An Oklahoma State University men’s basketball player collapsed and died Thursday in Stillwater.
21-year-old forward Tyrek Coger was pronounced dead at Stillwater Medical Center Thursday evening after a 40-minute team workout at Boone Pickens Stadium. The Oklahoma State Medical Examiner’s Office says Coger died due to an enlarged heart.
OSU head coach Brad Underwood, who was out of town at the time, said there is no worse feeling as a coach than getting the call he received Thursday.
“It’s a tragic day. It’s a sad, sad day," Underwood said. "A 21-year-old young man that had his whole world in front of him.”
Temperatures Thursday peaked at over 100 degrees in Stillwater. OSU athletic director Mike Holder says the school evaluates operating procedures and protocols on a daily basis.
"We’ll take this tragedy and look at it and try to figure out if there was something that could have been done to prevent it," Holder said. "And if there’s changes that need to be made, we’ll make those."
Coger was a junior college transfer from Raleigh, North Carolina who had only been on campus for 17 days.
The Washington Wizards' John Wall posted a remembrance of Coger on Instagram:
Rest In Peace to the lil homie who always had the competitive spirit.. you will be missed Tyrek A photo posted by johnwall (@johnwall) on Jul 21, 2016 at 9:06pm PDT
