Veteran Cuesta College men’s basketball coach Rusty shared two kids with his wife, Kaatje.
Rusty Blair, former long-time coach of Cuesta College men’s basketball, passed away on Saturday, May 17, 2025. The cause of death has not been revealed yet.
Cuesta College took to their official Facebook handle and mourned the tragic loss of Rusty. They wrote,
We are mourning the loss of former men’s basketball coach Rusty Blair, who passed away this Saturday surrounded by family. Blair will forever be remembered in the hearts of those he interacted with, his athletes, colleagues, teammates, friends, and family.
Cuesta College
Chapman University graduate Bob Cantu also took to his Facebook handle and mourned the loss of Rusty. He wrote,
I am so sad to hear the news that Coach Rusty Blair passed away last night. May he RIP!! He was so competitive and wanted to win every possession. He was tough as heck. He will be missed. He did so much for me in the beginning of my coaching career. I will always be thankful to him.
Bob Cantu
Blair retired in February 2025 after 33 years as Cuesta’s men’s basketball coach. He led the Cougars to several regional playoffs, and this year, Cuesta qualified for the 3C2A Southern Cal Regional.
He was the all-time wins leader for any sport at Cuesta.
Blair earned the CIF Southern Section Division 2A Player of the Year Award as a San Luis Obispo High School senior in 1968.
He scored 19 points in February 1970 to help lead Oregon to a 78-65 upset of then-No. 1 UCLA.
The Memphis Sounds drafted Rusty in the 5th round of the American Basketball Association Draft of 1972.
Instead, the 6-foot-8 Blair player 11 seasons in Europe, 10 in FIBA, and one in the World Basketball League.
He averaged 27.2 points and 10.4 rebounds, mostly playing for the then-Coveco and Kaypro club, now Basketball Stars Weert.
Cuesta College Coach Rusty Blair Leaves Behind His Wife, Katelijn Verbeke
Coach Rusty Blair married Katelijn Verbeke in 1981 after several years of dating.
As per Katelijn’s Facebook handle, she is from Brugge, Belgium, and lives in San Luis Obispo, California.
She graduated from St Jan’s Brugge in 1978 and worked at Cuesta College.
Katelijn grew up with three sisters: Lot Fonteyne, Siska and Hilde Verbeke, and two brothers: El Desondanks, and Freek Fonteyne.
She always supported Rusty in balancing his personal and professional life.
Sadly, their married life ended after over 44 years following the tragic death of Rusty.
Close friends and relatives have offered their heartfelt condolences and sent prayers for Kaatje to stay strong in this heartbreaking moment.
Coach Rusty Blair And His Wife, Katelijn, Had One Daughter And One Son
Rusty Blair and Kaatje share a daughter, Kelly, and a son, Casey Blair.
Casey lives in San Luis Obispo, California, with his wife, Lies, and two children, June and Kian Blair.
Recently, on May 17, 2025, Casey took to his Facebook handle to announce the death of his father, Rusty. He wrote,
I’m forever grateful for the amount of time I got to spend with my best friend, my mentor, my hero! Life lessons that I will try to embody on a daily basis but will be extremely hard to match. You never complained and never stopped fighting until the end for the things and people that you loved. I’m lucky to have the best father a son could ever ask for! An unbreakable bond that I will strive to have with my kids. I’ll do my best to follow in the giant footsteps that you left and hope to carry out the legacy you created. I won’t let you down Coach! Love you dad!!!! Miss you already ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
Casey Blair
Casey completed his bachelor’s degree from Columbia College, a Master’s in Kinesiology from the University of Central Missouri, and a teaching credential from Alliant International University.
He also played basketball, started his collegiate player career at Cuesta, and was a two-time all-conference Point Guard for the Cougars in 2007 and 2008.
After Cuesta, he played professionally in Belgium for one season before starting his coaching career. He is the third Cuesta Women’s Basketball Coach.
On the other hand, Rusty’s daughter, Kelly, lives in Brugge, Belgium, with her husband, Xavier Mylleville. She studied at HBOV – St. Michiels and works at WZC De Vlideberg.
She also took to her official Facebook handle and mourned the tragic death of her supportive and devoted father, Rusty. She wrote,
Love you dad. You’ve been the best role model a daughter could ever ask for. You’ve taught me everything and pushed me to limits I never thought I could reach. From being your biggest cheerleader while you coached to you being my biggest fan as I played. Will forever miss you. Finn, Mack en Elle will always remember their bompa ❤️ you and mom did a great job raising us and being there for your grandchildren. rip dad
Kelly Blair
Kelly followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the CSU Bakersfield women’s basketball team as a freshman for the 2006-07 season.
A standout at Morro Bay High School, she led her team to a 20-5 record and a second-round appearance in the CIF Southern Section Playoffs as a senior.
She was named County Player of the Year in her junior and senior years and set school records for career points (1,556), rebounds (987), and three-pointers made (236).
In addition, Kelly was the 2006 county all-star game MVP and earned second-team all-county honors as a freshman and sophomore.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Rusty Blair attended San Luis Obispo High School, where he earned the California Interscholastic Federation’s Southern Section Division 2A Player of the Year award as a senior in 1967-68.
- Blair received recruiting offers from numerous NCAA Division I colleges, ultimately electing to play for Oregon.
- Casey Blair has spent 13 seasons as the men’s assistant coach and has helped lead the Cuesta men to six conference titles and nine playoff berths.
