Former coach Keady joins Purdue fans to welcome team back after NCAA final
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WISH) — The Purdue Boilermakers on Tuesday night were welcomed back to West Lafayette by hundreds of cheering fans decked out in black and gold at the university’s airport.
The Purdue men’s basketball team was the runner-up in the NCAA Championship against the University of Connecticut Huskies.
Former Purdue men’s basketball coach Gene Keady on Tuesday returned with the team and then joined the fans thrilled to celebrate the players who took the Boilermakers to the final game for the first time since 1969.
“Well, great, because this is what I wanted to do when I coached but I never made it this far,” Keady said. “But it’s unbelievable what Matt has done, and I am very proud of him, and it’s good to see all of the fans out here because we have the best fans in America.”
Keady agreed with many fans who said a key to Purdue’s success has been recruiting locally from the state of basketball.
“We always try to recruit kids who are local, so I think it’s very, very important to keep the loyalty of the fans and get kids to work on their game so they know if they’re good enough, they will get to go to Purdue,” Keady said.
Other fans were happy to see Purdue go as far as they did. They said next season will be just as successful.
“Man, this is a historic moment for Purdue basketball, and I just wanted to be a part of it,” said Laura Soto, of Carmel. “We live an hour away and we just had to be here to support the team and thank them for everything they’ve done this season.”
“The hustle was there. The heart was there. They did their best,” said Amalia Marquardt, a Purdue junior. “Unfortunately, like you said, they couldn’t get through to the end. But, you know, they put their heart and soul into it.”
“I think there’s a lot of good players that are coming up and I think (head coach) Matt Painter has a lot of potential to build up other players too so we definitely have chances in the future,” said Claire Hagedorn, a Purdue freshman.
Fans are already looking forward to seeing what Painter can accomplish next season.
Keady talks about Purdue’s future
News 8 spoke to Keady one-on-one after he got off the plane in West Lafayette returning from the NCAA Championship in Glendale, Arizona.
Keady is an American Hall of Fame basketball coach having served 25 years as the Boilermaker’s head coach from 1980 to 2005.
Question: What did it feel like knowing the team was going to the Final Four and then the Big Dance?
Keady: “Well, it was unbelievable, beautiful; I loved it. Very proud of Matt. He played for me, and he deserves it. He has a great family. Glad to be a little bit a part of it.”
Q: What are you thinking for the future of the team, what does it hold?
Keady: Well, it looks great. They ought to be able to recruit now with a little more enthusiasm maybe, not that they haven’t but when you have this kind of success it helps your recruiting.”