Kentucky Sports Radio
[Moderated by Matt Jones]
[Moderated by Matt Jones]
From UK Athletics:
“Mr. Wildcat” Bill Keightley passes away
Long time Kentucky basketball manager Bill Keightley passed away Monday night at the University of Cincinnati hospital from internal bleeding caused by a previously undiagnosed tumor on his spine. Keightley was 81 years old. Doctors believe the internal bleeding began Monday afternoon while Keightley was attending the Cincinnati Reds season opener. He was taken to University Hospital, where doctors at the trauma center were not able to stop the bleeding, according Dr. Pete Muskat, Clinical Director of Trauma Services. He passed away at 7:45 p.m., with his family and members of the UK coaching staff with him at the hospital.
Affectionately known as “Mr. Wildcat,” Keightley had been associated with the Wildcats’ basketball program since 1962. Keightley, who manned the “Bill Keightley Equipment Room” in Memorial Coliseum, was as much a fixture around UK basketball as the seven national championship trophies on display in the Joe Craft Center.
“This is one of the saddest days of my life,” head coach Billy Gillispie said from Cincinnati Monday night. “I commented earlier today that at the age of 81, he’s become one of my very best friends, and the person I was talking to said ‘that’s what makes him so great, because everyone feels he’s their best friend’.” And that’s because he was so genuine and so caring about others.
“He influenced each of us on a daily basis, and he was a great example of someone who loved his University more than anything. Obviously, he’s in a better place, but the void he leaves for all of us, and especially his family, is going to be a difficult situation. Our hearts go out to his family and the millions of Wildcats fans who he loved so much.”
Having just completed his 48th season on the UK sidelines, the Wildcats’ record over the past four decades with Keightley as equipment manager is 1,113-351. During his tenure, he served under six UK head coaches — Adolph Rupp, Joe B. Hall, Eddie Sutton, Rick Pitino, Orlando “Tubby” Smith and Billy Gillispie. Kentucky, which has fielded 105 teams, has played 2,588; meaning Keightley played a role in 57 percent of those games. In 1997, UK honored Keightley with a retired jersey in his honor. He joins veteran broadcaster Cawood Ledford as the only non-player or coach to have a jersey retired at UK. Keightley was also among 88 Wildcat greats inducted into the charter class of the UK Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005.
“I’m shook up,” former UK head coach Joe B. Hall said Monday night. “We had dinner together Friday night and he was in great spirits. It’s hard to believe. He was a good friend to all of us. He was so close to all the coaches, players, managers and everyone who was associated with Kentucky basketball. It’s a total shock.”
A graduate of Kavanaugh High School in Lawrenceburg, he was a retired U.S. Postal Service carrier and veteran of the Marine Corps in WWII. The avid Cincinnati Reds fan is survived by his wife, the former Hazel Robinson of Lawrenceburg and his daughter, Karen, who works in the University’s veterinary science department and son-in-law Alden Marlowe.
Memorial services for Keightley will be announced.
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Bill Keightley Report : Never to be forgotten.
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March 31st, 2008 at 9:45 pm
love the updated Keightley report
March 31st, 2008 at 9:48 pm
God Bless!
March 31st, 2008 at 9:49 pm
May God bless Mr. Wildcat and his family.
March 31st, 2008 at 9:51 pm
I know of no one that was more highly thought of than Mr Keightley. He represented the true passion that so many of us have for Kentucky Basketball. Rest in Peace.
March 31st, 2008 at 9:53 pm
Thoughts and prayers to his family and millions of friends.
March 31st, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Yep, the Keightley Report is top notch. What a sad day.
March 31st, 2008 at 10:04 pm
What a sad day for Mr. Wildcat’s family and the BIG BLUE NATION! A man who will forever be remembered!
March 31st, 2008 at 10:08 pm
Ironic that he died attending a Red’s game that was commemorating longtime Red Joe Nuxhall. Keightley was certainly to UK Basketball what Nuxhall was to red’s baseball. Two great ambassoders of their respective games. Very much alike in many ways. Two very genuine and likable guys. A sad day in sports…Mr. Wildcat will be missed.
March 31st, 2008 at 10:19 pm
A first class individual who will be missed more than any words can describe. Had the pleasure of meeting him once and he was one of the friendliest people you could meet. May God be with his family and the UK Basketball family at this tragic time.
March 31st, 2008 at 10:20 pm
Wow what a sad sad day not only for the wildcat family and fans, but the keightly family. Think about it for a second, he passes away after a Reds game, that honored the great and late fixture of the team Joe Knuxall, and now right after the Wildcat Family loses their fixture and face to their team. Just an all out sad and shocking day, my heart and tears go out to the Keightly family and UK basketball will not be the same.
March 31st, 2008 at 10:20 pm
haha same thing I was thinking #8
March 31st, 2008 at 10:29 pm
This news, all of my Big Blue Brothers, is sobering. Mr. Keightley was all that was good about UK basketball. He was in a class all his own. He was faithful to a school and program that owes him more than could ever be repaid. This is truly a sad, sad day. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Keightley family and friends.
March 31st, 2008 at 10:37 pm
May he rest in peace. I’ve got some of the statements posted.
This is a sad day. I met the man in 1997 when Tubby came to Louisville. He’s a legend as far as UK goes and one of the closest things we had left to the Baron himself.
I mourn with Big Blue Nation.
March 31st, 2008 at 10:43 pm
Should be a permanent empty chair where he used to sit from this day forward. Period.
March 31st, 2008 at 10:47 pm
This is just terrible, I have never met him, but from being a UK fan all of my life you could always see him sitting in the best seat in RUPP cheering our boys on. That seat will always be there and always remind us! RIP Mr. Keightley. Condolences to his family, We won’t know the pain you feel, But he at UK, he had more family members than anyone!!! You will be missed…
March 31st, 2008 at 11:07 pm
UKs number one fan has moved on, i agree 14 there should be an empty seat. very sad day. god bless him and his family.
March 31st, 2008 at 11:07 pm
This stinks, real bad.
March 31st, 2008 at 11:11 pm
[...] just found out that “Mr. Wildcat” Bill Keightley passed away at the age of 81. If you’ve ever watched Kentucky basketball game you’ve seen Bill Keightley on the [...]
March 31st, 2008 at 11:17 pm
Any idea where they will have the memorial? I honestly think Commonwealth isn’t big enough to fit the people that would turn out to pay their regards to Mr. Wildcat, much less Rupp
March 31st, 2008 at 11:20 pm
rip
March 31st, 2008 at 11:27 pm
I am just getting in, and am stunned. I suppose we just don’t think about this stuff as a possibility, though in the abstract we know it could happen.
This is a very sad day for all of us. I had the pleasure of meeting “Mr. Wildcat” on a number of visits in one place or another…He was always great, and will forever be missed.
March 31st, 2008 at 11:27 pm
Two things:
1. Have the Joe B. Maker’s Bottles already been shipped?
2. I can’t imagine how many people will come to pay their last respects. Think about the number of players he’s seen come through here, and they all loved him. Add every living Wildcat coach, and damn near half of Lexington. It could be a Big Chill type moment.
3. I hope he wrote his memoirs.
March 31st, 2008 at 11:29 pm
That man was Kentucky basketball….MY heart goes out to his family and loved ones….Mr Wildcat we will miss you
March 31st, 2008 at 11:33 pm
Gets harder as the night goes on to talk about. What makes a premier program in college basketball is fans and wins. UK is #1 in wins and their will never be a greater fan than Mr. Wildcat. Wish I could have shaken his hand, glad I was here to see his devotion.
Condolences to Mr. Keightley’s family and friends. Basketball has lost it’s greatest fan ever.
March 31st, 2008 at 11:36 pm
First off I agree with 14, no one should ever get to sit in the chair closest to the scorers table from this day forward on the wildcat sideline, it should sit empty. I had the great pleasure of getting to meet this fine person this past fall for the first time in my life. I have watched him growing up, seen him from afar, and finally got to shake hands put my arm around him and get a picture with him for the first time this past fall. And he was THE NICEST person I have ever met. I mean just saying hi to him he talked as if you known him for years, and automatically made me feel comfortable around him. I felt I could seriously sit there that very instant and talk to him like he was my grandpa.
March 31st, 2008 at 11:42 pm
You will always be the Big Blue Pimp to the Big Blue Nation, sir.
R.I.P.
March 31st, 2008 at 11:42 pm
R.I.P. Mr. Wildcat
March 31st, 2008 at 11:44 pm
RIP Mr. Wildcat
March 31st, 2008 at 11:45 pm
R.I.P Mr. Wildcat
All of Big Blue Nation will miss you and UK basketball will not be the same w/o you there. Prayers go out to all his loved ones - may God give them comfort and strength during this difficult time.
March 31st, 2008 at 11:49 pm
Prayers to Mr. Wildcat, his family, and friends.
To a man whose had a great seat to so many wonderful moments in Big Blue’s history, may his seat be even better for all of the seasons to come!
March 31st, 2008 at 11:57 pm
What a sad day. but what a great man though. He will definitely be missed.
April 1st, 2008 at 12:10 am
Jesus just got the best manager in the biz. Love you Mr. Wildcat.
April 1st, 2008 at 7:07 am
Thank you Mr. Bill.
April 1st, 2008 at 8:35 am
RIP Mr. Wildcat. Our thoughts and prayers to his family and all the big blue nation. Can this season have anything worse happen?
I agree 1000% on the empty chair where he used to sit. Also, some type of patch or arm band to be worn by next years team.