APSU Governor coaches ‘all-in’ for Coaches vs. Cancer ‘Suits and Sneakers’ Week

APSU Sports Information

Clarksville, TN – When Austin Peay State University men’s basketball team takes the court Saturday, the coaching staff will do so not in their customary loafers, wingtips or derbys. They’ll be in sneakers, and all for a good cause.

Saturday’s contest will be part of Coaches vs. Cancer Suits And Sneakers Week, a nationwide event when basketball coaches across the country unite for a common cause – saving lives.

Coaches and their staff across the nation will wear sneakers with their suits during games to raise awareness and help save lives from cancer by raising funds and encouraging people to educate themselves about cancer prevention, screening, and early detection.

Fans may notice the gold laces adorning the shoes of each Austin Peay coach. Those too have meaning, honoring the memory of Lacey Holsworth, an eight-year old Michigan State basketball fan who passed away from cancer in 2014. These gold laces are symbolic of the efforts to eliminate pediatric cancer.

It’s a cause that hits especially close to home this year, with head coach Dave Loos still undergoing chemotherapy while his granddaughter Rhyan fights her own battle with pediatric cancer in New York. For more information on #RallyForRhyan or Austin Peay’s Coaches vs. Cancer Three-Point Challenge initiative, visit the links accompanying this story in the sidebar.

The Coaches vs. Cancer program is a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches. This initiative leverages the personal experiences, community leadership, and professional excellence of coaches nationwide to increase cancer awareness and promote healthy living through year-round awareness efforts, fundraising activities, and advocacy programs. Since 1993, coaches have raised over $100 million for the American Cancer Society.