In Memoriam: Flip Saunders

The University of Minnesota is saddened by the loss of former Gopher Philip "Flip" Saunders, who passed away Sunday at age 60.

A native of Cleveland, Saunders, the 1973 Class A High School Player of the Year and Ohio's Mr. Basketball, arrived on campus that fall and found his way into the record books among the all-time Golden Gopher greats. He ranks third in career free throw shooting (.809) and ninth in assists (295). Saunders amassed 842 points and 365 rebounds in his four-year career, in which he helped lead the Maroon and Gold to 70 wins while starting all but two games.

He went on to a career in college and professional basketball that spanned five decades, most recently serving as head coach and president of the Minnesota Timberwolves. He got his start as the head coach at Golden Valley Lutheran College where he finished a four-year stint with a 92-13 record.

From there, Saunders returned to Williams Arena as an assistant coach from 1981-86, playing a role in the Gophers' 1982 Big Ten championship season. Saunders spent two more years in the collegiate ranks, as an assistant at Tulsa from 1986-88.

His professional career began with a 253-137 record at three stops in the Continental Basketball Association, all building to the 1995 announcement that he would be the new head coach and general manager of the Minnesota Timberwolves. He guided the Wolves to more than 400 wins and eight consecutive postseason berths before moving on to head coaching stops with the Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards, reaching three straight Eastern Conference finals with Detroit.

Saunders spent a year as an ESPN basketball analyst before coming back to the Wolves in 2013 as president of basketball operations and, a year later, returning to the bench as head coach. He remained in both roles until his passing.

Saunders is survived by his wife, Debbie, whom he met at the University of Minnesota, along with four children, all University of Minnesota graduates: daughters Mindy, Rachel and Kimberly, and son Ryan, who played for the Gophers from 2004-06.

Gophers React to Flip Saunders's Passing

"Flip Saunders and Gopher Athletics have shared a special bond since he first stepped on campus more than 40 years ago. Flip, his wife and his four kids all attended school here and they were connected with the University of Minnesota in a way that made them feel like family to all of us. Wherever basketball took Flip, it was common to see him around the University, attending sporting events or spending time back on campus. Losing Flip is a loss for the entire Gopher family. Our thoughts are with the Saunders family and all of those to whom Flip meant so much." - Minnesota interim director of athletics Beth Goetz

"Flip loved the Gophers and this University was extremely important to him - it's a sad day for all of us. His family is in all of our prayers, and we lost a great Gopher legend, a great person and a great basketball guy." - Minnesota head coach Richard Pitino

"As a Gopher, seeing Flip on the sidelines and then having the opportunity to play for him and get to know him on a personal and professional level was an honor. Flip was a great role model for current and future Gophers and was such a genius basketball mind who took so much pride in being a Gopher. " - Former Minnesota Golden Gopher (1996-99) and Timberwolves (2003-04) player and current Golden Gopher Fund development officer Quincy Lewis

"He was the guy that made the team go. He played that point guard spot where we didn't have a backup. He wasn't our best player, but he was our most valuable player. He was the one guy we couldn't do without." - Former Minnesota head coach Jim Dutcher

News Links

Star Tribune obituary: http://www.startribune.com/wolves-coach-flip-saunders-1955-2015/336900871/

Pioneer Press remembrance: http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_29021606/timberwolves-coach-flip-saunders-dead-after-battle-hodgkins

Statements from Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor (http://www.nba.com/timberwolves/glen-taylor-statement-passing-phil-flip-saunders) and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver ( http://www.nba.com/timberwolves/adam-silver-statement-regarding-passing-flip-saunders)

KFAN's Dan Barreiro remembrance: http://www.kfan.com/onair/dan-barreiro-11904/an-ode-to-the-funkadelic-14064944

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo remembrance: http://www.startribune.com/michigan-state-s-tom-izzo-says-everyone-was-special-to-flip-saunders/336930051/

SI's Steve Rushin remembrance: http://www.si.com/nba/2015/10/26/flip-saunders-minnesota-timberwolves-pistons-wizards

Channel 12 video on Saunders' coaching career beginnings: http://twelve.tv/news/newsitem.aspx?newsid=324&newsitemid=28919