Former Purdue basketball coach Gene Keady enshrined into Naismith Hall of Fame
SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts — The résumé, 550 Division I victories (and 879 in all between high school, junior college and NCAA Division I), part of a gold medal 2000 United States Olympic men's basketball team, bronze medals in the 1989 World University Games and 1991 Pan-American Games and five-time national coach of the year included, screamed hall of famer.
Now, so does the orange jacket.
Former Purdue basketball coach Gene Keady was enshrined into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Saturday night, officially taking his place in basketball history forever.
"It is icing on the cake," Keady said last week.
Because for so long, it was an honor Keady never thought was going to come.
And he was OK with that.
Others, however, weren't or already assumed Keady took his rightful spot at the birthplace of basketball long ago.
More: Purdue basketball's 'Play hard' style took Gene Keady to Hall of Fame
Technically, to be fair, Keady was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001, four years before he retired as Purdue's men's basketball coach. He's been a member of the National Junior College Basketball Hall of Fame since 1990 and the Kansas State Athletics Hall of Fame since 2007.
"To be, the best thing you can say about a person is that they've achieved sustained excellence," former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said in a video package prior to Keady's enshrinement. "When you are always excellent and for a long period of time, it really sets you apart. I love that about him."
Now, though, there's no denying Keady's credentials.
To be among those in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, you have to be among the greatest to have had an impact on the game.
Gene Keady was.
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @samueltking.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Former Purdue coach Gene Keady enshrined into Naismith Hall of Fame
