After being a finalist in 2004 and 2006, Gene Keady has been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Keady, 86, spent nearly three decades as a head coach in college basketball. Under Keady, the Purdue men's basketball team made the NCAA Tournament 17 times in 25 years.

The hall of fame announced the 12 inductees in the Class of 2023 to be celebrated during the enshrinement festivities on August 11-12, according to a release. The announcement was made in Houston, the site of the 2023 NCAA Men's Final Four, and was televised on ESPN.

Close calls, heartbreak and surprises: Gene Keady's 5 best Purdue teams

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Here are five things to know about the new hall of famer:

Gene Keady was drafted into the NFL by the Pittsburgh Steelers

Before he became a basketball coach, Keady was a four-sport athlete in Kansas. While Keady said his best sport was baseball, he played football at Kansas State and was drafted in the 19th round of the 1958 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers (223rd overall).

His pro career ended early, so Keady returned to Kansas and became a high school teacher and coach.

Gene Keady has the edge over Bob Knight in head-to-head wins

The two coaches combined for more than 1,400 wins. Bob Knight, the longtime Indiana University coach who also had stints at Army and Texas Tech, won 902 games from 1965-2008. Keady won 550 games from 1978-2005.

In head-to-head matchups between the two coaches, Keady held a 21-20 edge. The two legendary coaches will still meet up with each other to reminisce.

Gene Keady has been named Big Ten Coach of the Year a lot

Keady is the second-winningest coach in Big Ten history, only behind Knight. But while Knight has been named Big Ten Coach of the Year on five occasions, Keady holds the record with seven.

Knight had already won the award four times before Keady was named the conference's coach of the year for the first time after the 1983-1984 season. Keady last won the award after the 1999-2000 season.

Gene Keady also coached in the Olympics, NBA

Keady was never a head coach in the NBA, but he was an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors during the 2005-2006 season.

Back in the mid-1980s when Keady and Knight were in the middle of their rivalry, the IU coach asked his rival to help him pick the 1984 U.S. Olympic team that featured Michael Jordan. The team, coached by Knight, went on to win the gold medal.

Years later, Keady was again involved with the Olympic team, but this time in a more direct way. He was an assistant coach on the 2000 team that won gold in Sydney.

Gene Keady's coaching history

1959-1965: Beloit Junior-Senior High School

1965-1966: Hutchinson Junior College assistant

1966-1974: Hutchinson Junior College head coach

1975-1978: Arkansas assistant

1978-1980: Western Kentucky head coach

1980-2005: Purdue head coach

2005-2006: Toronto Raptors assistant

2010-2015: St. John's assistant

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Gene Keady: 5 things to know about the former Purdue basketball coach