Mr. Wildcat, Bill Keightley Passes Away

[BlackcatAlum]

Keightley passes away after having a fall at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati...

Horrible news... My thoughts & prayers are with his family!

[100%SUCCESS]

Bill Keightley dies in surgery not long ago at 81 years old. He will greatly be missed by many!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Panther Thunder]

Wow! That is so shocking and terrible news..

[Ring'Em Up]

Wow. Shocking is right, Thunder. Prayers for his family, and the UK family.

[FOX SPORTS]

Rest in Peace Mr Wildcat

[Benchwarmer]

This is sad news. Thoughts and prayers.

[blackcat_mvp6]

Rest in Peace Mr. Wildcat.

[DevilsWin]

:( Oh No!

[BlackcatFootball]

I'm still utterly shocked, this is truly a great loss within the wildcat nation. I believe that they should leave his seat on the bench open from here on out.

R.I.P. Mr. Wildcat

[sting]

This is a big lose to the Wildcat Nation. Bill was a true representative of what UK Basketball has been all about. I send my prayers out to the family of "Mr Wildcat" and the Wildcat basketball family. God Bless

[sportsfan06]

Watching UK Basketball will never be the same... it will be so hard to look at the bench and not see MR. Wildcat sitting there cheering on the CATS! He will be sadly missed! May he Rest In Peace!

[geoffrey7]

keightley was a great man and will be greatly missed it wont be the same uk bench without him on it

[Coach_Owens87]

horrible and shocking news.

My prayers go to his family and the university. You will be greatly missed Bill!

[BlackcatFootball]

Just found this out, it turned out he died from internal bleeding due to a previously undiagnosed tumor on his spine.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=792268

[ballcrazy]

FROM a LOUISVILLE fan RIP and my prayres go out to his loved ones , and to the big blue nation .

[Beef]

He will be greatly missed!!!

I do believe that he is already in the Rafters at Rupp but he needs something more. The future basketball arena? Bill "Mr. Wildcat" Keightley Colosseum?

[Raider_Nation09]

RIP Mr. Wildcat

[Brittany0121]

Oh my goodness.. how sad...

[Braves_Fan_26]

Truly sad news, UK wont be the same without him. I totally agree with BlackcatFootball, his seat should be left open and no one allowed to even touch it. Thoughts and prayers to his family.

[15thRegionCrazy]

This is so sad :( ... UK basketball will not be the same without him.

[CAM2006]

Very sad news thoughts and prayers go to his family and the Wildcat Nation

[BelfryPride]

This is truly a sad day for UK and the Big Blue Nation. We have lost a legend. We have lost a part of our wildcat family. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b204/lkbedge/mrwildcat.jpg

[PLAYBOY5]

Watching UK Basketball will never be the same... it will be so hard to look at the bench and not see MR. Wildcat sitting there cheering on the CATS! He will be sadly missed! May he Rest In Peace!
Took my post right out of my mouth! Shocking and sad news this morning! I agree that they need to leave his seat open on the bench!

[JackRabbitSlim]

Bill Keightley is Kentucky Basketball!! He has been around through the ups and downs of this program, and never once strayed from what he loved. He could tell stories that no one else could hold a candle to about college basketball. He has been apart of the most storied basketball program for years, and there is no one involved with UK basketball that will ever be more special than Bill Keightley. He had a special bond with every coach that come through UK, and they all treated him with the respect that he deserved. I for one will never forget what he meant to this program, and all the lives he impacted in his career. When you think of Kentucky basketball you have to think of Bill Keightley. He will forever be missed by all Wildcat fans and every person involved with college basketball. No matter who comes in to do his job they will never replace a legend like Keightley, and there will forever be an empty seat at the end of a lonely bench. This is truly a part of Kentucky basketball that can never be replaced.

[TidesHoss32]

Bill Keightley seen it all while at UK. He deserves to still keep his seat on the bench. And I believe the University of Kentucky should keep it reserved for him. Thoughts and prayers go out to his family. Awful news..

[MVP2]

R.I.P Mr Wildcat!

[#1ukfan]

Today our hearts bleed more blue than usuall as we hear of the passing of Mr. Keightley. He truely embodied a UK fan in every way and was a great man. This man will be sorely missed by everyone and I'm sure he requested a blue robe as soon as he entered into the gates of heaven. Thoughts and deepest prayers go out to the family.

[RedSeal]

OMG!!!!!! I read this morning in the Ashland daily independent and im just kinda teared up reading it, and it will really be wierd watching a UK game and not seeing Mr.Wildcat on the sideline by Billy Gillispie
R.I.P Bill Keightley

[RavenBoy]

I heard something about naming the court after him.

[StrikeoutKing]

I clicked on CatsPause to check on the messege boards and the story was on the front page. I was in total shock! Can you imagine the stories this guy had about UK basketball? He will be greatly missed by all of Big Blue Nation! RIP Mr. Wildcat!!!!!

Just an idea...I think UK should leave an empty chair on the bench like Gonzaga does for their former alumni chaplain, Rev. Tony Lehmann.

[-STAT-]

Truly a sad day in the Big Blue Nation. Mr. Wildcat will be sadly missed and my condolences go out to the Keightly family.

[HawksRule]

This is awful and very sad

R.I.P Mr.Wildcat

[StrikeoutKing]

I know A LOT of people on this site don't like Tubby Smith (for one reason or another), but you can't deny the fact that not many people are as classy as he is. With that being said, here are some comments he had about Mr. Keightley.
http://www.amnews.com/public_html/?module=displaystory&story_id=39754&format=html

[vundy33]

Was he from Kentucky?

[JackRabbitSlim]

Was he from Kentucky?

He was a graduate of Kavanaugh High School in Lawrenceburg.

[BlackcatAlum]

I hadn't shed a tear the whole time since Keightley passed away, but while watching this I shed several tears...

http://www.whas11.com/video/whas11video-index.html?nvid=232862

[Panther Thunder]

I hadn't shed a tear the whole time since Keightley passed away, but while watching this I shed several tears...

http://www.whas11.com/video/whas11video-index.html?nvid=232862Watching that video and seeing all the history and people he has shared his time with and how he loved everyone, I think, is just another example of how we shouldn't feel betrayed or abandoned by Rick Pitino or Tubby Smith, but how we should embrace the fact that they helped add to the rich history of UK basketball. Mr. Keightley could always find the positives in everyone, we all should do the same.

[Homer Simpson]

who's the next mr. wildcat then?