Detroit high school basketball coach Al Anderson dies following game

theGRIO REPORT - Al Anderson, Detroit Consortium's boys basketball coach died following their victory over Dayton Dunbar...

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Al Anderson, Detroit Consortium’s boys basketball coach, died following their victory over Dayton Dunbar.

The 40-year-old coach went to invite a school security guard to eat with the teams when he suddenly sat down and called out to assistant coach James “Cap” Mitchell, Jr., reports USA Today.

Anderson received a pacemaker in August 2011 and was diagnosed with congestive heart failure last March.

In his sixth year as head coach at Consortium, Anderson’s team is ranked No. 2 in their division and is a favorite to win a state championship.

Anderson leaves behind his wife  Kimberly and 14-year-old daughter, Autumn.

“He was my best friend,” Kimberly said in a comment to USA Today. “He made me laugh. We were very close. I loved everything about him. He was just a great guy.”

Senior starter Vincent Hunter was upset when he heard the news. “He meant everything to me,” Hunter told USA Today.  “He helped me a lot; he worked out with me a lot. He did a lot of things for me.”

Since Coach Anderson’s passing, the Consortium basketball team has lost one game and won one game.

Follow Carrie Healey on Twitter @CarrieHeals. 

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