We see him on the sidelines at Purdue games with his funny reactions that instantly turn to gifs. We know how legendary the former coach is and I think we all wanted him to be recognized for what he did for not just our program, but basketball in general. We are naturally an instant gratification species, it’s natural to want things right away. But sometimes the best things in life are worth waiting for and Gene Keady is finally getting something I’m sure he has waited years for. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today that Keady will be inducted into the class of 2023 during the Final Four in Houston.
The former Purdue coach is one of the best in college basketball history. He won National Coach of the year six times and is the most successful coach in Purdue history garnering 512 wins. He won 6 of the 25 Big Ten Titles and holds the record for most Big Ten Coach of the Year awards with seven.
He took the Boilers to the NCAA tournament 17 times in his 25 years as head coach including 5 Sweet 16s and 2 elite eights.
Keady originally from Kansas was born on May 21, 1936. He attended Larned High School before attending junior college at Garden City. He was an All-American in football playing quarterback and then went on to Kansas State where he played football, baseball, track. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences and Physical Education.
He made a number of stints at schools before landing at Purdue in 1980 including Hutchinson Junior College (65-74), Arkansas (75-78), and Western Kentucky (78-80). After retiring from Purdue he was an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors for a year but left when his late wife Patricia fell ill.
His basketball knowledge and coaching expertise extends to a vast tree with some notable coaches including Bruce Weber, Kevin Stallings, Steve Lavin, Matt Painter, Cuonzo Martin and Paul Lusk.
Keady will be adding another trophy into his case as he already been inducted into five other Hall of fames; the NJCAA Hall of Fame (1990), the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame (2001), the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame (2007), the Purdue Athletics Hall of Fame (2010) and the College Basketball Hall of Fame (2013).
Keady will be in good company and is joined with Pau Gasol, Dwayne Wade, Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, Gene Bess, David Hixon, Gregg Popovich, Becky Hammon, Gary Blair, Jim Valvono, and the 1976 U.S. Women’s Olympic Team for the Class of 2023 inductees. The event will take place on August 11-12 in Springfield Massachusetts.