Billy Key
Men's Basketball Coach/Athletic Director
Missouri S&T (1964-90)
Key served as the men's basketball head coach at Missouri-Rolla (now Missouri S&T) from 1964-87. He finished his coaching career at Missouri S&T with a record of 279-278. The 279 wins are the most coaching wins in school history. He won a total of 542 games as a basketball coach in both the high school and collegiate ranks at two Missouri high schools, Harris Teachers College, Nicholls State University and Missouri S&T.
He led Missouri S&T to the 1975-76 MIAA championship, the first conference title in the history of the men's basketball program. He also led the Miners to berths in two NCAA Division II Tournaments and coached two All-America players on the court (Curtis Gibson and Duane Huddleston), three Academic All-America performers (Ross Klie, Todd Wentz and Dave Moellenhoff) and one player selected in the National Basketball Association Draft (Ken Stalling). Key served as the president of the National Basketball Coaches Association during the 1985-86 season and also served on the organization's board of directors and All-America committee.
As the Director of Athletics at Missouri S&T from 1968 until his retirement from the University at the end of the 1990 calendar year, Key led the University's athletics program in a period of its greatest growth, including the addition of several new teams and facilities. He did return to coaching as a men's basketball assistant at the University of Central Missouri, his alma mater (1949), for the 1991-92 season.
Key has also been previously inducted into three Halls of Fame, including the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, Missouri S&T Athletics Hall of Fame and University of Central Missouri Hall of Fame. Key also coached a team in the National Sports Festival Games and conducted clinics in Brazil through the Partners of the Americas program. The basketball court at the Bullman Multi-Purpose Building at Missouri S&T was named for him prior to the start of the 2008-09 season.