Mike DeCourcy

In journalism school, they teach you to be "objective." The folks who run newspapers and magazines expect the same.

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.

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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 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.