Joe Key
Head Coach

Coach Key enters his 20th year at Wheeling Jesuit University, his 13th as head coach. Coach Key is no stranger success having won 221 games making him the most successful coach in the history of the program. Key led the Lady Cardinals to the 2005 WVIAC tournament championship and to two straight NCAA appearances, including a trip to the final four of the NCAA East Region in 2006. Key added a couple more milestones to his coaching resume during the 2005-06 season, with a record setting 27 victories and the WVIAC Coach of the Year award.  In 20 years of coaching, his teams have never experienced a losing season. 

As a WJU assistant coach for seven years, Key was a member of the 1993-1994 team that won championships in both the WVIAC regular season and conference tournament and earned a trip to the NAIA national tournament.

Prior to coaching at Wheeling Jesuit University Key was the head basketball and tennis coach at Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy.  During this time he helped develop and promote women’s basketball throughout the Ohio Valley.  Key was co-founder of the Ohio Valley YBOA program, and former executive director of the Ohio Valley AAU Association, which provided off-season competition for many young ladies in the Ohio Valley.

A native of Wheeling, Coach Key has a deep commitment to the community, His “Adopt-a-Player” program pair’s players and staff from the Lady Cardinal squad with local grade and middle school basketball teams, helping providing positive female role models for local youngsters.

Coach Key’s community commitment isn’t limited to basketball.  He is also concerned with the social and economic development of the local area, and serves on several board of directors.  They include the Board of Directors for the North Wheeling Community Association, Coach Key was appointed by the Mayor of Wheeling to serve on the Board of Commissioners for the Wheeling Housing Authority, and is currently on the Board of Directors for Wheeling Neighborhood Ventures.

Key resides in Wheeling with his family.  His wife Beth is a real estate agent in the Wheeling area, while his son Jacob is in the 6th grade at Warwood Middle School. 

Don Hustead
Assistant Coach

Coach Don Hustead has been an educator and a coach for 39 years. He is currently a physical education teacher for the Union Local School District. Hustead was head coach for the Lady Cardinals from 1988 to 1995, posting an impressive record of 130-70 and leading the redbirds to a 1994 WVIAC Conference Championship.

He was voted Coach of the Year in the WVIAC on two separate occasions during his time at WJU. He is a member of the WJU Athletic Hall of Fame, and coached several players who have been named to the Hall. Hustead has taught or coached at nine different high  schools and colleges.

A Muskingum College graduate, Hustead earned a master’s in physical education from West Virginia University. Don resides locally with his wife, Sharon Lynn. He has two daughters, Nicole Hustead and Kristin Stein, and two step-sons, Donald Schier and Eric Schier.

Katie Hine
Assistant Coach

Coach Hine enters her first year as an assistant coach for the Lady Cardinals. She is not, however, a stranger to the Lady Cardinal program. Hine has been a part of the program since 2003 as a player for Coach Key. Originally from Mentor, OH, Hine was a two-year team captain and was awarded the Olga Ortega Award for Outstanding Character in Women’s Basketball during her senior season.  She was also a vital ingredient on the court during her four years at WJU, as the Lady Cards held a record of 84-37, which stands as the best composite record of a class in the history of women’s basketball at WJU. 

During this time, The Lady Cards won a WVIAC Conference Tournament Championship and made it into the NCAA Tournament in 2005. In 2006, Hine also experienced success as the Lady Cards achieved a record of 27-5 overall, with an undefeated season at home. Hine was able to help mark another one up in the record books as the team made it to the Final Four of the East Region in Division II after losing a heart breaking battle in overtime. During her four years, Hine started in 82 games and held the highest free throw percentage for the Lady Cards at 89% in 2006-07 season. Katie double majored in Elementary Education and Special Education at WJU, and is certified to teach both areas in West Virginia and Ohio.