Oakland's Greg Kampe will coach with hot-pink hair
Greg Kampe is one of the longest-tenured coaches in college basketball. He's run the Oakland Grizzlies since 1984 and won more than 600 games. He's 62 years old. And on Friday, he'll coach with his hair dyed a blazing pink in the spirit of raising cancer awareness.
"I've got the dye and it is hot pink," Kampe said. "It is PINK-pink."
The cause has become personal for Kampe in recent years. First, he lost his good friend, former Detroit Tigers outfielder Dave Bergman, in early 2015. Six weeks after that, another close friend of Kampe's died of cancer. And then the disease impacted players in his program. Former Oakland player Tommie McCune lost his mother within four weeks of her learning she had the disease. Most famously, there was the viral moment in 2016, when Oakland senior Max Hooper ran up to the concourse of Oakland's home arena and hugged his father, Chip, who watched from a mobile hospital bed.
Chip Hooper died from cancer less than a week later.
"When Chip Hooper died, I thought, This has been a devastating time and I wish I could do something to help," Kampe said. "And a couple days later, the American Cancer Society knocked on the door in my office and said, 'Can you help us?'"
Since then, Kampe has annually raised a lot of money. He's rallied for $350,000 in funding over the past two years alone. The idea for dying his hair pink actually was inspired by former NFL player DeAngelo Williams, who drew attention in 2015 when he put pink highlights in his dreadlocks in honor of his late mother, who was taken by breast cancer. In early October, Kampe said he got to thinking about how little the act of actually wearing pink during October (Breast Cancer Awareness Month) had become.
"We're watching pro football in October and people have pink shoes, pink wristbands and pink this and that," he said. "And it's gotten kind of mundane. You're watching the game and they don't even talk about why they're wearing the pink shoes anymore. When they first started doing that, they would talk about it. They would do specials on, like, DeAngelo Willliams and how he had pink hair. ... Now, it's commonplace to turn the TV on, see pink shoes, and no one's even discussing it."
So Kampe went to Twitter, challenged the public to raise merely $5,000 for the American Cancer Society. The goal was easily surpassed (if you're feeling generous this holiday season, please consider donating), and so Friday's game between Oakland and James Madison will feature Kampe with a pink mop. This initiative is a relatively small one for Kampe, who had a viral tweet earlier this year raise nearly $100,000 in coordination with corporate fundraising from Chevrolet.
"Since that day, everything I do is to help the American Cancer Society, and we'll have crossed a half-million dollars soon," Kampe said. "My goal is to get to a million, 'cause then I'll feel like I did something."
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IUPUI 76, Boston College 69 (6 percent). IUPUI was picked sixth in the preseason in the Horizon League.
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Cleveland State Men’s Hoops Has Tough Task Tonight at 5-0 Ohio State--NEO Sports Insiders
Cleveland State Heads to No. 23 Ohio State Friday--csuvikings.com
Women's Basketball Heads West For San Diego Thanksgiving Tournament--csuvikings.com
The backward lives of Mike and Antoine Davis--The Athletic
Tuesday's college basketball: Davis, 3-point barrage power Detroit Mercy--Detroit News
Davis, 3-Point Shooting Power Detroit Mercy to Legends Classic Subregional Title--detroittitans.com
Titans Ink Jamail Pink Out Of Texas--detroittitans.com
Titan Basketball Coaches Radio Show Back On Nov. 26 At Dino's Lounge--detroittitans.com
@DetroitMBB Set For Thanksgiving Saturday Showdown At In-State Rival EMU--detroittitans.com
Women's Basketball Plays Manhattan in New York City on Saturday--detroittitans.com
BRECHTING, NORRIS NET CAREER HIGHS AS OAKLAND TOPS JAMES MADISON 77-69--goldengrizzlies.com
#22 Marquette Women’s Basketball Preview: vs Illinois-Chicago Flames--Anonymous Eagle
@UICWBB Hits the Road to Face No. 22 Marquette--uicflames.com
JAGS TO FACE ST. FRANCIS BROOKLYN ON FRIDAY NIGHT--iupuijags.com
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TAKES DOWN UTSA, 58-50--iupuijags.com
UWGB men fall to No. 21 Oregon--Green Bay Press Gazette
Jeff Nordgaard’s jersey to be retired December 1--Phear The Phoenix
Green Bay Gives 21st-Ranked Oregon a Scare in Eugene Before Falling 83-72--greenbayphoenix.com
UWGB women's basketball: Phoenix returns to winning ways--Green Bay Press Gazette
Green Bay Preble basketball star Kendall Renard commits to UWGB--Green Bay Press Gazette
Strong Second Half Leads Green Bay to Convincing Win Over Maine--greenbayphoenix.com
Green Bay Welcomes Dayton to Kress Center Saturday Afternoon--greenbayphoenix.com
UWM 92, LIU-Brooklyn 87 (OT): Panthers prevail--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Roy And Warren-Newsome Lead Comeback OT Victory--mkepanthers.com
Panthers Close Out Thanksgiving Week Hosting Albany Friday--mkepanthers.com
Last-Second Shot Rims Out For Milwaukee--mkepanthers.com
Thanksgiving Classic Starts Friday For Women’s Basketball--mkepanthers.com
Belmont women use 27-3 spurt to ignite 71-53 victory over youthful NKU on Wednesday night--Northern Kentucky Tribune
Women’s basketball drop 3 straight, fall to Belmont 71-53--The Northerner
@NKUNorseWBB falls to Belmont on Wednesday, 71-53--nkunorse.com
Nonconference matchup with UCF awaits @NKUNorseMBB--nkunorse.com
Whitt hits winner with 4.4 seconds left for SMU--CBS Sports
News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Tuesday, Nov 20th--Hoops HD
HIGHLIGHTED GAMESUnder the Radar: November 21st--Hoops HD
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-WRIGHT STATE VS PENN STATE (Cancun Challenge). We liked this Penn State team coming into the year, but the loss at DePaul was a little head scratching. They face a very good Wright State team tonight that returns six of their top seven players from a team that won 26 games a year ago.
On the flip-side, we also discuss how Loyola Chicago, Northeastern, and Wright State have been a little disappointing after what our expectations of them were coming into the year.Wright State coach Scott Nagy: Raiders’ defense ‘embarrassing’ in loss to Penn State--Dayton Daily News
Podcast audio
Wright State falls to SMU as defense comes up short--Dayton Daily News
Penn State Hands Loss to @WSU_MBB--wsuraiders.com
SMU Edges @WSU_MBB--wsuraiders.com
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@WSUWBasketball Dominates Hofstra Friday Afternoon--wsuraiders.com
YSU: Penguins drill Westminster--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle
Penguins Stuff Baskets Like a Turkey in Big Win--The Jambar
Five Score in Double Figures in 104-66 Win Over Westminster--ysusports.com
YSU: Women drubbed by Kent State--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle
Penguins Looking For Recovery After First Loss--The Jambar
YSU Announces "Penguin Family Pack" Discount for Remaining Women's Basketball Schedule--ysusports.com
Yale Rallies for 58-56 Win Over Women’s Basketball--ysusports.com
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