University Communications

Kurt Keener ’78 chose the men’s basketball program and Wittenberg University because of a “great tradition of success” and because “I have always been a competitive person, and I like winning.” Since graduating from Wittenberg with a degree in education, Keener has been imposing those same standards upon his players at Detroit Country Day School, and the results speak for themselves.

Heading into the 2002 Michigan High School state basketball tournament, DCDS was among the best teams in the state with a 19-1 record. That’s hardly a surprise considering Keener entered the season with a 437-131 overall record, 14 district titles, eight regional crowns and six state championships under his belt.

Along the way, Keener has coached numerous athletes who have gone on to play college basketball as he did. Two of them are now stars in the National Basketball Association and among the brightest sports stars in the nation today — Shane Battier of the Memphis Grizzlies and Chris Webber of the Sacramento Kings.

He is proud of their accomplishments and his own, but rather than take credit, he offers praise to the people at Wittenberg who influenced him and put him on this career path.“First and foremost, I respected the teachers and coaches I met at Wittenberg,” said Keener, who played on the NCAA Division III national championship team in 1977 and was named an Academic All-American after the season.

“I saw how they interacted with young people, and I wanted to be able to have the same impact on others that they had on me and my peers.” In citing the contributions of such educators as Bob Hartje, Cynthia Behrman, Bob Hamilton, Larry Hunter and Dave Maurer, Keener said he still draws upon his Wittenberg experiences in his day today dealings with young people.

He recalls being genuinely excited studying history thanks to the hardwork of his professors, and he reflects positively on
the way Wittenberg coaches cared about their players.“I was most impacted by people,” said Keener, who has had two former players, Rodney Gilbert ’84 and Troy Hudson, continue their basketball careers at Wittenberg. “From Coach Hunter, I learned that life was full of setbacks, and he taught me how to keep on battling back.

I also learned how valuable loyalty was in building a successful program.” Keener is now the athletics director at DCDS and chairman of the board of directors of the nonprofit foundation Time-Out for Life, which “seeks to promote greater awareness for organ and tissue donation.” Keener and his wife, Nedra, helped establish the foundation in 1999 after he donated a kidney to her. They reside in Southfield, Mich. today with two teenage sons, Jaron and Joey.

Please share your thoughts by e-mailing the editor at wittmagazine@wittenberg.edu