Frank Keaney

Frank William "Menty" Keaney (June 5, 1886 – October 10, 1967) was an American football, basketball, and baseball coach and college athletics administrator. As a college men's basketball coach, he was known as the architect of modern "run-and-shoot" basketball and the inventor of the fast break.[1]

Frank Keaney
Keaney from the 1943 Grist
Biographical details
Born(1886-06-05)June 5, 1886
DiedOctober 10, 1967(1967-10-10) (aged 81)
Wakefield, Rhode Island
Playing career
Football
c. 1910Bates
Baseball
c. 1910Bates
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Basketball
1920–1948Rhode Island State
Football
1917–1919Everett HS (MA)
1920–1940Rhode Island State
Baseball
1921–1948Rhode Island State
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1920–1956Rhode Island State / Rhode Island
Head coaching record
Overall401–124 (college basketball)
70–86–12 (college football)
222–113–1 (college baseball)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Football
3 New England (1931, 1933, 1938)
Basketball Hall of Fame
Inducted in 1960 (profile)
College Basketball Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2006

Keaney was a native of Boston, Massachusetts, and attended Cambridge Latin School, graduating in 1906. He graduated from Bates College, where he played several sports, in 1911.[2] He was the head football coach at Everett High School in Massachusetts from 1917 to 1919. He coached at Rhode Island State College (now the University of Rhode Island) from 1920 to 1948 and taught a style of basketball using a fast-breaking offense and a full-court defense. In his 28 years at Rhode Island, Keaney's basketball Rams won eight conference championships and had only one losing season.[3] In 1939, Keaney's Rams became the first college team to score more than 50 points per game, and in 1943 the team had an average of more than two points per minute (80.7 points per game), which led to the Rams being dubbed "The Firehouse Gang". During his tenure the URI team had four National Invitation Tournament appearances. Keaney's career record with the men's basketball team was 401–124 (.764).[3]

After retiring from coaching collegiate basketball, Keaney was offered the position of head coach of the Boston Celtics.[4] Keaney's doctor, however, refused to let him take the job.[2] He remained at URI as athletic director until 1959. The university named the Frank W. Keaney Gymnasium-Armory in his honor in 1953. Keaney was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1960.[4]

Head coaching record

College football
Year Team Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs
Rhode Island State (Independent) (1920–1922)
1920 Rhode Island State 0–4–4
1921 Rhode Island State 3–5
1922 Rhode Island State 4–4
Rhode Island State (New England Conference) (1923–1940)
1923 Rhode Island State 1–5–10–34th
1924 Rhode Island State 0–70–35th
1925 Rhode Island State 2–5–10–1–14th
1926 Rhode Island State 1–60–35th
1927 Rhode Island State 5–32–12nd
1928 Rhode Island State 2–70–34th
1929 Rhode Island State 5–2–11–12nd
1930 Rhode Island State 5–2–10–1–13rd
1931 Rhode Island State 4–42–0T–1st
1932 Rhode Island State 2–5–10–1–13rd
1933 Rhode Island State 6–22–01st
1934 Rhode Island State 6–32–12nd
1935 Rhode Island State 4–4–11–12nd
1936 Rhode Island State 5–41–23rd
1937 Rhode Island State 3–4–10–2–14th
1938 Rhode Island State 4–42–01st
1939 Rhode Island State 3–4–11–24th
1940 Rhode Island State 5–32–12nd
Rhode Island State: 70–86–1216–26–4
Total:70–86–12
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

References
  1. Klein, Maury (November 27, 1978). "Yesterday Frank Keaney invented the fast break and Rhode Island made the big time". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
  2. Karsten, James (October 8, 2014). "Top 10 Bates Athletes: #7 Frank Keaney '11". The Bates Student. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
  3. "Frank Keaney Coaching Record". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on October 9, 2014. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
  4. "Hall of Famers - Frank Keaney". Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on August 31, 2009. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
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