RIP Rick Majerus

[old_tony]

Breaking on Twitter, numerous sources including one of his former assistants Porter Moser (spelling?).

His heart health has never been good but has gotten worse and worse recently.

Too bad. He was a great guy. A real original.

 

[imjustagirl]

Holy ****. This makes me really sad. It's not totally unexpected, but still sad as all hell.

RIP, Majerus. You were one of a kind.

 

[KYSportsWriter]

Just hearing about this as well.

And of course, his Wiki page is already updated.

RIP.

 

[wicked]

I recall hearing Charlie Pierce on the radio years ago talking about hanging out with Majerus, it's like the guy was the pied piper.

 

[noodles]

Three-plus hours since this was posted and not a news story of it anywhere other than first mention that it's breaking on Twitter?

 

[HanSenSE]

Three-plus hours since this was posted and not a news story of it anywhere other than first mention that it's breaking on Twitter?

Nothing on the Saint Louis' page or the Post-Dispatch.

 

[KYSportsWriter]

Three-plus hours since this was posted and not a news story of it anywhere other than first mention that it's breaking on Twitter?

Where do you get three hours?

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/01/breaking-former-st-louis-utah-coach-rick-majerus-has-died/

 

[spikechiquet]

First "major" news outlet I have seen with it.
http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/01/breaking-former-st-louis-utah-coach-rick-majerus-has-died/

 

[Drip]

RIP. One of the most respected men in college basketball.

 

[Stoney]

Damn, this makes me very sad.

 

[LongTimeListener]

Two things stand out for me:

1) When Ndiyae accused one of Majerus' players of racism during a Final Four game, Majerus reacted so forcefully and honestly -- he said he's resign on the spot if it was true and he went and got the kid and sat him at the podium to explain it to the world. He knew his guy would never do that, and by attacking the questions head-on he saved that kid's reputation.

2) His press conference upon taking the USC job was one of the most hilarious sports interviews I've ever heard. "I've got to eat where Jennifer Aniston eats. I got to find these salad places." Of course he only held that job for four days.

 

[old_tony]

Three-plus hours since this was posted and not a news story of it anywhere other than first mention that it's breaking on Twitter?

Where do you get three hours?

I think the clock on this site is screwed up. I believe it's set to Pacific time.

 

[slappy4428]

1) I work with a guy who went to Ball State at the same time as Whitlock when Majerus coached there. Somehow, the three ended up in a class or a lecture together and the two were antagonists at first, but ended up getting along famously. (Whitlock, help me out here). Stories my buddy told were fascinating.
2) Mid-late 80s, Ball State is playing at Minnesota in a Thanksgiving break game. I get tickets and take my dad. During the course of the game, Majerus takes off his sweater, which disappears by the end of the game. Someone asks him about it in the postgame and his response was "It's OK. Somewhere, there's a homeless family of four now living in that sweater...."
RIP

 

[Mark2010]

Dang. Sorry to hear about this.

Some may remember, but Majerus followed the late Al McGuire as head coach at Marquette in the late 1970s.

 

[KYSportsWriter]

Three-plus hours since this was posted and not a news story of it anywhere other than first mention that it's breaking on Twitter?

Where do you get three hours?

I think the clock on this site is screwed up. I believe it's set to Pacific time.

Weird. Time for every post is correct on my end.

 

[Stoney]

Two things stand out for me:

1) When Ndiyae accused one of Majerus' players of racism during a Final Four game, Majerus reacted so forcefully and honestly -- he said he's resign on the spot if it was true and he went and got the kid and sat him at the podium to explain it to the world. He knew his guy would never do that, and by attacking the questions head-on he saved that kid's reputation.

I remember that. And didn't Ndiaye end up later admitting that he made it up after Majerus forced his hand?

Majerus handled that situation masterfully.

 

[WolvEagle]

I covered a road game when he was at Ball State. A young child of an administrator at the host school was playing with a superball behind the Ball State bench, and the child's parents weren't paying close attention. Well, the ball bounces and hits Majerus, who catches it, spins and fires it at the administrator, hitting her in the face.

I didn't know a guy that big could move that fast, or that gracefully.

RIP to a memorable coach.

 

[Stoney]

Some may remember, but Majerus followed the late Al McGuire as head coach at Marquette in the late 1970s.

Incorrect. Hank Raymonds followed Al McGuire in the late 70s. Majerus followed Raymond in the 80s.

Majerus was a McGuire assistant, including on the 77 title team, though.

 

[Riptide]

Aww, man. That truly sucks.

What a guy. Always a great story. RIP, Coach.