Legendary Lawrence North High School Basketball Coach Jack Keefer Retires After 46 Years
Writer / Ryan Kennedy
Indiana’s second‑winningest high‑school coach, Jack Keefer, has stepped down after 46 seasons leading the Lawrence North High School boys basketball program.
From Oak Hill Roots to Wildcat Legend
Keefer fell in love with hoops at Oak Hill High, where mentor Phil McCarter pushed him toward college. After a year of college basketball and a switch to track at Ball State, he double‑majored in accounting and education but chose coaching over business.
Four seasons back at Oak Hill set the stage for Keefer’s 1976 hiring as Lawrence North’s inaugural head coach—a role he never left.
“I never thought I’d still be coaching a half‑century later,” Keefer says.
865 Victories and a Culture of Commitment
- Career record: 865‑338 (804‑312 at Lawrence North)
- State titles: 1989 (single‑class era), 2004, 2005, 2006
- State finalist: 2021
- Other hardware: 7 regionals, 19 sectionals, 10 Marion County crowns
- Win streak: 50 straight (2005‑07) behind Greg Oden & Mike Conley Jr.
Keefer credits success to shared time investment:
“It takes a lot of time—kids, coaches, families all buy in,” he notes, adding
that team meals at his home made players feel like family.
More Than Wins
“Wins and losses come and go,” Keefer insists. “It’s the journey that matters.” Still, one triumph stands above 864 others—the 1989 single‑class championship in a media‑packed Hoosier Dome.
What’s Next
At 78, Keefer plans to enjoy his Brown County cabin and cycling trips from New Orleans to the south of France.
“My poor wife’s been at games for 46 years,” he laughs. “It’s time for a new journey.”