Hall of Fame
KEN KECK – Administration 1971-2014
No individual in the history of the University of Dayton athletics department has had a greater day-to-day impact on more Flyer student-athletes than Ken Keck. Beginning in 1966 as a student manager with the football team until his retirement in 2014 as Assistant Athletics Director, Keck worked with every varsity sport at UD. He supported the efforts of Dayton student-athletes and coaches for nearly 50 years as Flyer athletics grew from having a handful of targeted sports to having broad-based success in competition and in the classroom.
Keck came to UD in the fall of 1966 and joined the football team as a student manager. He was the head manager as a junior and senior, and then was hired to become UD's first full-time Equipment Manager in May of 1970. In 1973, he added the duties of Assistant Business Manager and was promoted to Business Manager in 1976.
In 1989, Keck was named Assistant Athletics Director, a position that he held for the next 25 years. As Assistant AD, he handled all team transportation, managed all athletics department vehicles, supervised the Frericks Center equipment room, served as the Frericks Center Event Manager and for much of his tenure, was the primary sport administrator for all men's non-revenue sports.
The listing of his job titles and responsibilities falls way short of demonstrating his contributions to the individual wins and team championships the Flyers won during his time on the Hilltop.
While those wins and championships can be documented, Keck's contributions can't be measured. His incredible people skills, positivity, selflessness and amazing work ethic created opportunities for the entire UD community– including all three student-athletes being honored this year -- to succeed and have an outstanding experience as a Flyer.
