Photo By Sgt. Wesley Landrum | Wake Forest Head Coach Skip Prosser stands with members of his Camp Arifjan Defender...... read more read more
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By Spc Wes Landrum
50th Public Affairs Detachment
CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait -- It's hard to believe when someone you know passes away. It's even harder to believe when that person has had a profound impact on people's lives. On Wednesday, the college basketball world lost Skip Prosser, head basketball coach at Wake Forest University.
While Prosser's death has left a huge hole in the ranks of the coaching fraternity, it has had a bigger impact on a small group of people who are thousands of miles away from him. These are the Camp Arifjan Defenders, the intramural team that Prosser coached to the championship of the Operation Hardwood: Hoops with the Troops Tournament in May.
Under Prosser's guidance, the Defenders won the fourth annual Operation Hardwood: Hoops with the Troops basketball tournament, which ran from May 22 to 27. The tournament paired pre-selected military teams with NCAA coaches for the week-long tournament. The Demon Deacon-coached team finished the tournament with a record of six wins and only one defeat. The team finished off their championship by defeating Life Support Area-Kuwait 79-74.
Sgt. Danny Tatum, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 113th Field Artillery hoped a coach from the ACC would come over and coach in the tournament. He said he was glad it was Prosser.
"He was fair to everyone. He treated everyone like a son. He was very professional and just the best guy you could ever meet," Tatum recalled. "I was overwhelmed just by having him as my coach."
Defender forward Petty Officer 2nd Class Sammy Swancey, CENTCOM Deployment Distribution Operations Center, said the team learned so much from Prosser in that short timeframe.
"That week seemed like a year. He taught us – taught me within that week – how not to give up," said Swancey. "I felt like I was a part of the Wake Forest team."
Sgt. Maj. Gregory Ransaw, 13th Finance Group, said three words come to mind when you think of Skip Prosser – caring, concerned and committed. Prosser cared about his players, sometimes taking them aside just to ask how their day was going.
"He cared about us not just from a basketball standpoint but from an individual standpoint as well," Ransaw said.
Swancey recalled a moment during the championship game when it looked like things would unravel for the Defenders.
"We had our head down at halftime in the championship game. We were arguing with each other," he said.
Prosser then came in and addressed his team.
"He came in there and said, 'Calm down. We're going to win the game,'" Swancey said
Swancey said he has played for many coaches but he had never before seen a coach like Prosser.
"I never saw a coach mold the little talent we had into a championship team within a week," the petty officer said.
Mike Brey, Notre Dame's Head Basketball Coach, said Prosser's death has sent shockwaves through the coaching community.
"This is an extremely sad time for the coaching profession and for me personally because Skip was such a good friend. We lost a hell of a guy," Brey said.
"I was just with Skip out on the recruiting trail this week and have seen him several times since our trip to Kuwait. Every time Skip and I were together since Operation Hardwood, our conversations were dominated with talk of that experience, not college basketball."
ESPN Analyst Fran Frashcilla said it was overwhelming to learn of the Wake Forest coach's death. He said Prosser, a graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, took pride in supporting the troops.
"I know that he was blown away by the level of commitment from the men and women we met during our trip," Fraschilla said. "I am still stunned by the loss of Skip Prosser, but my everlasting memories of him will be on our trip to Camp Arifjan for Operation Hardwood in May."
Although the Defenders were only with Prosser for that one week, they said it was long enough to gather a lifetime of memories and treasures.
"Those few short moments with Skip made a difference in my life and it made an impact on the players who played for him," Ransaw said.
"Even though I only got to know him for only a short time, having the honor to play for him is something that will stick with me the rest of my life," said Sgt. Thomas Halloran, C-2 Intelligence Support Element.
"He was an awesome man," Tatum said. "My prayers go out to them. God bless them all."
Prosser is survived by his wife, Nancy, and his two sons, Scott and Mark. The Wake Forest Community will miss Prosser. His life touched many including the service members that are fighting on the front lines. We will miss you, Coach.
| Date Taken: | 07.30.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 07.31.2007 11:17 |
| Story ID: | 11548 |
| Location: | CAMP ARIFJAN, KW |
| Web Views: | 319 |
| Downloads: | 263 |
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