• Welcome to OGBoards 10.0, keep in mind that we will be making LOTS of changes to smooth out the experience here and make it as close as possible functionally to the old software, but feel free to drop suggestions or requests in the Tech Support subforum!

July 26th - the anniversary of Skip's death

1

1976Deac

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 26, 2011
Messages
2,433
Reaction score
250
We still miss you, Skip. A tremendous loss to the University in so many ways, many not related to basketball.
 
Mike DeCourcy Sporting News:

Not this time, folks.

If I could be objective about the passing of Skip Prosser, I would not be typing through tears. Prosser, the head basketball coach at Wake Forest, was as fine a person as I -- or you, or anyone you know -- will ever meet. And he is gone, with no warning. How does one remain objective about such a thing?

Prosser, 56, suffered an apparent heart attack Thursday afternoon in his office on the Wake campus in Winston-Salem. Attempts to revive him were not successful there or after he was transported to a hospital. Prosser's son, Mark, an assistant coach at Bucknell, was informed of the news while scouting prospects in an AAU tournament in Orlando.

Skip had spent the early part of this week recruiting in Las Vegas, then traveled to Orlando. Wednesday night, he had dinner with Mark and Wake assistant coach Dino Gaudio. A Wake official said Skip flew home Thursday morning, later took a jog on the track in the athletic complex and complained of not feeling well when he returned to his office and later was found there, unconscious.

This had been a wonderful week for Skip. Along the recruiting road, he had been watching three gifted players who had committed to join the Demon Deacons: centers Ty Walker and Tony Woods and forward Al-Farouq Aminu. Skip was in a delightful mood, as it was clear the Deacs soon would be back among the elite ACC programs after a couple of tough years.

Skip, though, always was in a delightful mood. He walked through life with a poet's soul and an Irishman's wink. He was a devoted father to his two sons, Mark and Scott, and deeply in love with his wife, Nancy. Skip was an avid reader of literature and frequently quoted his favorite authors and philosophers.

He was a fantastic basketball coach who got his players to perform with passion, who handed his point guards the basketball and all the trust a coach could invest. He was tough and stern when he needed to be, but never mean. He was as genuinely concerned about his players' education as any college coach could be.

I was privileged to spend one final hour this week with Skip in Las Vegas. I sat next to him during a summer tournament game. After discussing how the Deacs were able to achieve this recruiting success -- first, of course, always concerned about remaining within the boundaries of NCAA rules, he reminded me he couldn't comment about the particular players -- we happened to speak about so many things important in his life.

We talked about the Pittsburgh Steelers. Both natives of Western Pennsylvania, we shared that passion. Skip had wanted to call Bill Cowher this week to see if he were getting itchy about leaving coaching, but had lost Cowher's number by leaving his cell phone behind in Kuwait while visiting soldiers as part of the Operation Hardwood program.

We talked about basketball players and trying to assure they would gain a quality education and graduate. He mentioned being proud he coached at three universities -- Loyola (Md.), Xavier and Wake -- that all made sure learning was a priority for the players he coached.

We talked about Mark deciding to make coaching his career. Skip teased about the challenges of such a choice -- "I asked him if he was sure he wanted to do this," Skip said -- but made it clear he wasn't doubting his own decision. When I made a comment about my own eventual retirement, hopefully a few years down the road, Skip said he was in no great hurry to get there himself. "I still love it," he said.

There never will be a coach who is more cooperative with writers like myself with less concern about promoting his own agenda. Skip talked to writers and broadcasters for the simplest reason: He was a nice man.

Back in 2002, we at Sporting News had the idea to write a story about the uncommon challenges of preparing to defend Duke All-America guard Jay Williams. We called college after college, and none would agree to open their pre-Devils preparations to be dissected later in the magazine. Then I called Skip. I should have known to call him first. "Come on down," he said.

When I arrived in the Wake basketball office, we went into a film room and he took out a marking pen and began explaining how everything with Williams started with defending the pick-and-roll. Does that seem a trivial memory now? Not to me. It is something I will treasure.

Skip Prosser alone with me, talking basketball.

That was a very good day."
 
Our chief want in life is somebody who shall make us do what we can. Having found them, we shall then hate them for it.
 
Give 76 a break. For the past 30+ years he's had 327 women in his house. Imagine having five virtual teenage girls your home 24/7. That he hasn't built a cabin in the woods or ended up in an asylum is remarkable.
 
If scout does go under, will the Prosser thread that has been kept over there be lost?
 
We are 136-145 in the 9 seasons since Skip passed.
 
Play "What if..." for a minute.

Skip at Wake:

Wake Forest Demon Deacons
2001–02 Wake Forest 21–13 9–7 T–3rd NCAA 2nd Round
2002–03 Wake Forest 25–6 13–3 1st NCAA 2nd Round
2003–04 Wake Forest 21–10 9–7 T–3rd NCAA Sweet 16
2004–05 Wake Forest 27–6 13–3 2nd NCAA 2nd Round
2005–06 Wake Forest 17–17 3–13 12th NIT 1st Round
2006–07 Wake Forest 15–16 5–11 T–10th
Wake Forest: 126–68 52–44

We just lost Kyle Visser (great guy and underrated player IMO) and Ish, LD, Gurley, Skeen, and Chas were all entering their Sophomore seasons.

We have Teague, Johnson, and G$ coming in as freshmen. Skip was recruiting at an elite level (4* and 5* regularly).

Hard not to respect the job Dino did in his 3 years (17-13, 24-7, 20-11).

Does the drop-off and Bzisazter still happen?

Had that tragic event not occurred, where would WF be today?
 
We would have consistently been in the Top 15 or so. If Skip has the Farouq/JT/JJ/Ish team, we make the Sweet 16 or more.
 
Had Battle's wife not been ill, he would have taken the helm over Dino and we would have avoided the Bzzzaster era entirely.

Sadly, she passed in 2008 shortly after Skip.
 
Last edited:
morrison2951 said:
Had Battle's wife not been ill, he would have taken the helm over Dino and we would have avoided the Bzzzaster era entirely.

Sadly, she passed in 2008 shortly after Skip.
Click to expand...

Exactly....Jeff would have been a coach and recruiter. Dino would probably still be an assistant coach.
 
StrickDeac said:
Play "What if..." for a minute.

Skip at Wake:

Wake Forest Demon Deacons
2001–02 Wake Forest 21–13 9–7 T–3rd NCAA 2nd Round
2002–03 Wake Forest 25–6 13–3 1st NCAA 2nd Round
2003–04 Wake Forest 21–10 9–7 T–3rd NCAA Sweet 16
2004–05 Wake Forest 27–6 13–3 2nd NCAA 2nd Round
2005–06 Wake Forest 17–17 3–13 12th NIT 1st Round
2006–07 Wake Forest 15–16 5–11 T–10th
Wake Forest: 126–68 52–44

We just lost Kyle Visser (great guy and underrated player IMO) and Ish, LD, Gurley, Skeen, and Chas were all entering their Sophomore seasons.

We have Teague, Johnson, and G$ coming in as freshmen. Skip was recruiting at an elite level (4* and 5* regularly).

Hard not to respect the job Dino did in his 3 years (17-13, 24-7, 20-11).

Does the drop-off and Bzisazter still happen?

Had that tragic event not occurred, where would WF be today?
Click to expand...

#Culture
 
We'd all think Wellman was a better person at least than what the collective opinion is of him now.
 
Around this time of year, we also used to honor the passing of the Football Nut (like 3 boards ago).

RIP Randy the Football Nut!!! :dancindeac:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top