WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) -Wake Forest honored Skip Prosser on Friday night by unveiling a banner bearing the late coach’s likeness before the Demon Deacons’ opener against Fairfield.
Prosser, who died of an apparent heart attack in July, was remembered during an eight-minute pregame ceremony that featured a minute-long video tribute to the coach who led Wake Forest to four NCAA tournaments and the first No. 1 ranking in school history.
The banner, which features Prosser about to clap his hands, was unrolled from the rafters behind the Demon Deacons’ bench and hangs beside one honoring one of his best players – NBA star Josh Howard. Prosser then received an 80-second ovation as the players hugged his mother, widow, son and nieces.
Then, just before tipoff the team took to the court, ditching their traditional warm-up shirts for the tie-dyed T-shirts that Prosser introduced as the unofficial uniform of the school’s “Screaming Deacons” student section.
The players wore ribbon-shaped patches on their jerseys that said “Skip,” and the coaches wore badges with his name.
Prosser spent six seasons with the Demon Deacons, reaching the NCAA tournament in his first four seasons and winning an ACC regular-season title and the league’s coach of the year award in 2003. The following year, Wake Forest went to No. 1 for the first time.
Before arriving in Winston-Salem, Prosser was head coach at Xavier for seven seasons and at Loyola of Maryland for one. He is the only coach to take three schools to the NCAA tournament in his first season at each.
Prosser had a career record of 291-146, including 126-68 with Wake Forest, coaching future NBA stars Chris Paul and Howard.
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