Dan Cox, a longtime freshman football coach at Badin High School, died suddenly of a heart attack Sunday while exercising at his home. He was 57.
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Larry Cox said his brother coached football for more than 20 years at Badin and the CYO. His goal always was “to make people better. He was the best of the Cox brothers.”
Dan Cox, a 1979 Badin graduate, is survived by his wife, Debbie; children, Chris, Annie and Vince; grandchildren Ben, Sam, Will and Cecelia; brothers Larry, Tommy and Billy; and mother Mary Lou. He was preceded in death by his father, Bill, and brother, Johnny.
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“His family was the most important thing in his life,” Cox said.
Arrangements are pending.
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Since his brother’s death, Cox said he has heard from countless people who told stories about how Dan Cox touched their lives. He was a father figure to many of his players, his brother said.
“That shows how fragile life really is,” said Rick Kunkel, 70, who coached about 10 seasons at Badin with Cox. “It was a shock to me. I still don’t believe it.”
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Kunkel said Cox was “well respected” in the coaching community. As a freshman coach at Badin, Cox prepared players for the varsity.
“As good a coach as he was, he was a better father and grandfather,” Kunkel said.
Badin’s Facebook page posted this message: “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. He will be missed by all who knew him. May he rest in peace.”
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