Legendary Purdue coach Gene Keady's unique showcase of support for Zach Edey's team during national title showdown vs. UConn

Legendary Purdue coach Gene Keady made his presence felt at State Farm Arena in Glendale, Arizona, during the national championship game between Zach Edey's Boilermakers (34-4) and fellow top-seed UConn (36-3) on Monday.

Keady has supported Purdue throughout their March Madness run, but on Monday, he took things to the next level.

The 87-year-old sported the letter "P" at the back of his head to show his allegiance to the team. Keady wore a Purdue hat and sweater as well. He also had a small "P" sticker on his face when he took his seat in the arena before tipoff.

It's safe to say that Keady went the extra mile to flaunt his support for Purdue, who is playing in its first national championship game.

The Boilermakers have been on a sensational run in the postseason after losing to Wisconsin in the second round of the Big 10 Conference Tournament. Purdue took down Grambling State, Utah State, Gonzaga, Tennessee, and NC State in its five NCAA Tournament games to set up a national championship clash against UConn.

However, at the time of writing, Edey's Purdue is trailing UConn 67-54 in the national championship game with just under three minutes left in the second half.

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A look at Gene Keady's coaching record at Purdue

Former Purdue Boilermakers HC Gene Keady

Gene Keady was appointed as the Purdue coach in 1980. He led the team to six Big Ten regular season championships and made it to the NCAA tournament 17 times across 25 seasons at the helm.

Keady's Purdue reached the Elite Eight twice, but never made it past the quarterfinal of the NCAA Tournament.

Keady finished his coaching career at Purdue with an impressive 512-270 record before retiring from his post in 2005. He holds the record for the most wins at the school and was named Big Ten Coach of the Year seven times.

Keady was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023.