Boilermakers Country

Gene Keady 'Proud' of Purdue Coach Matt Painter Reaching Final Four: 'He Deserves It'

Gene Keady got to be a small part of Purdue's run to the national championship game. Upon the team's return from Phoenix, the former coach of the Boilermakers said he's "very proud" of Matt Painter and that the future looks bright for the program.

Dustin Schutte

Mar 2, 2024; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter shakes hands
Mar 2, 2024; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter shakes hands / Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

Gene Keady had a remarkable run as Purdue's coach from 1980-2005. He's the program's all-time winningest coach and led the Boilermakers to six Big Ten titles and 17 NCAA Tournament appearances in his 25 seasons at the helm. Unfortunately, his impressive tenure didn't include a Final Four run. But the former Purdue leader certainly enjoyed this year's ride to the national championship.

Keady traveled with the team throughout this year's NCAA Tournament. He saw the Boilermakers take down Grambling and Utah State in Indianapolis, then made the venture to Detroit to watch Purdue take down Gonzaga in the Sweet 16.

After Purdue's win over Tennessee in the Elite Eight, Keady made his way to the court, where he was handed a piece of the net by two-time National Player of the Year Zach Edey.

Keady also attended the Final Four games in Phoenix to support the team. He went as far as have a Purdue "P" logo put in his hair.

Upon his return to West Lafayette with the team, Keady was asked about the experience of joining the team for the Final Four run. He's incredibly proud of his former player and current coach, Matt Painter.

"Great. This is what I wanted to do when I was coaching, but I never made it this far," Keady said in a video posted by WISH TV's Danielle Zulkosky. "It's unbelievable what Matt has done. I'm very proud of him."

Keady was also asked about the feeling when Purdue defeated Tennessee to advance to the Final Four. The former Purdue coach was incredibly happy for the program and enjoyed going along for the ride.

"Unbelievable. Beautiful. I loved it," Keady said. "Very proud of Matt. He played for me. He deserves it. He has a great family. Just happy to be a little bit part of it."

Winning a Big Ten regular season title in back-to-back seasons and playing in the national championship are not easy feats to accomplish. But Keady believes the future is bright in West Lafayette.

"It looks great. They oughtta be able to recruit now with a little more enthusiasm," Keady said. "Not that they haven't, but when you have this kind of success, it helps your recruiting."

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Dustin Schutte

DUSTIN SCHUTTE