Rick Majerus, who won more than 70 percent of his games as a men's college basketball coach and took Utah to the 1998 national championship game, died Saturday at age 64.
Majerus' girlfriend, Angie Kvidera, confirmed to USA TODAY Sports that Majerus died Saturday in Los Angeles.
The final on-court chapter in Majerus' career was a fitting one: a 65-61 loss in a taut chess match against another of the sport's great bench coaches, Michigan State's Tom Izzo, in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Majerus concluded a 25-year head coaching career ? which included stops at Marquette (his alma mater), Ball State, Utah and Saint Louis ? with a 517-215 record. He reached the NCAA tournament 12 times, most notably leading Utah to the 1998 national title game before losing to Kentucky. Last season he took the Billikens to the NCAAs for the first time in 12 years.
Majerus' girlfriend, Angie Kvidera, confirmed to USA TODAY Sports that Majerus died Saturday in Los Angeles.
The final on-court chapter in Majerus' career was a fitting one: a 65-61 loss in a taut chess match against another of the sport's great bench coaches, Michigan State's Tom Izzo, in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Majerus concluded a 25-year head coaching career ? which included stops at Marquette (his alma mater), Ball State, Utah and Saint Louis ? with a 517-215 record. He reached the NCAA tournament 12 times, most notably leading Utah to the 1998 national title game before losing to Kentucky. Last season he took the Billikens to the NCAAs for the first time in 12 years.
