Cougars to Support Coaches vs. Cancer

PROVO -- BYU men’s basketball coaches and players will participate in the annual Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Awareness Weekend during Saturday’s home game against Utah. BYU coaches and members of the basketball staff will wear sneakers instead of dress shoes with their suits and Cougar players will wear white uniforms with navy blue and pink trim and pink shoes.

“We feel privileged that Nike has chosen us to help bring awareness to the Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers cause,” BYU head coach Dave Rose said. “We’ll do anything we can to aide in the fight against this terrible disease.”

BYU is one of four teams across the country selected by Nike to wear the uniforms with pink accents during the Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Awareness Weekend. The event is a collaborative initiative of the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) to increase cancer awareness and promote the American Cancer Society.

Coach Rose has participated in the Suits and Sneakers weekend since coaching at Dixie College in the 1990s. This season the cause hits closer to home for Rose as he battled a rare form of pancreatic cancer during the summer following the 2008-09 season. Results from his cancer scan in September 2009 came back normal.

Rose is currently leading the Cougars to one of their best seasons in program history. At 20-1 overall, BYU has matched the best start in program history and the Cougars have climbed to No. 10 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll and No. 12 in the AP Poll.

The athletic department is encouraging fans to wear white to support the Cougars and sneakers to support Coaches vs. Cancer to Saturday’s game against Utah, scheduled to tip at 7 p.m. MST in the Marriott Center.

For tickets to this Saturday’s Deseret First Duel, go to BYUtickets.com or the Marriott Center Ticket Office — open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.