Bill Keightley who was the long-time UK basketball equipment manager has died on Monday. He was 81 years old. Hewas wellknown as “Mr. Wildcat”.

Bill Keightley died following internal bleeding caused by a previously undiagnosed tumor on his spine. Doctors believed that the internal bleeding began Monday afternoon while Keightley was attending the Cincinnati Reds season opener.

He was taken to University Hospital, where doctors were not able to stop the bleeding. He died at 7:45 p.m., with his family & members of the UK coaching staff with him at the hospital.

This season was Keightley’s 47th at UK. Known as “Mr. Wildcat,” he worked under six different coaches – Adolph Rupp, Joe B. Hall, Eddie Sutton, Rick Pitino, Tubby Smith & current Wildcats coach Billy Gillispie.