Mr. Wildcat

I met Mr. Wildcat, Bill Keightley after my first Midnight Madness. He was talking to a friend and I, being the young wildcat fan I was, ambushed him. I grabbed his hand, asked him to sign something and took a picture. Looking back I was embarrassed by my behavior. But he could not have been more gracious.

Mr. Keightley served as Equipment Manager for every UK coach since Adolph Rupp. He was a fixture, on the bench, at every UK game. Players and coaches alike have sung the praises of Mr. Wildcat for years.

For any Kentucky fan, and for many sports fans in general, it is with sad regret to learn this evening that Mr. Keightley left this world today. He leaves a huge void at UK, that I'm not sure will ever be filled. But nobody has ever been more faithful to his team.





I hope Coach Rupp and Cawood were there to greet you at the gates, Mr. Wildcat. You'll be sorely missed.