Much More Than a Basketball Coach

NC State women's basketball coach Kay Yow had a pretty phenomenal coaching career - winning 727 games, advancing to 20 NCAA Tournaments, 11 Sweet Sixteens, one Final Four, and coaching the U.S. Olympic team to a Gold Medal finish.

Yet with all these amazing accomplishments on the court, Kay Yow's greatest legacy is what she accomplished off the court. She has been a true inspiration to so many for so long through her coaching career and her courageous and inspiring battle with cancer.

Never one to pity her predicament, Coach Yow has been the epitome of a SURVIVOR. She has dedicated her life to being an inspiration to countless numbers of people and cancer-survivors around the world. She has raised tremendous awareness about cancer, dedicated her life toward combating it, and taught us all how to battle adversity with tremendous grace and tenacity.

She was a true servant leader to all who came in contact with her. I had the privilege to work closely with Coach Yow's program a few years ago and will always feel most grateful for a chance to work with the Wolfpack Women's Basketball Family because of her generosity and compassion. Coach Yow truly was a humble servant leader who always put the needs of her team, staff, and others ahead of her own.

Her amazing life and legacy challenges everyone to examine the kind of impact we want to have - not just in sport, but more importantly, in life.

While she accomplished so much on the court, it pales in comparison to the impact she made off the court. She mentored generations of women to succeed and be leaders in the game of life, spawned a significant "Think Pink" movement across the basketball world for breast cancer awareness and treatment, and modeled grace and dignity in the face of a cruel disease.

Hopefully all of you will leave a positive legacy on your team and school as an athlete. However, Coach Yow's life encourages us to go a step beyond...

What kind of legacy will you leave on your team, school, and community as a leader?

We will miss you Coach Yow. You have inspired us, served us, and challenged us by your humble example. Thank you! Your memory lives on in the lives of all you impacted!