Intensity, caring helped land Mark Kieffer in basketball Hall of Fame
Aug. 30—ROCHESTER — It was between being a pilot or a teacher and a coach. That's what was on the mind of Mark Kieffer in 1974, the summer going into his senior year at Rochester Mayo. The teacher/coach idea had some momentum. Mayo — with Kieffer playing a key role — had for the first time made it to the state boys basketball tournament that spring. That gave Kieffer an inspirational jolt. ...
In 1974, Mark Kieffer was faced with a choice between becoming a pilot, teacher, or coach during his senior year at Rochester Mayo. The latter option gained traction after Mayo, with Kieffer's assistance, made it to the state boys basketball tournament that year. Consequently, Kieffer pursued a 30-year teaching career followed by 17 years as a coach at Mayo.
As the coach, he led the boys basketball team to state tournament appearances in 1996 and 1997, achieving a 264-147 record and finishing his coaching tenure in 2004. On October 24, Kieffer will be inducted into the Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, alongside four other inductees, including Joe Madson from Mankato East.
The ceremony will take place at the Minneapolis Marriott Northwest Hotel in Brooklyn Park, with as many as 30 former Mayo players and some former coaches from Kieffer's initial stops expected to attend. Kieffer expressed gratitude for being inducted by his peers and credited his coaching assistants for their significant contributions to the program, stating that they were the backbone of their success.
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