Sad day for Marquette fans

[Markedman]

Steve HomerTrue ‏@espnhomer
Rick Majerus. RIP .via porter moser and tom oates


Prayers to Rick's family........

[Mark Miller]

Sad day indeed. Rick was one of the guys who encouraged me to start the Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook 28 years ago.

[CaribouJim]

Not seeing it yet on ESPN News - must be hot off the press - major bummer.

[Markedman]

Will be an emotional moment of silence before the UW game a week from today ..................

[MU Viking]

RIP Rick. Sad to hear it.

[Nukem2]

Yes, sad to hear. Rick is a part of MU tradition and lore. RIP.

[MayorBeluga]

I'd like to think that Al and Hank welcomed Big Rick on the big court in the sky. Godspeed.

[beerhere6]

RIP Coach.

Some classic lines. What a guy

http://www.kbrews.com/majerus/majquotes.html

[The Reptile]

Just heard. Now, he's reunited with Al and Hank. Sad. He was waaaaaay too young.

[mufansince72]

Very Sad day!

[Gato78]

I worked at MU in the summer when I was in high school and played hoops near every day at the Old Gym during the lunch hour. Rick, known as Fat Ricky to the guys in his neighborhood, would be there a lot. He was a point guard who could not move but he could set a mean screen and was a great passer. Could not catch me on a break! He would wear this rubber suit, even when it was a frickin sauna in the Old Gym. Sweat like a pig. I have a few Fat Ricky stories that cannot be posted. I also frequented the Old Milrose on Vliet Street where Majerus showed up a lot. His fairly standard order was 2 shrimp dinners and a pitcher of coke. His father was a great man in his own right., Ray Majerus--a famous Wisconsin labor leader. He headed up a very long and sometimes violent strike at Kohler company back in the '60's. Of course, the Wolf brothers were from Kohler and one can only guess if that had anything to do with them eschewing Marquette.

Rick made his reputation as a coach way back when he coached St. Sebastian's grade school team that included Jeff Jonas and Joe Hauser in 7th and 8th grade. He then followed them to Marquette High where he coached the freshman team. The first team was Jonas, Heidenriech, Smith, Hauser et al. The he coached Gary Rosenberger (my class) along with Rob McGuire and Dan Raymonds. After that team, he moved over to MU. Hallmark of those teams was the honor of getting a crew cut when guys made the team. Those were some great, great teams at MUHS.
Rick could be gracious, rude, crude, engaging, brilliant etc. He was not just the TV personality who was a darling of the basketball world at times. It is another loss of the great personalities from the greatest era of MU hoops.

[Nukem2]

I worked at MU in the summer when I was in high school and played hoops near every day at the Old Gym during the lunch hour. Rick, known as Fat Ricky to the guys in his neighborhood, would be there a lot. He was a point guard who could not move but he could set a mean screen and was a great passer. Could not catch me on a break! He would wear this rubber suit, even when it was a frickin sauna in the Old Gym. Sweat like a pig. I have a few Fat Ricky stories that cannot be posted. I also frequented the Old Milrose on Vliet Street where Majerus showed up a lot. His fairly standard order was 2 shrimp dinners and a pitcher of coke. His father was a great man in his own right., Ray Majerus--a famous Wisconsin labor leader. He headed up a very long and sometimes violent strike at Kohler company back in the '60's. Of course, the Wolf brothers were from Kohler and one can only guess if that had anything to do with them eschewing Marquette.

Rick made his reputation as a coach way back when he coached St. Sebastian's grade school team that included Jeff Jonas and Joe Hauser in 7th and 8th grade. He then followed them to Marquette High where he coached the freshman team. The first team was Jonas, Heidenriech, Smith, Hauser et al. The he coached Gary Rosenberger (my class) along with Rob McGuire and Dan Raymonds. After that team, he moved over to MU. Hallmark of those teams was the honor of getting a crew cut when guys made the team. Those were some great, great teams at MUHS.
Rick could be gracious, rude, crude, engaging, brilliant etc. He was not just the TV personality who was a darling of the basketball world at times. It is another loss of the great personalities from the greatest era of MU hoops.A truly unique individual. May have not connected with everyone, but he was one of a kind. Spent many hours observing him at the Old Gym and the Arena in the 70s and 80s. Along with Al and Hank, a real legend. Again, RIP.

[Phantom Warrior]

RIP, Coach.

[MUMac]

Wow, I did not expect this news when I logged on. Very sad day for the Majerus family as well as MU. He is and will always be a legend at MU. Godspeed Rick. RIP.

[pbiflyer]

Great article on Rick here:
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/8699651/rick-majerus-did-way-always-college-basketball

[MUMac]

Here is another excellent article written by Bill Dwyre of the Milwaukee Journal (ok, likely more prominent of the LA Times). I remember reading Dwyre. He grew up with Rick. http://www.latimes.com/sports/college/basketball/la-sp-1202-dwyre-rick-majerus-20121202,0,1338143.column

[JohnnyRev]

Rick Majerus's funeral is scheduled for Gesu this Saturday at 11:30 a.m. MU chaplain Fr. Kelly is the main celebrant and many priests plan to concelebrate, including myself and Minnesota Jeb. Rick's sister has invited Fr. Corby Walsh to come - Fr. Walsh in the Arts and Science office helped many of Rick's players (and I believe Al's and Hank's) to pass and remain eligible. Doc Rivers is scheduled to come among other MU grads, and Utah players and their booster-benefactor plan to come. Rick was beloved by so many people and players from his coaching kids like Allie Maguire on the streets to MUHS to MU and beyond. His St. Louis U players loved him - I hope some of them can come, though they may be in exams or have a game. Gesu's pastor asked if Fr. Kelly thought 800 pew spaces in Gesu would be enough room and offered to set up folding chairs if not. Hopefully a reception will follow at the AMU student center. Fr. Kelly will have a bit of a tight schedule because he has to be at the Wisconsin game well before the 5 pm tipoff that same afternoon. I hope there is an appropriate memorial for Rick before the Wisconsin game. Many, including myself, will really miss Rick. RIP.

[IWB]

Thanks for all of the info, great post Johnny Rev!

[pbiflyer]

A bit off topic, but one of the first people I met at Marquette was Fr. Walsh. I was having issues with housing on the first day at MU and was looking not all too happy. Fr. Walsh asked me what was wrong, gave a bit of advice.
A couple weeks later, I run into him again. He says "Hi pbiflyer, how did the housing ting work out?" Heck, I didn't even remember his name, but he remembered mine and my situation, even though he dealt with far more people in that time frame than I did. Gave me a very positive early impression of Marquette.
4 and half years later, a waiver on a course I received a CD in was arranged by him and I was an official Marquette grad.
Good guy, I am happy to see the Majerus family thought so too.
Johnny Rev, if you get a chance, let him know he made a great impression and I owe him for my diploma.

[MUBasketball]

Will Doc be there? I see the Celtics have a home game on Saturday night.

Also, would be great if SLU arranged for the players to attend. I see they have a long break in their schedule -- they play Benford's North Texas team this Wednesday, and then are off until the following Saturday.

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

I also hope MU does something before the badger game, maybe like a video tribute and moment of silence.

[MUfan12]

I also hope MU does something before the badger game, maybe like a video tribute and moment of silence.

In Europe, instead of a moment of silence before games, sometimes they do a minute of applause. I'd love for MU to do that. Rick did a lot for MU without a lot of thanks, I think it'd be a nice way to honor him.

[Phantom Warrior]

Excellent article. There was an awful lot of Al in Rick. Two individualists.

[MUMac]

I believe it was Fr. Kelly who was the Team Chaplain when Majerus became the HC. Rick had a bit of a temper with the officials and was picking up ill timed technicals. Fr. told him when he had to vent to vent to him. I remember times at the MECCA when Rick would start to lose it, make his way down the bench, start pounding the chairs near the good Fr. and scream at him. I am sure the good Fr. learned a whole new vocabulary during that time. It met two goals: Rick did not get a technical and when he was done, received absolution.

Even when with the Bucks, at Ball St., Utah and SLU (even his dalliance with UW - twice - ND and USC), Rick was always MU to me.