Gene Keady

Lloyd Eugene Keady (born May 21, 1936) is an American Hall of Fame basketball coach.

He is best known for his 25 years serving as the head men's basketball coach at Purdue University in Indiana.

Keady was born in Larned, Kansas on May 21, 1936.

He graduated from Larned High School.

He had two children with his first wife.

In the summer of 1958, Keady graduated from Kansas State with a B.S. in biological sciences and physical education.

Keady was drafted in the 19th round of the 1958 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers (223rd overall pick) but did not play.

With his football playing career over, Keady returned to Kansas in 1959 where he accepted a teaching and coaching position at Beloit Junior-Senior High School in Beloit, Kansas.

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 (.750).

Keady began his college coaching career with Hutchinson Junior College 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 Jayhawk Conference titles, and Keady earned the title of junior college coach of the year three times (1971, 1972, 1973) 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 (.790).

Following the 1974 season, Keady moved into NCAA Division I college basketball as an assistant coach for Arkansas.

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 (.790).

Following the third-place finish in the 1978 NCAA tournament, Keady was ready to lead his own team to the tournament.

In 1978, he accepted the position of head coach for Western Kentucky University.

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.

In his tenure leading the Boilermakers from 1980 to 2005, he went to the NCAA Tournament seventeen times, twice advancing to the Elite Eight.

He married his second wife, Patricia, in 1981 and adopted her daughter.

They were married until her death in 2009.

He has been married since 2012 to Kathleen Petrie.

Keady's father instilled in him a passion for sports.

This became evident as Keady was a four-sport athlete at Garden City Junior College 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.