“It was an honor when she asked to play”: How Caitlin Clark honored her cancer-survivor family friend and kept him close to her foundation

Caitlin Clark once replaced her famous last name with “Keough” on her Iowa jersey. The name belonged to Dan Keough, a childhood family friend and cancer survivor. She wore it during Iowa’s Play 4 Kay game against Illinois on Feb. 25, 2024. Years later, Keough remains part of Clark’s world as a board member of the Caitlin Clark Foundation.Clark’s connection with Keough goes back to her childhood in Iowa. His son, Michael, played on the same second-grade team as Clark, and Keough helped coach the team. That early family friendship later became part of one of the most personal jersey tributes of Clark’s college career.Caitlin Clark chose Keough’s name during Iowa’s cancer awareness gameKeough’s connection to Clark became especially personal after he battled colorectal cancer in 2012. When Iowa played Illinois on February 25, 2024, the Hawkeyes took part in the Play 4 Kay game, which raises awareness and funds for breast cancer research. The players wore different names on their jerseys to honour people important to them.Clark chose “Keough.”The choice carried a personal link to her childhood. Keough had known Clark and her family since she was young, and his son Michael had played with her on a second-grade boys’ team. Keough also helped coach the group.Clark’s tribute came during a huge game for Iowa. The Hawkeyes beat Illinois 101-85, while Clark posted 24 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists for her sixth triple-double of the 2023-24 season. She finished the game with “Keough” on the back of her No. 22 jersey.Keough later explained what the moment meant to him in a February 27, 2024 interview with the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business. “As a cancer survivor, it was an honor when she asked to play with my name on her jersey,” he said while discussing his life, career and connection with Clark. He also said the tribute supported cancer awareness and survivorship.The gesture was not their first jersey connection. Keough also publicly acknowledged Clark wearing his name in February 2022, when he praised her competitiveness and positivity while linking those qualities to people fighting cancer. Keough now serves as a board member of Caitlin Clark’s FoundationKeough now holds a formal role as a board member of the Caitlin Clark Foundation. The Foundation says he brings business insight and a commitment to healthy living, while noting his longstanding relationship with Clark and her family.The Foundation focuses on three areas: education, nutrition and sports. Its work includes school-supply programs, youth sports facilities and food initiatives. It has also partnered with Scholastic on book programs and supports opportunities that help children learn, stay nourished and play.The Foundation has expanded its work in 2026 as well. In August, it launched its Turning Pages, Healing Hearts program at Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines, giving young patients books and activities during hospital stays. The program also launched earlier in August at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis.In Keough's case, his role on the board adds another chapter to a relationship that began on a second-grade basketball team. For Clark, the “Keough” jersey remains a direct link to a family friend whose own cancer journey made that tribute deeply personal.Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.