It’s been quite an adventure for longtime basketball coach Joe McKeown.
For almost 30 years now, his coaching expertise has led the Northeast Philadelphia native to winning seasons in Ohio, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and currently in our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. And along his quest for success, McKeown has scored numerous personal accomplishments.
To be exact, he’s scored 500.
McKeown, now coach of the George Washington University women’s basketball team, sank his 500th career triumph on Feb. 2 with a 73-65 victory over Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.
"To get to this point is amazing. I never thought I’d get here," he said. "When you start and you win a couple games, you think, ‘Wow this is not as easy as everyone thinks.’ I feel very fortunate to get here."
This year, the Colonials made their second consecutive Sweet 16 appearance, the fourth in school history. However, after defeating Auburn and California in the recent NCAA Tournament, the Colonials fell, 53-42, to Rutgers University on March 30, finishing their season with an overall 27-7 record.
"It’s been an exciting year," said McKeown. "The only downfall is not bringing my own team to the Final Four."
Now that the season is done, most would think McKeown is ready for some rest and relaxation. But you don’t earn 500 career wins by lying around.
"This is a 365 days-per-year job," said McKeown. "I work on recruiting, fund-raising and trying to make sure players are ready. I help players with drafts and agents, I have press conferences, and then I stay up all night watching tapes of opponents. It’s a non-stop job."
McKeown explained that although the heavy workload can sometimes be overwhelming, he doesn’t mind — he just strives to help his student athletes any way he can.
After all, he used to be in their shoes.
McKeown’s journey began in the early 1970s, when he attended Father Judge High School and played basketball for the Crusaders.
"Just to be part of that kind of team made you understand a lot of things — teamwork, unselfishness," said McKeown, a 1974 graduate. "Just playing at a school like that gave me confidence. If I was good enough to play here, I could play at college."
The student-athlete caught a glimpse of the pressures of coaching during that time as well, when midway through his senior season the Crusaders’ boss, Charlie Greenberg, decided to resign. Bill Fox, now renowned in Northeast Philadelphia basketball circles, took over the school’s program.
"It was a difficult experience," recalled McKeown. "Him (Greenberg) and I had a love-hate relationship, but I did have a lot of respect for him."
McKeown’s true mentor didn’t emerge until after high school, though, while he was attending Mercer County Community College in West Windsor, N.J., and playing ball for the Vikings.
"The coach that I had the first two years of college, Howie Landa, gave me motivation to coach college basketball," said McKeown, who helped his squad earn a 33-1 record and a spot in the championship game while attending MCCC. "He opened doors for me that would have never otherwise been opened."
Soon after, McKeown transferred to Kent State in Ohio, where his success continued. During his time with the Golden Flashes, McKeown set a new school record of 15 assists in a single game, a statistic that still stands today.
After graduating in 1979, McKeown traded his basketball uniform for a business suit and returned to the Golden Flashes, this time as an assistant coach.
"It was kind of weird walking on the court where you played and now you’re coaching," said McKeown, who led his squad to a 21-8 record his debut season. "But there’s an allure to that as well. When you had an opportunity to play at that level, like I did, you see how players think and what they think about. More than anything else, you have that perspective as a player and a coach."
Four years later, McKeown’s mentoring voyage landed him a gig at the University of Oklahoma, where he led the Sooners to more than 20 wins in each of his three seasons with the squad.
In 1986, as his coaching circuit expanded, McKeown scored his first official head coach position at New Mexico State University and put together an overall 68-20 record during his three years with the Roadrunners.
"There so much pressure to win, but to have your players have a good experience and graduate is far more important," he said.
After years of shifting from one squad to another, McKeown landed a job coaching the George Washington University Colonials.
This time he wasn’t going anywhere.
For the past 19 years, McKeown has found his second home in Washington, D.C., while coaching at the university, located about four blocks from the White House.
"I’m pretty happy at the level I’m at," he said. "The relationships I have with players here are the best part. Seeing them come in as freshman and seeing them grow up . . . the impact you have in helping them get through college. That’s the most rewarding part of coaching."
McKeown’s recognition as a coach skyrocketed during his tenure with the Colonials. He was awarded Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year five times and led his squad to eight consecutive 20-win seasons and five Atlantic 10 regular-season crowns between 1991 and ’98.
He has made school history on several occasions, helping the team to its first A-10 Tournament title in 1992 and its first Sweet 16 appearance three years later.
Today, McKeown, 51, is regarded as one of the Division I elite. He now lives in Fairfax, Va., with his wife Laura and three children, Meghan, 16, Joey, 13, and Ally, 5.
"It’s a great place," he said. "After being out in Oklahoma, I never thought I’d make it back. It’s a great thing.
"I still have a lot of family in Northeast Philly, and here, we’re in the conference with Temple, St. Joe’s, La Salle. So we still spend a lot of time there," he continued. "It’s a great opportunity to be back east and still be a part of Philadelphia. Sometimes, I feel like I never left."
And Philadelphia hasn’t forgotten him.
McKeown was inducted into the Father Judge basketball Hall of Honor on Sunday alongside other former Crusaders Bob Farina, Class of ’61; Ron Zawacki, ’67; Bob Heck, ’83; Matt Henrich, ’94; Tim Ryan, ’97; and the entire 1998 Catholic League championship squad.
"I was really surprised," said McKeown. "To be recognized as someone who has had success is amazing. When I think about a school the size of Judge and all the graduates who have done well, it’s a great honor." ••