Hall of Fame
Keith R. Gage – Class of 2001
A passion for his players…
When you walked onto the soccer field wearing a Green and Gold uniform from 1966 to 1987 you knew two things for certain…
First, you had to consistently perform at the absolute maximum of your ability.
Second, your coach would never fail to stand beside you in difficult situations.
Two stories illustrate the mettle of t his coach…
…Facing a powerful Hobart squad, the Dolphin’s best player was sidelined with an injury. The team seemed willing to accept that excuse for defeat – until their coach got them in the locker room at half time. In the sort of harangue he usually reserved for referees, he demanded his players perform up to their abilities. No one in that locker room will ever forget his anger at their uninspired play, or their elation at the victory they achieved with a flawless, hard-fought second half.
…When a critical season finale at Oswego turned ugly with a flagrant foul against the Dolphin who netted the go-ahead goal, the coach was the first to spring from the sideline, reach the scuffle and defend his stricken player. Yet as emotions reached a fever pitch, his team had the character to control their anger, forego the temptation to retaliate, secure the win and with it, earn a post-season berth.
He built the foundation of a competitive soccer program from debris of an NCAA record for consecutive losses. Working with bits and pieces of scholarships handed down from higher-profile sports, he recruited quality players on the strength of his personal commitment.
When his team earned its first NCAA tournament bid, he turned an opposing college’s pre-game newspaper headline – “Le Moyne Who?” – into a rallying cry, successfully channeling his team’s resentment into a stunning upset victory.
Vocal and emotional – a bundle of energy on the sidelines who demanded perfection – his players understood there was another dimension to their coach. A dimension that put him at their side in emergency rooms, provided measured, wise counsel and made them a part of his family.
A plain-spoken coach with a tremendous grasp of the fundamentals of soccer, he had the ability to motivate players who possessed diverse skills and backgrounds, blending them into a cohesive team and the character to command respect and commitment through honesty and candor. He schooled generations of Le Moyne athlete in the best of the college’s tradition.
A coach whose passion for his players was always evident,
Keith R Gage, is an honorary member of the
Le Moyne College Athletic Hall of Fame
February 10, 2001
