Art Kehoe, the only former Miami coach with all five national title rings, has stroke
Former University of Miami player and longtime popular offensive line coach Art Kehoe, the only UM coach with all five Hurricanes national championship rings, suffered a stroke last week and is in Miami’s Baptist Hospital recuperating.
Kehoe, 62, of Palmetto Bay, was inducted into the UM Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.
Former UM running backs coach Don Soldinger, a friend of Kehoe’s, said Friday he had heard from a former Hurricanes football player that Kehoe was going to have “a long rehab’’ but that he was going to be OK — also confirmed through a separate source.
Soldinger visited Kehoe at Baptist later Friday, and told the Miami Herald that Kehoe looked good and would eventually be entering a rehab center. Former players and friends had been visiting him.
“He’s walking around and seems to be doing well,’’ Soldinger said. “His speech is OK. It seems like he’s going to be fine.’’
Kehoe had been with the Hurricanes as a player or coach for 31 years when he was dismissed for the second time after the 2015 season. He was initially dismissed by Larry Coker after the 2005 season.
Former head coach Al Golden was fired during the 2015 season, and Mark Richt, who was a UM quarterback when Kehoe was an offensive lineman in 1979 and ‘80, interviewed Kehoe but did not keep him on his new staff in 2016.
“Art epitomizes the Walt Kichefski era — his love of alma mater, care and concern for UM tradition, enthusiasm for all sports programs and, of course, the hatred of the Gator,’’ Ken Lancaster, former president of the UM Sports Hall of Fame, said when Kehoe was inducted in 2002.
Kehoe told the Herald just before he was inducted that “most of everything that has meant anything to me in my life revolves around UM. UM is so special, it’s ridiculous.’’
Kehoe did not have a full-time job after his last stint at UM, but he had worked helping some football players prepare for the NFL Draft.
This story was originally published February 21, 2020 at 10:53 AM.