“RIP Coach”: Ex-Suns Star Mourns Heartbreaking Demise of Basketball Veteran as Decades-Old Nostalgia Hits Hard

Eddie Johnson is mourning the death of his high school coach Joey Meyer, who passed away Friday afternoon at the age of 74. Details regarding Meyer’s death have not been disclosed yet. However, the NBA veteran took to X, expressing his grief and reminiscing about his coach.

Meyer was also a recruiter and Johnson said that he had a solid relationship with the late coach in his high school days. He was an ex-player and coach for the DePaul Blue Demons men’s basketball team. The team’s official handle also sent their condolences to the late coach’s family.

Eddie Johnson mourns the demise of basketball veteran

Johnson posted, “Joey Meyer was a fantastic Recruiter and coach. I developed a great relationship with him as a high schooler. RIP Coach !” on his X profile remembering the basketball veteran. Condolences also poured in from his DePaul basketball family and fans. DePaul’s official X handle posted their condolences and recalled the massive contribution that Meyer has made in their journey.

Meyer spent 30 years with the Blue Demons as a player, assistant coach, and coach, after taking over from his father Ray, who retired after coaching the Demons from 1942 to 1984.  He played under his dad for 3 seasons, with an average of 16.4 points per game. His tenure as the head coach of the team was very successful as he led his team to seven NCAA tournament appearances in the first eight years. He can boast a record of 231-158 in 13 seasons as DePaul’s coach. He won the 1987 Chevrolet National Coach of the Year and led DePaul to the program’s first conference title, winning the 1992 Great Midwest Conference regular season championship, some of his most celebrated accomplishments for the Blue Demons. Meyer was also a triple Hall of Famer in his illustrious career.

Meyer was an inductee to the Chicago Catholic League Hall of Fame as a player in 2009 and made it into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2021. His third honor was becoming a member of the DePaul Athletics Hall of Fame. Meyer was among the biggest ambassadors of DePaul and played a crucial role in helping the team gain relevance in the basketball community.

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For his contributions, he was also honored with induction into the 125 ‘Faces of DePaul’. Meyer’s reputation as a recruiter also earned him a regional scout role for the Los Angeles Clippers. He was also a WGN-AM broadcaster after his tenure as the coach of the Blue Demons.

A pillar of the basketball community, his presence will be sorely missed.

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