Nashville, TN – Austin Peay State University (APSU) head men’s basketball coach Matt Figger was among the feature speakers in support of the American Cancer Society at Thursday night’s Coaches vs. Cancer Tennessee Tip-Off at the Music City Center.
Figger and UT Martin head coach Anthony Stewart kicked off the event with ESPN’s Sean Farnham, who once again served as the event’s master of ceremonies.
The trio swapped stories and offered fans a sense of what to expect of the Govs and Skyhawks in 2018-19, and thanked attendees and sponsors for their continued support of the American Cancer Society.
“We’ve all been touched and affected by cancer throughout our lives, either ourselves or someone close to us,” Figger said. “These events aren’t just fundraisers, they offer hope and support for people who need it at a very difficult point in their lives. It’s vital that we support this mission, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
In addition to Figger and Stewart, other area coaches on the panel were Ohio Valley Conference peers Brian Collins (Tennessee State) and Casey Alexander (Belmont), as well as Lennie Acuff (Lipscomb), Nick McDevitt (Middle Tennessee), Lamont Paris (Chattanooga), Steve Forbes (ETSU), Penny Hardaway (Memphis), Jerry Stackhouse (Vanderbilt), Rick Barnes (Tennessee) and Kenny Anderson (Fisk).
The Coaches vs. Cancer program is a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). 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 more than $100 million for the American Cancer Society.
