As Gene Keady enters Hall of Fame, former Purdue basketball coach’s impact remains on game

[ad_1]

WEST LAFAYETTE — Bruce Weber spent 19 years under the tutelage of Gene Keady.

Weber’s college coaching career began after he drove from Milwaukee to Bowling Green, Kentucky, for a job interview as Western Kentucky’s graduate assistant.

Only when Weber arrived, Keady wasn’t there.

By the time the two connected by telephone, and with Weber refusing to venture three states over again just to be interviewed, the job was offered to Weber without an in-person meeting.

After one season at Western Kentucky, Weber went with Keady to Purdue, where he spent the next 18 seasons building an everlasting friendship.

Weber wrote the foreword for Keady’s 2005 autobiography, ending it with, “In my opinion, there is no question he should be a Hall of Famer.”

More: Gene Keady coaching Pacers? Kentucky? 5 times Purdue Hall of Famer was rumored to leave.

On Saturday, Keady will enter the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame with a 2023 class that also includes the 1976 United States Olympic women’s basketball team, Becky Hammon, David Hixon, Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade, Gary Blair, Gene Bess, Jim Valvano, Pau Gasol, Tony Parker and Gregg Popovich.

“I didn’t expect it, so that makes it very special,” Keady said on Saturday, returning to Mackey Arena for the alumni basketball game. “I had a lot of good help. You never do it by yourself.”

Count Weber among that good help, who took many of Keady’s philosophies with him when he became the head coach at Southern Illinois in 1998 and later to Illinois and Kansas State.

Keady’s Hall of Fame resume speaks for itself: 550 victories, six national coach of the year honors, a gold medal with the 2000 United States men’s basketball team and seven-time Big Ten coach of the year.

His blueprint remains on the program he led for 25 seasons before it was turned over to current coach and former Purdue guard Matt Painter.

And it’s sprinkled throughout basketball thanks to former players and assistants who took pieces of Keady’s coaching style when they went on to lead their own…

[ad_2]
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/gene-keady-enters-hall-fame-144254494.html?src=rss

Author : Journal & Courier

Publish date : 2023-08-10 14:42:54

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.