Incarnate Word coach returned to Purdue where he learned coaching blueprint from Gene Keady
WEST LAFAYETTE — Legendary former Purdue men's basketball coach Gene Keady's blueprint for a successful program consisted of three things: Do the right thing, go to class and be on time.
It sounds simple, but for a 19-year-old college student, those three things may not be the easiest guidelines to adhere to.
Keady's ability to get his players to buy into his principles is what made him so special as a leader, and his teachings have shaped several successful head coaches including Purdue's current coach Matt Painter and another former Boilermaker point guard in Incarnate Word coach Dr. Carson Cunningham.
Cunningham, a former history teacher and author of five books with a PhD and an MBA expanded on Keady's rules a bit, creating an entire guidebook for how his players should conduct themselves on and off the court.
Cunningham is a deep thinker and he used Purdue professor Randy W. Roberts' book on John Wayne to compare Purdue's growth as a program under Keady to how he plans to mold his program at Incarnate Word.
"(Roberts) writes a lot about the Duke representing the reluctant hero archetype of the West, right? It's hard to embody big ideas, right? But you look at coach (Matt) Painter and that's what he has done, taking the baton from coach Keady," Cunningham said.
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"The way he runs Purdue over a long period of years really embodies these really big ideas about basketball in the state of Indiana, a certain approach to run a college basketball program. He just sets this tone that, to me, is really incredible."
After a brief professional basketball career, Cunningham's coaching career began at Andrean before leading him to Carroll College in Montana. Now Cunningham is in his fourth year at Incarnate Word. The Cardinals won six games in his first season. They improved to nine wins in Year 2 and won eight games in a COVID shortened 2020-21 campaign.
Monday's loss to Purdue dropped the Cardinals to 2-10 on the season, but they play a non-conference schedule that greatly exceeded what they see on a regular basis in the Southland Conference. Purdue's the third ranked team they've faced so far after games against Baylor and Texas Tech. The gauntlet continues for Incarnate Word with a game in Austin against Texas Dec. 28.
"It's definitely something where we feel that we can use it to get better," Cunningham said after facing the Boilermakers. "Purdue definitely got us better today. And, hopefully, we did a few things that are gonna help them.
"For us, it's all about getting ready for our league. ... We're gonna go play some bigger schools and test yourself. So, these are great opportunities, very memorable."
Cunningham's cerebral, detailed approach helped him turn around every program he's coached and that approach also made him a great player. Cunningham began his career at Oregon State before transferring to Purdue and becoming a three-year starter. In 1999 Cunningham and former Purdue star Brian Cardinal led the Boilermakers to the Sweet 16.
"Coach Keady would always talk about being a student of the game," Cardinal said. "(Cunningham) was a student of the game. We spent a lot of time together shooting free throws, getting shots up, playing. He's such a smart person, we all know that, but he's just such a good person.
"It's fun to see him have as much success as he's had. And, I think this team that he's got, they've got a chance to be good and I know he's gonna give it his all to get them to where they want to go."
Having Keady and Painter as role models is a great foundation for any coach. Cunningham is the last branch of Keady's coaching tree and as a fellow Keady disciple, Painter knows how following the roots Keady put down can help a program maintain consistent success.
"Any team can have a good season, but if you can consistently do it, do it the right way and get your degree, that's what a good program is all about out about," Painter said "Really it all comes from coach Keady and the way he did it for 25 years."
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Ex-Purdue basketball player took coaching blueprint from Gene Keady
