One of the leading figures in American soccer in the middle of the 20th century, as a star of the 1950 United States World Cup team, as captain of the St. Louis Kutis powerhouse and as coach of five NCAA champion teams at St. Louis University.
Keough, who usually played at right back, and who never turned pro despite being one of the dominant American players of his era, was captain of the U.S. teams at the 1952 and 1956 Olympic Games. The Kutis team that he captained won the National Amateur Cup every year from 1956 to 1961, and in 1957 became only the third team ever to win both the National Amateur Cup and the U.S. Open Cup in the same season. Keough also was a member of the St. Louis Raiders team that won the National Amateur Cup in 1952.
Keough played for the U.S. national team from 1949 to 1957, appearing in 19 full international games, including games in the qualifying rounds of the 1950, 1954 and 1958 World Cups. Throughout Keough’s national-team career, he and midfielder Walter Bahr formed a crucial link in the team, particularly during the upset of England in the 1950 World Cup, when Keough was the star of the American backline. In addition to his World Cup appearances, Keough also played in the U.S. team when it faced Scotland in front of a crowd of 107,765 in Glasgow in 1952. In his last national-team game, in which the United States fielded an all-Kutis lineup, Keough was both captain and unofficial coach of the team.
Keough retired from playing in 1962 and became St. Louis University’s coach several years later. During his 16 seasons as coach of the Billikens, they won 213 games, made the NCAA playoffs 15 times, reached the NCAA title game in six consecutive years (1969-74) and won NCAA titles in 1967, 1969, 1970, 1972 and 1973.
Among the players that Keough coached at St. Louis University was his son Ty, who later played for the United States in World Cup qualifying in 1980.
Inducted in 1976.
