Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Legendary Basketball Coach Don Meyer Dies at 69

FILE - This July 15, 2009, file photo shows Northern State University coach Don Meyer talking with reporters after receiving the Jimmy Valvano Award at the ESPYs, in Los Angeles. Meyer said Monday, Feb. 22, 2010,  he no longer has the physical or mental energy to run the basketball program at its "highest possible level." He will retire at the end of the season. (AP Photo/Doug Dreyer, File)
Courtesy: AP Photo File/Argus Leader
In the last couple of days, the college basketball community has been coming together after the wake of the loss of former Northern State Men's Basketball Coach Don Meyer.

Family spokesperson Brenda Dreyer told USA Today that he died at 6:52 Sunday morning in his home in Aberdeen while going through hospice care. 

During Meyer's coaching careers at Lipscomb and Northern State, he led both teams into the playoffs 19 times and ended with a record of 923 wins and 324 losses. 

He retired from Northern in 2010 after he suffered a near-fatal car crash and was also diagnosed with cancer. 

His biggest accomplishments go from receiving the Jimmy V Perservance Award at the ESPY Awards to earning the John Wooden Award at the 2010 Final Four to becoming the nation's winningest coach in men's basketball history before Duke's Mike Krzyzewski surpassed it in 2012. 

According to the Argus Leader, while he may not have coached beyond Division 2 basketball, he has made an impact on his players, and colleagues and has created some unique teaching methods. 

He is survived by his wife Carmen and his three children. The first memorial service will be held this Saturday at 3:00pm at Northern State University's Barnett Center. The second memorial service will be held on June 1st at Don Meyer Court in Allens Arena at Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN.