Opinion > August 23, 2007

This summer the Wake Forest family was forced to face an unanticipated and shocking loss from afar. Student, faculty, administration, alumni and fans alike responded with an outpouring of support and love for Skip Prosser, a man who became much more than a basketball coach to this university.

Memories of him center not just on the basketball court, but among the students and the fans, whom he always placed first.

In the 2004-’05 season, when the Wake basketball team reached the height of media attention, Prosser’s mind was still on the fans.

When students were camping out in front of the Lawrence Joel Memorial Veterans Coliseum in the freezing weather before the UNC game, Prosser showed up after hours in a bus with the entire team and a huge stack of pizzas.

“Tonight we’re delivering you pizzas,” Prosser said. “Tomorrow, we deliver the victory.”

It was moments like these that endeared him with the fans and made him a household name at the university and beyond.

We remember him on the Quad after a victory, speaking to the congregated students as they rolled the trees with enthusiasm. We remember his conduct on the court, always professional and poised. He was a coach who made us proud to be Demon Deacons.

Prosser’s presence off the court was just as poignant. We remember him in his quiet moments, taking a walk on the Quad and waving to a passing student who recognized him but was too nervous to say hello.

As the university community became aware of the tragedy, those who were able made their way to the Quad and rolled it one more time in honor of Prosser. Flowers and other tokens of sympathy were left on the Quad.

These small signs can never truly show how appreciated Prosser was, but they are symbolic of his place in the hearts of Demon Deacons everywhere and his place in university history.

The timing of this tragedy has made it difficult for the university to mourn as a group.

Separated across the country, students learned slowly via Internet of the university’s sudden loss.It is a true testament to the spirit of community that the university was able to come together in this sad time.

Responses came not only from within the university community, but from public figures, sportscasters and fellow coaches who respected Prosser as both a great coach and a great man.

With Dino Gaudio’s appointment as new head coach of basketball, we are poised to move into a new era, but one that we hope and believe will be influenced by Prosser’s talent and his memory.

Gaudio has been the behind-the-scenes support for Prosser’s coaching staff for a long time.

As the former associate head coach, fans will recognize him from the sidelines where he and Prosser worked as a team to motivate and coach the Demon Deacons over the past six years.

Now he will step into the spotlight and we believe that we will see shades of Prosser’s coaching style in Gaudio.

Prosser and Gaudio had worked together for a total of 17 years, so their styles are most certainly intertwined.

Any transition under circumstances such as these is bound to be difficult.

Skip Prosser will always represent an era of Wake basketball and his memory will go with this team and many squads to follow.