Dave and Cheryl Rose Involved with Coaches vs. Cancer

PROVO, Utah – BYU basketball coach Dave Rose and his wife Cheryl have long been involved in the fight against cancer. This spring they have both taken on new roles with Coaches vs. Cancer and the American Cancer Society.

Dave Rose was recently named a member of the National Coaches vs. Cancer Council along with Frank Haith of Missouri and Mike Rice of Rutgers. The council assists Coaches vs. Cancer in its efforts to raise awareness and funding. Rose, Haith and Rice join a prestigious roster of coaches on the council, including Mike Krzyzewski (Duke), Roy Williams (North Carolina), Jim Boeheim (Syracuse) and Mike Brey (Notre Dame).

This spring Cheryl Rose was named to the committee that organizes the annual Fight Cancer in Style Luncheon, an event held at the Final Four to give coaches’ wives the opportunity to learn more about getting involved in the fight against cancer at their schools and in their communities. She serves on the committee with Barb Kruger (wife of Lon Kruger, head coach at Oklahoma), Lupe Izzo (Tom Izzo, Michigan State), Margaret McCaffery (Fran McCaffery, Iowa), Juli Boeheim (Jim Boeheim, Syracuse) and Judy Martelli (Phil Martelli, Saint Joseph’s).

Cheryl Rose and the wives of the BYU coaching staff — Katie Nashif, Rachel LaComb, Lee Anne Pope and Tara Hall — are serving on the committee for the American Cancer Society’s signature event, Relay for Life. Held in communities throughout the country, Relay for Life is a fun-filled overnight event designed to celebrate survivorship and raise money for research. Provo High School will host a Relay for Life on Aug. 10 and 11. Visit relayforlife.org for more information.

The Rose’s are assisting with another project, the Hope Lodge, which is a facility that will be constructed in Salt Lake City to house families of cancer patients.

Dave Rose, a cancer survivor, was the first coach in the state of Utah to participate in the American Cancer Society’s nationwide Coaches vs. Cancer campaign when he was the head coach at Dixie State (1990-97). Dave and Cheryl Rose and the BYU basketball team have assisted the efforts of the Children with Cancer Christmas Foundation for more than a decade. In 2008, Rose received the NABC Game Pillar Award for Service and in 2010 he lobbied before Congress for increased funding for cancer research.

On the court, Rose has led BYU to four conference titles and six-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2011. His teams have won 20-plus games in all seven of his seasons as head coach and his 185 victories rank second all-time in program history.

Coaches vs. Cancer Classic

BYU is one of four teams participating in the 2012 Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, which will be played Nov. 16 and 17 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. BYU, Florida State University, Notre Dame and St. Joseph’s will compete for the Classic title with semifinals on Nov. 16 and the consolation and championship games on Nov. 17. All of the games will be televised live on truTV. Additional information is available at cvcclassic.com and www.BarclaysCenter.com.

About Coaches vs. Cancer

The Coaches vs. Cancer Program is a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) that empowers athletic coaches, their teams, and communities to join the fight against cancer.  Since the program’s inception in 1993, more than $80 million has been raised to support the Society’s work to save lives and create a world with less cancer and more birthdays.