Former Bradley basketball assistant Rudy Keeling

[tornado]

http://gonu.com/news/2013/7/6/MBB_0706130951.aspx

Rudy had been ill for several months, and was an assistant under Dick Versace from 1980-86
Rudy also served as head coach at Maine & Northeastern and assistant at Marquette as well as Commissioner of the ECAC & AD of Emerson..

http://www.ecac.org/news/archive/Keeling

http://www.ecac.org/landing/keeling_retires

Rudy was one of the candidates to take over as Bradley HEAD COACH in 1986 when Versace left - but the job went to Stan Albeck..

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1986-07-16/sports/8602200541_1_basketball-coach-dick-versace-ncaa-violations-press-conference

Rudy came to Bradley in 1980 right after he led Peoria Bergan High School to the IHSA Class A title game!!

One other info tidbit is that Frank Martin - current South Carolina head coach and former K-State head coach, got his first college job under Rudy in 2000

http://www.kstatesports.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/frank_martin_695566.html

[wily coyote]

So sorry to hear about Rudy's passing. I first met Rudy when we were in the apprentice course together at Cat. Six weeks before graduating from the course Rudy got the chance to coach at Bergan HS. Coaching was in his blood. I'm sure he would have had a great career at Cat but he made a great decision to leave big Yellow and never looked back. He led Bergan to a second place finish in 80 or 81 than on to BU to become an assistant for Dickie V. The rest is history and Rudy certainly will be missed. Great guy RIP Rudy

[Da Coach]

Article by Dave Reynolds

http://www.pjstar.com/sports/x853684201/Brain-tumor-claims-life-of-former-Bergan-coach-Bradley-assistant-Keeling#axzz2YKMTnBU3

[tornado]

Rudy was in town just a few months ago as he was honored by the GPSHOF..
April 14, 2013 the 1985-86 Bradley team was inducted - this article says he was 74 years old but he was younger than that..

http://www.gpshof.org/

[wily coyote]

Rudy was in town just a few months ago as he was honored by the GPSHOF..
April 14, 2013 the 1985-86 Bradley team was inducted - this article says he was 74 years old but he was younger than that..

http://www.gpshof.org/

Not 100% positive but I think Rudy was 84 not 74.

[Da Coach]

There are conflicting reports about his age and birth date. There are some sites that say he was born in 1947 and would have been 66.

[wily coyote]

Not 100% positive but I think Rudy was 84 not 74.

I need to proof read my posts. It was suppose to be 64 not 84. DC thinks he was 66 and he might be right.

[Da Coach]

There are conflicting reports about his age and birth date. There are some sites that say he was born in 1947 and would have been 66.

Rudy's obituary is in today's PJ Star-

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/pjstar/obituary.aspx?n=harold-keeling&pid=165764746

Interesting that it lists his birthdate as March 17, 1947, which means he was 66 when he died, not 64 as was reported earlier in the PJ Star and elsewhere..

[tornado]

nice story...

http://www.pressherald.com/sports/losing-a-winner-who-brought-folks-together_2013-07-14.html

but here's where I might differ -- Rudy's life, his legacy, his great accomplishments had NOTHING to do with race..
The Rudy Keeling that was defined by what was inside the man is what mattered...

Rudy was a GREAT coach, a great person, a great father & family member, and a great citizen of Peoria and elsewhere...
there's no need to qualify his success or greatness by being the first Black person to do whatever.......
Personally - I believe 99% of the race arguments/debates we have is because the media pushes it for some weird purpose of their own.

[tornado]

another nice story on Rudy Keeling

http://www.pjstar.com/sports/20170331/wessler-south-carolina-coach-frank-martins-honest-tribute-to-former-peorian-rudy-keeling