Kay Yow Passes Away

OSG has learned that NC State Head Women's Basketball Coach Kay Yow passed away Saturday morning after a long a heroic battle with breast cancer. Yow was 66 years old.


An updated story from WRAL Channel 5 in Raleigh:

Raleigh, N.C. — An inspiration to thousands as she battled cancer while leading the North Carolina State University women's basketball team, Kay Yow died at Wake Medical Center Saturday morning, The Associated Press reports. She was 66.

The university announced that Yow died on Saturday morning. She had been in the hospital since last week. Yow was first diagnosed with the disease in 1987.

During her 38-year Hall of Fame coaching career, Yow won more than 700 NCAA games – one of only six women's basketball coaches to top 700 victories – and an Olympic gold medal. She coached the U.S. Olympic team to a gold medal in 1988, won four Atlantic Coast Conference tournament championships, earned 20 NCAA tournament bids and reached the Final Four in 1998.

But her biggest victories came off the hardwood, where she repeatedly beat back cancer and shook off the pain of the disease and the medical treatments to lead her teams. For many fans, Yow was best defined by her unwavering resolve while fighting cancer. She raised awareness and money for research, and stayed with her team through much of the debilitating effects of the disease.

"Coaching lifts me up," she once said. "Once the ball is tossed up, I forget pretty much about everything and just focus on the game. If I just do nothing, I feel like I'm giving in to the disease."

Kay Yow Cancer Fund, in conjunction with the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research

Click on the image to donate!

Here is some of WRAL-TV's ongoing coverage of Yow's passing...
Bob Holliday has a look back at Yow and her legacy...




NC State color analyst Tony Haynes discusses the legacies of both Yow and Jim Valvano
((HT: 99.9 FM The Fan/Raleigh))

Long-time friend Pat Summitt discusses Yow and her legacy
((HT: ESPN/the youtube))