PROVO, Utah (ABC 4 News) - BYU basketball coach Dave Rose has been diagnosed with a rare form of pancreatic cancer.
Earlier this month, Rose fell ill at a family reunion in Las Vegas and underwent emergency surgery to stop some internal bleeding. At that time, Rose had his spleen and a portion of his pancreas removed. The Rose family announced today that lab results from the surgery indicate that he has tested positive for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor cancer.
While still extremely serious, this type of rare pancreatic cancer has a much higher survival rate than other types of pancreatic cancer.
Rose returned home to Utah last weekend to undergo additional testing at the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City. In the near future, doctors and the Rose family will determine a course of action for treatment. He is now recuperating at home.
“Coach Rose is a beloved member of our campus community. We ask all members of the BYU family, as well as Coach Rose’s many friends and colleagues, to keep him in their thoughts and prayers at this time,” said BYU President Cecil O. Samuelson. “We are grateful for the care he has received and is now receiving.”
Coach Rose and his family wish to express their appreciation to the doctors and nurses in Las Vegas and Salt Lake City who have provided and continue to provide excellent medical care.
“We continue to pray for Dave and his family at this time,” said Tom Holmoe, BYU Director of Athletics. “In addition to our professional relationship, I have a deep friendship and love for Dave and his family. We would ask that his privacy be respected as he recuperates from surgery and determines a course of action.”
While Rose undergoes medical treatment, the BYU coaching staff will run the day-to-day basketball operations, including the summer basketball camps.
After serving as an assistant coach to Steve Cleveland, Rose took over as head coach of the BYU program in 2005, and has led the Cougars to a 97-34 record and three straight NCAA Tournament apperances.
Utes head coach Jim Boylen has this to say: "This was shocking news that hit me pretty hard. Dave Rose and I have developed a great relationship, closer than people realize. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him as a person and a basketball coach. My heart goes out to him and his family. This is something that goes beyond the BYU-Utah rivalry and beyond basketball. This is about someone’s life. Coach Rose is a tough guy, he’s a fighter. Our whole basketball family will be praying for a full recovery and I look forward to coaching against him again soon.”
