Wear Your Purple to Support Former Penguin Coach Dan Peters Fight Against Cancer

by YSU

Saturday, Jan 25, 2014 8:37 am

Youngstown, Ohio – In conjunction with the annual National Association of Basketball Coaches' (NABC) Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers weekend, Jan. 24-26, the Youngstown State men's and women's basketball coaching staffs and department personnel will be showing support to former Head Coach Dan Peters in his fight against pancreatic cancer.

To honor Peters, who coached the Penguins from 1993-99, both the coaching and athletic department staffs will wear a purple lapel pin with the phrase "4 Pete's Sake" during Saturday's women's and men's basketball doubleheader. Peters owned a record of 78-87 at YSU and led the Penguins to their last 20-win season (20-9) in 1997-98.

Peters, the director of basketball operations for the men's basketball team at the University of Akron the past five seasons, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December and has been on a leave of absence since to pursue treatment.

To generate support via social media, Akron and the basketball community has used the hash tag #4PetesSake on Twitter and other outlets

Every school at which Peters has worked, as well as all members of the Mid-American Conference and other programs, will show their support for Peters.

Besides YSU, those showing their support for Peters include Akron (men and women), Arizona, Ball State, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Delta State, Eastern Michigan (men and women), Houghton College, Kent State, Miami (Ohio), Northern Illinois, Ohio, Ohio State, St. Joseph's College (Ind.), Toledo, Walsh University, Western Carolina, West Virginia, Western Michigan. Peters' son, Danny Peters, is the assistant director of basketball operations at Arizona. Drew Hannan, the head coach at Houghton College, is a former YSU student-athlete that played for Coach Peters.

A 30-plus year veteran of the collegiate coaching scene, Peters joined the Akron staff in 2009 after time at Ohio State (2004-09) and Cincinnati (1999-2004) as an assistant coach, as well as the head coaching spot at Youngstown State (1993-99). He also was on former Akron head coach Coleman Crawford's staff for the 1989-90 and 1990-91 campaigns.

Peters is a Northeast Ohio native who was born in Cleveland and grew up in Canton. He is a 1976 graduate of Kent State University.

The Coaches vs. Cancer program is a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the NABC. The initiative leverages the personal experiences, community leadership, and professional excellence of coaches nationwide to increase awareness and promote healthy living through year-round awareness efforts, fundraising activities, and advocacy programs.

The Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Awareness Weekend is a nationwide event that unites coaches across the country to raise awareness about the fight against cancer, and promote the American Cancer Society as a place for help and support. While coaching games the weekend, coaches wear sneakers with their game attire as a visible reminder about the importance of nutrition and physical activity in reducing one's cancer risk.

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