Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Lance Irvin to receive Most Courageous Award from MVC
02/16/2011 | 12:00:00 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 16, 2011
By Jack Watkins
MVCSports.com
ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Missouri Valley Conference Commissioner Doug Elgin announced today that Lance Irvin, associate head men's basketball coach at Southern Illinois University, has been selected as one of the 2010-11 recipients of the league's Most Courageous Award.
The Missouri Valley Conference presents the Most Courageous Award to a past or present student-athlete, coach or university administrator who demonstrates unusual courage in the face of personal illness, adversity or tragedy and whose behavior reflects honor on the institution or the Conference. Individuals receiving the award might also have performed heroic feats or otherwise inspired others.
Irvin, who won a four-month battle with a progressive form of leukemia, joins women's soccer player Abby Guerra (car crash survivor) of Evansville, associate head women's basketball coach Trish Marsh (cancer survivor) of Missouri State, football player Gabe Mullane (testicular cancer survivor) of Indiana State and former basketball player Aaron Thomas (who displayed courage in the face of his father's murder) of Drake as 2010-11 recipients.
The presentation of the award will take place during the February 16 men's basketball game between Southern Illinois and Indiana State at the SIU Arena.
"The strengths of the Missouri Valley Conference are and will continue to be our student-athletes and the leadership shown by our athletic administrators and head coaches," said Elgin. "The individuals who have previously received our Most Courageous Award have had a tremendous story to tell. These five extraordinary people have given their very best to the league and inspired us with their human spirit and overcoming personal adversity.
"We are grateful that we have the opportunity to recognize Lance Irvin. His story is a powerful message of faith, family and courage, and this award represents the determination he displayed from his original diagnosis through treatments and his subsequent remission."
A native of Chicago, Ill., Irvin is in his third year as a member of head coach Chris Lowery's staff. During his 18-year coaching career, he has worked with many big names and at high-profile programs in college basketball, including Joey Meyer at DePaul, Larry Farmer at Loyola-Chicago, Larry Eustachy at Iowa State, Tom Richardson at Illinois State, Melvin Watkins at Texas A&M, Quin Snyder at Missouri and Matt Doherty at SMU.
Irvin was diagnosed with a rapidly progressing form of leukemia on May 12, 2010. Upon his diagnosis, he spent 40 days in the cancer wing of Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, undergoing treatment.
In August, his doctors declared the cancer in remission. He continued to receive consolidation treatments throughout the fall and returned to the Salukis bench by the start of practice in October.
"When the doctors first told me, all I heard was the word cancer, and you begin to think the worst," Irvin said. "Once I got myself together, I realized that people live with cancer. You can beat anything. I was fine with that and said I was just going to beat it."
With the support of his wife, Paula, and 10-year-old daughter, Brooklyn, Irvin has emerged a stronger person.
"I was there for 40 days, and I think Paula spent 38 with me," Irvin said. "You find strength from someone you love when you go through something like this. The courage she has and the words of encouragement she gave me were uplifting."
Irvin started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Idaho in 1991-92. Along the way, he has helped several players reach the NBA, including Jackson Vroman (Iowa State), Paul McPherson (DePaul) and Antoine Wright and Acie Law (Texas A&M).
As a player, he was an all-city, all-area and all-state selection and an honorable mention All-American as a senior at Chicago's Julian High School in 1987. He played basketball at Colorado State before transferring to Idaho, where he played for Eustachy. He received his bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Idaho in 1992.
He comes from a basketball family. His brother, Byron, played college basketball at Missouri, after which he was selected in the 1989 NBA Draft with the 23rd pick by the Portland Trail Blazers. His father runs one of the premier AAU teams in Illinois -- the Mac Irvin Fire.
