There Will Never Be Another Jerry West

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Yesterday started like any other sunny, lazy summer day. I arrived at work at 9 a.m., checked my social media, and thought about leaving early to walk my dog. Then, my boss, Michael Fragale, came in to tell me that Jerry West had just died.

"Better get to work," he said.

The news hit like a basketball flying through the window. Writing obituaries for the department, I often had prepared notes for school legends like Hot Rod Hundley and Sam Huff, who had been in declining health. But Jerry West? The man who always seemed full of energy and vigor?

Peter Pans don’t die, until they do.

Where to begin with someone who achieved so much? What to include and what to leave out? It’s impossible to capture all of Jerry West’s accomplishments from his 86 well-lived years in a short time. How do you encapsulate his impact on the people of this great state and West Virginia University?

When you don’t know where to start, begin at the beginning. For me, that meant a file cabinet of interviews, including several with West. My conversations with him spanned about six phone calls, each lasting 20 to 30 minutes. Unlike others who might rush through an interview, Jerry always took his time, especially when discussing West Virginia, WVU, and his Mountaineer basketball teammates.

One time, I asked him why there were so many outstanding basketball players in West Virginia during the mid-1950s when he played at East Bank High. He launched into a story about the Kentucky all-star team, reputed to have the best players in America. West Virginia played them twice and won both times.

"It was a very high-caliber group of guys," West said. "Style of play was a big part of it. Coaches were a little more restrictive in some areas, inheriting their philosophy from coaches they played for."

At the time, WVU coach Fred Schaus had recently retired from the professional ranks. He and assistant coach George King, both young and athletic, would get out on the floor and teach the players tricks of the trade.

King, who played on an NBA championship team with the Syracuse Nationals, often went up against Jerry in practice.

"Maybe where I developed a little bit of confidence was because George King was there," West recalled. "I used to play against him and found out I could play okay. It was a great environment for us to learn and engage with people who had played at a higher level."

Schaus and King’s success in coaching stemmed from team building, a lesson Jerry carried throughout his career. West’s achievements with the Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors, and Los Angeles Clippers as an executive had roots in those well-rounded WVU teams of the late 1950s.

Schaus convinced Willie Akers to be a supporting player to Jerry West at WVU rather than a leading scorer at Virginia Tech or Wake Forest. Willie wanted to win, so he joined WVU, teaming with Lloyd Sharrar, Bobby Joe Smith, and Jim Ritchie to rebound and play defense while guards Joedy Gardner, Don Vincent, Bucky Bolyard, Ronnie Retton, and Lee Patrone handled the basketball. Jerry made the tough shots and rose to the occasion whenever needed.

"We were very competitive kids," West recalled. "Just because some of them were fun-loving doesn't mean they weren't competitive. They were great people, and for someone as quiet and shy as me, it made for a completely different situation."

I saw Jerry West's seriousness firsthand when I was part of a speaking program with him in Lewisburg, West Virginia. Jerry was promoting his new book, and I was there to warm up the crowd. After telling some stories, I exited to the Green Room, where I met Jerry. He shook my hand but was focused on the task at hand, ready to discuss his deeply personal book. It was then I realized that Jerry West was an elite human being, someone we West Virginians aspired to be.

Jerry West’s life is a blueprint for success. Study how he treated others with empathy, dignity, and respect. Notice how he honored his commitments and conducted himself professionally. His story, filled with successes, failures, good times, and heartaches, embodies the values we hold dear.

In honor of Jerry West, lower your West Virginia flags until after West Virginia Day on June 20th. There will never be another Jerry West – ever.