Coach Mike O’Keeffe Selected Class 3A, District 4 Coach of the Year by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association

Coach Michael O’Keeffe ’07 was named Basketball Coach of the Year for Class 3A, District 4, by the IBCA. After the announcement, Coach O’Keeffe released a statement.

“This award is a result of our team’s core values: relationships, development, and competition. Our team's biggest strength this year was how connected we were, on and off the court. I had the opportunity to lead and coach a fantastic group of young men who valued team success ahead of individual stats, goals, and wants. This led to us sharing the basketball on offense, playing great team defense, and winning 24 games, the third most wins in program history.”

Coach O’Keeffe, a 2007 graduate of Saint Viator, has been coaching the varsity boys' basketball program since 2020. As a former student, Coach O’Keeffe understands the Viatorian values, reputation for athletic excellence, and commitment to shaping strong men on and off the court.

Coach O’Keeffe motivates and inspires his players by building strong relationships with them on and off the court, setting clear, challenging, and achievable goals, and promoting a “team first” mentality. Leading by example, he creates a competitive yet positive environment that connects effort with outcomes.

Crediting his student-athletes with setting the team's culture, Coach O'Keeffe went 24-10 this season. Four Saint Viator players have gone on to play at the collegiate level during Coach O’Keeffe’s five-year tenure as head coach, the latest being Henry Marshall ’25, who is committed to playing at MIT in the fall. 

Coach O’Keeffe earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa and an M.A. in School Counseling from Lewis University. He and his wife, Kacey, have two little girls; his second daughter was born just a few hours after the team beat Stevenson High School by nine points this past December.

“The basketball season, at times, can be a grind due to the late nights, long hours, and tough losses. My wife has been extremely supportive, and I can't thank her enough for the sacrifices she makes daily so I can continue to be the head basketball coach.” 

Coach O’Keeffe continues to say, “I also couldn’t do this without our amazing coaching staff and our players. Players win basketball games, and the credit goes to them.”