A small woman who was a giant among men is finally at peace. Coach Kay Yow, after fighting cancer on and off for two decades is fighting no more. The NC State community, Raleigh, and the entire state of North Carolina lost one of its brightest stars and best assets this morning. As I heard someone say on the radio today… if we could touch just 1/100th of the lives that Kay Yow touched, then our time here would be a worthy success. No truer words could be spoken about this incredible woman of character and strength.
I think I may have said hello to Coach Yow once in passing while I attended NC State. Despite that lack of contact, I felt like I knew her… I think we all did. The only full-time women’s basketball coach the Wolfpack ever knew, Coach Yow was a legend before I ever arrived. 1000+ games, 737 wins, 29 winning seasons, 20 NCAA Tournament bids, five ACC Regular Search Championships, four ACC Tournament titles, a couple final four appearances, a gold medal, and an inductee in the basketball Hall of Fame. She was a champion on the court, but off the court even more. In the countless interviews and appearances I saw of Coach Kay, she never was down about her lengthy ’bout with Cancer, and she never… ever gave up. She used every challenge to further an opportunity. She fought Cancer head on, worked for awareness and research, and she used every chance to share her testimony and faith.
Only God knows the number of lives this tireless child of His touched… how many leaders she encouraged… how many women she inspired… how many of the faithful she led to Christ. But tonight she is finally at peace. And if the the lives one impacts has any bearing on one’s stature in Heaven… then very few will stand taller than Coach Kay Yow tonight.
It doesn’t seem fair that the NC State Wolfpack basketball program has been so rocked by cancer. We were first inspired by Coach Jim Valvano and his insistence on never giving up. That torch was passed to Coach Yow who embodied that sentiment and persevered through her faith. No Pack fan, young or old, could avoid being inspired by these two… leaders and role models both on the court and off. Their wins may fill sports pages or the record books at our alma mater, but it is their determination and character that touched our lives.
May God Bless Coach Kay Yow, her family, the Wolfpack women’s basketball team, and all those who knew her.
Thank you Coach Yow.
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