/605200391.
. Keady is also an occasional commentator
for the network. He attends Purdue home games on a regular basis.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
coach. Currently an assistant coach at St. John's, he is most notable for being the head basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
coach at Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
for 25 years, from 1980 to 2005.
Kansas State (1954–1958)
Gene's father instilled in him a passion for sports. This became evident as Keady was a four sport athlete at Garden City Junior CollegeGarden City Community College
Garden City Community College is a fully accredited community college located in Garden City, Kansas, USA. GCCC has regional accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools...
in Garden City, Kansas
Garden City, Kansas
Garden City is a city in and the county seat of Finney County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 26,658. The city is home to Garden City Community College and the Lee Richardson Zoo, the largest zoological park in western Kansas.-History:In February 1878, James...
. At the junior college level, Keady was named an All-American in football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
for playing quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
. Keady continued his education at a higher level at Kansas State University
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
. At Kansas State, Keady was a letter-winner in three sports: football, baseball, and track. In the summer of 1958, Keady graduated from Kansas State with a B.S. in biological sciences and physical education.
Beloit High School (1959–1965)
With his football playing career over, Keady returned to Kansas in 1959 where he accepted a teaching and coaching position at Beloit High School in Beloit, KansasBeloit, Kansas
Beloit is a city in and the county seat of Mitchell County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,835.- History :...
. The only coaching position open at the school was for the basketball team. Keady coached in Beloit for six years from 1959 to 1965. Keady understood the value of education and never stopped learning, even while he was coaching. In 1964, he earned his master's degree in education from Kansas State. While coaching high school basketball, he compiled a record of 142 wins to 47 losses.
Hutchinson Junior College (1965–1974)
Keady began his college coaching career with Hutchinson Community CollegeHutchinson Community College
Hutchinson Community College is a two-year college located in Hutchinson, Kansas. Its mascot is the Blue Dragon. Philadelphia Phillies reliever Mike Zagurski attended the school.-External links:*...
in Hutchinson, Kansas
Hutchinson, Kansas
Hutchinson is the largest city in and the county seat of Reno County, Kansas, United States, northwest of Wichita, on the Arkansas River. It has been home to salt mines since 1887, thus its nickname of "Salt City", but locals call it "Hutch"...
. He served as the assistant coach for the Blue Dragons starting in 1965. After only one year, Keady was promoted to take over the head coaching position. Under Keady's leadership the Blue Dragons won six league titles, and Keady earned the title of junior college coach of the year three times for his region. The highlight of his early coaching career came in 1973 when Hutchinson finished second in the junior college national tournament after completing the season with 29 wins and 4 losses. His overall record at Hutchinson was 187–48, .796 winning pct.
Arkansas (1975–1978)
In 1975, Keady moved onto NCAA Division I college basketball as an assistant coach for ArkansasArkansas Razorbacks
The Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the names of college sports teams at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The term Arkansas Razorbacks properly applies to any of the sports teams at the university. The Razorbacks take their name from the feral pig of the same name...
. Head coach Eddie Sutton
Eddie Sutton
Eddie Sutton is an American former college head coach with 36 years of Division I basketball coaching experience at Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma State , and the University of San Francisco...
and Keady made the Razorbacks into a perennial national contender. In 1977, Arkansas appeared in the NCAA tournament for the first time in nineteen years. In 1978, Arkansas made it to the Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
. Although they lost a close game to Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
, making it to the Final Four was a huge success for Keady and Sutton. While at Arkansas, Keady gained fame for his impressive recruiting skills. Notable players recruited by Keady include Ron Brewer
Ron Brewer
Ronald Charles Brewer is a retired American professional basketball player. A 6'4" guard from the University of Arkansas, he was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the 1978 NBA Draft.-Prep years:Brewer played basketball at Fort Smith Northside High School, leading the...
, Marvin Delph
Marvin Delph
Marvin Delph is a retired American basketball player, who experienced his greatest success at the college level.In high school, Delph led the Conway Wampus Cats to two state basketball championships, in 1973 and 1974....
and Sidney Moncrief
Sidney Moncrief
Sidney A. Moncrief is a retired American professional basketball player. As an NCAA college basketball player from 1975–1979, Moncrief led the University of Arkansas Razorbacks trio known as "The Triplets" to the 1978 Final Four, which ended in a win in the NCAA Consolation Game versus #6 Notre Dame...
. During his time at Arkansas, the team accumulated 94 wins with 24 losses.
Western Kentucky (1978–1980)
Following the third place finish in the 1978 NCAA tournament, Keady was ready to lead his own team to the tournament. In 1979, he accepted the position of head coach for Western Kentucky UniversityWestern Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....
. In his first year as a division one head coach, the team went 17–11, and finished tied for second in the conference. The team improved in his second year to go 21–8 and be named the regular season Ohio Valley Conference
Ohio Valley Conference
The Ohio Valley Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the midwestern and southeastern United States. It participates in Division I of the NCAA; the conference's football programs compete in the Football Championship Subdivision , the lower of two levels of Division I...
Co-Champions. The team won the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament and earned a berth in the NCAA tournament. In the first round the team played Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball
The Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball team is an NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Home games are played at Cassell Coliseum, located on Virginia Tech's campus in Blacksburg.-History:...
, but lost in overtime. While at Western Kentucky, Keady and assistant coach Bruce Weber
Bruce Weber (coach)
Bruce Brett Weber is an American college basketball coach. Weber is the head coach of the University of Illinois men's basketball team...
compiled an overall record of 38–19.
Purdue (1980–2005)
Gene Keady became the Purdue Boilermakers men's basketballPurdue Boilermakers men's basketball
The Purdue Boilermakers basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and is a member of the Big Ten Conference. Purdue basketball holds the record for most Big Ten Championships with 22, along with being the only program in the conference to boast winning records...
head coach on April 11, 1980. Keady became the winningest coach in school history with 512 victories and second winningest coach in Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
history, only behind former rival, Bob Knight, and was the Big Ten Coach of the Year seven times. He was also National Coach of the Year six times in a sixteen year timescale from 1984 to 2000. However, Keady was never able to win an NCAA championship in his career despite his success, nor reach a Final Four with Purdue. Keady hired former Purdue guard, Matt Painter
Matt Painter
Matt Painter is the current head coach of the Purdue Boilermakers basketball team.-Playing career:Matt Painter attended Delta High School in Muncie and played basketball for current basketball coach and former athletic director, Stan Daugherty...
(1989–1993), as his associate head coach for the 2004–2005 season. He was selected to take over the head coaching position.
Keady retired from coaching Purdue following the 2004–2005 season after leading Purdue to 18 NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
appearances. He took the Boilermakers to two Elite Eight
Elite Eight
The term Elite Eight, or less commonly called "Great Eight", refers to the final eight teams in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship or the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship; and, thus, represents the national quarterfinals. In Division I, the Elite Eight consists of the...
appearances and five total Sweet Sixteen appearances. His total NCAA tournament postseason record is 20–19. He led Purdue to five NIT
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
appearances with a record of 12–5 and a second and third place finish. Mackey Arena
Mackey Arena
Mackey Arena is located in West Lafayette, Indiana. Part of the Purdue University campus, it is home to the university's basketball teams, and occasionally hosts home games for the volleyball and wrestling teams...
's basketball court was named "Keady Court" in dedication to him. In October 2006 Keady was named the recipient of the 2007 John R. Wooden
John Wooden
John Robert Wooden was an American basketball player and coach. Nicknamed the "Wizard of Westwood", he won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period — seven in a row — as head coach at UCLA, an unprecedented feat. Within this period, his teams won a record 88 consecutive games...
"Legends of Coaching" Award. Keady is the ninth recipient of this award, as it was created in 1999. While coaching at Purdue, Gene was quoted by saying, "Recruiting is a lot like shaving, if you miss a day, you look like a bum." http://woodenaward.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/102406aaa.html
St. John's (2010–present)
In October 2010, newly hired St. John's coach Steve LavinSteve Lavin
Steve Lavin is an American basketball coach and former player. He is currently the head men's basketball coach at St. John's University in Queens, New York. Lavin previously served as the head coach for UCLA....
hired Keady to be his assistant coach. http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/news/story?id=5686861 His main roles as an assistant to Lavin are breaking down game film and serving as a bench coach on game days.
College head coaching record
Keady helped boost coaching careers while at Purdue with former assistant coaches and players, which created the Gene Keady coaching treeGene Keady coaching tree
The Gene Keady Coaching Tree is a chain of NCAA men's basketball coaches who can trace their coaching roots to Gene Keady.-Gene Keady :...
.
Dream Team (2000)
In 2000, Keady won a Gold Medal in the Olympic GamesOlympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
in Sydney as an assistant coach for the Dream Team
Basketball at the 2000 Summer Olympics
-Group B:-Championship bracket:-Classification matches:-Preliminary round:The four best teams from each group advanced to the quarterfinal round.-Group A:-Group B:-Championship bracket:...
. Keady's national teams won a total of 2 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze medals with a 22–2 record. As the head coach of various USA Basketball teams, Keady racked up a record of 22–2 in four different tournaments from 1979 to 1991. He led Team USA to two gold medals: one in 1979 at
the National Sports Festival, and another in 1989 at the World University Games. Keady also grabbed the silver medal in 1985 at the R. Williams Jones Cup and the bronze at the 1991 Pan-American Games.
Toronto Raptors (2005–2006)
On December 6, 2005 he accepted a position of an assistant coach with the Toronto RaptorsToronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
offered to him by senior basketball adviser to the president Wayne Embry
Wayne Embry
Wayne Richard Embry is a retired American basketball player; a center/forward whose 11-year career spanned from 1959 to 1969...
http://www.lafayettejc.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051206/SPORTS02010201/512060347/1045/SPORTS. The hiring was officially announced by the club on December 9 in a press release http://www.nba.com/raptors/news/PR_keady_051209.html. On May 18, 2006 it was announced that Keady will not be returning for the 2006–07 season because of his wife's illness http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060520/SPORTS/605200391.
Big Ten Network (2007–present)
In 2007, The Big Ten Network, a network that airs live sporting events of Big Ten Conference teams and news from around the conference, hired Keady to be a basketball analyst, along with former Big Ten basketball players, Tim Doyle and Jim JacksonJim Jackson (basketball)
James Arthur "Jim" Jackson is an American retired professional basketball player. Over his 14 NBA seasons, Jackson was on the active roster of 12 different teams, tying the league record. He is currently a basketball analyst on the Big Ten Network.-High school and college career:Jackson was a 6'6"...
. Keady is also an occasional commentator
Sports commentator
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
for the network. He attends Purdue home games on a regular basis.