Wake Forest honors its fallen coach

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- The campus quad looked much as it did after some memorable basketball wins at Wake Forest. Toilet paper hung from trees and fluttered in the breeze as if a traditional victory party had just ended.

On Friday, it was there for a different reason: to honor Skip Prosser.

The coach -- who led the Demon Deacons to their first No. 1 basketball ranking three seasons ago -- died Thursday of an apparent heart attack, leaving the university in grief as it tried to move forward.

"It's something that he would have enjoyed," said Patrick Crist, a senior history major. "I think this is probably one of the best tributes we could have given him -- especially on such short notice. But I think it's something he's probably looking down on and appreciating."

Wake Forest athletic director Ron Wellman said arrangements for a funeral or memorial service are incomplete, though a campus prayer service is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at Wait Chapel. He wouldn't talk about the future of the program and its assistant coaches, or when he would be ready to hire a new coach.

"Our intent and goal the next few days is to honor Skip and support the family," Wellman said, "and all those other matters are being pushed back until after this most important matter has been satisfied."

It was clear the campus was trying to come to terms with the loss of the 56-year-old coach, who was found slumped on his office couch and unresponsive by director of basketball operations Mike Muse shortly after returning from his noon jog Thursday. Medical personnel performed CPR and used a defibrillator on Prosser, who was taken to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and pronounced dead at 1:41 p.m.

Dr. William Applegate, dean of the university medical school, said the events were "typical of a sudden massive heart attack."

Now the same quad where students used to gather after big sports victories stands as a tribute to Prosser, who was honored as the Atlantic Coast Conference coach of the year after leading the Demon Deacons to the league's regular-season title in 2003. The coach had even occasionally appeared there over the years to enjoy the celebrations.

Near Wait Chapel, someone placed a bouquet of white roses. A sign close to the quad entrance read, "Thanks for the memories, Skip."