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Shocker. I didn't have a huge online relationship with Pat, in fact we rarely interracted with one and other during my time here, but she would always catch my attention with her cheerful and positive posts. I will echo Brooklyn's comments in that she truly was the big cuddly grandma figure here in our online Bulls community. No matter what the circumstances, she always continued with her positive and cheery ways. Something that will really be missed here.

This is the only message board that I've really been a consistent contributor to. I've signed up to various boards and may have a dropped a post or two, but there really isn't anywhere else online that can match the type of close knit community that we have here. It might sound sad, uncool, or nerdy, but this is like one huge family to me. Each and every one of you has your different personalities and qualities that you bring to the table, and over the two and a bit years that I have been here, I have developed a relationship with this online community that I would have never imagined myself doing prior to joining. My purpose of joining this board was to fill some of my spare time, but it's spiraled out of control (for the good), and I now find myself trying to create more time to come here, and it's all down to the great posters that contribute to this community every single day.

We often have longtime members go AWOL. Most return at some point, but some others do not. For those people who strangely disappear of the face of cyberspace, we automatically fear the worst, although in reality they are probably just living their lives. If there is anything fortunate about this sad sad news, it's that Pat didn't just disappear and leave us all wondering. We were contacted, so therefore can pay to tribute to Pat here on the forums.

RIP pdenninggolden (Pat).

Wingy wrote:Anyone have any NY Times article packs?

http://www.nytimes.com/1985/12/22/sports/college-basketball-85-86-pat-denning-coach-and-teacher-meet-in-a-pioneer.html

I do -- it's a great article and worth the $3.95.

But some brief highlights:.

One of the 30 (!) other applicants for the UIC assistant's job was none other than Norm Van Lier (!).

She focused on keeping the players academically eligible and spent more time with them than their head coach did. Her other responsibilities were to help run practices, keep track of fouls and timeouts during games, and consult on strategies, and help to manage personalities.

A team she coached won the Abe Saperstein summer tourney over a team featuring Isiah, Aguirre, Sonny Parker, and Mickey Johnson. She was then the freshman/sophomore coach at Mather for two years. Her husband was a basketball coach and dean of students at Mather.

One quote from Pat: "''I don't want to get feminists mad, but yes, I add a softer, more feminine touch,'' she said. ''I try to keep things calm because somebody has to. I'll bring gum or candy for the players, and if Coach Little says we're going to have a Christmas practice, I'll say let's at least have a party.''

She was only 59 when she died. Far too young.

ScottMay wrote:
One quote from Pat: "''I don't want to get feminists mad, but yes, I add a softer, more feminine touch,'' she said. ''I try to keep things calm because somebody has to. I'll bring gum or candy for the players, and if Coach Little says we're going to have a Christmas practice, I'll say let's at least have a party.''

She was only 59 when she died. Far too young.

That sounds like her. Thanks for the recap, Scott. I wish we'd have known of her trailblazing professional accomplishments earlier so we could have given her the timely props on that front that she deserved.

It says quite a bit about her humility that she never mentioned it herself, not even in the most superficial way.

Wouldn't it be okay if we made an exception and posted the full article?

harry lockheart wrote:Wouldn't it be okay if we made an exception and posted the full article?

If the powers-that-be make an exception, you'll have to find another Times subscriber to cut and paste for you. Copyright keeps my family clothed, fed, and sheltered and stuff.

It's against RealGM rules to post full articles.

Personally, I wouldn't mind making an exception. But it's not up to me.

DNP CD wrote:Don't forget that pdenninggolden had basketball credentials having been an assistant coach for the UIC men's team (the first woman to do so in college).

Only a brief mention of it here: http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/ ... /index.htm

to save anyone else from scouring an otherwise insufferable article, here is the reference:

AMCU-8: In its fourth season, the Association of Mid-Continent Universities gets no automatic NCAA bid, which is unfortunate for Cleveland State, likely to repeat as champ with its twin Clintons (Ransey and Smith) in the frontcourt. Eastern Illinois has the league's best (player of the year Jon Collins) and biggest (7-foot, 300-pound Kevin Duckworth), while Illinois-Chicago has the first woman college coach, assistant Patricia Denning.

Devastating news. Simply heartbreaking. Pat was definitely a constant breath of positivity and fresh air on this board. I just recently discovered we lived in the same darn neighborhood. If passing on has taken away her pain then that at least puts a bit of a smile on my face. She will be missed both by those of us who only knew her through a message board and certainly by those closest to her in her everyday life. R.I.P. pdenninggolden.

Someone should bring this up w/CSN or a local radio station. Worth a mention at the very least.

Always sad to see someone go so earlier. Even sadder to know who they were and what they were about. Worst part is thinking about how much you know the family is going to miss someone like that.

I don't post anymore, but I love to read the boards. I've always enjoyed the posts of pdenninggolden and am sad to hear of her passing. She will be missed here.

She was definitely part of the RealGM fam. I'd think it would be nice if we had a sig or something in our sig for her.

SHO'NUFF wrote:She was definitely part of the RealGM fam. I'd think it would be nice if we had a sig or something in our sig for her.

Good idea.

Wow, I can't believe one of our own has passed away. RIP ma'am.

Patricia, what a wonderful, warm human being.

I couldn't help but smile as I imagined her giggling and "+1"ing my g-rated diatribe aimed at the "image size not recognized" message we all love so much.

When I got online for the first time today the very first thing I saw when I enter the Bulls forum is this thread and my reaction is that I was shock and like I say "oh no!"


There is nothing negative about Pat lot of positive about her, I don't know her personally but I do enjoyed her post give a positive influence. Sad to hear that she is no longer with us but she at a better place now my condolence to her family and friends.

Now I know what exactly I am going to put on my sig to honor her which is a good idea shonuff

R.I.P Pat

If anyone wanted to use the sig:

http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/5254/rosev.gif pdenninggolden http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/5254/rosev.gif

you have to put the links in [img] format. Keep hitting 'submit' until it allows you to add the sig.

I saw this thread this morning as I began my work day. I wanted to respond, but quite honestly I'm not good in these types of situations. I can't deal with them in real life well and apparently that's parlayed into not dealing with it well virtually either.

God bless pdenninggolden (as I knew her) and her family. My most sincere condolences!

R.I.P. Pat

RIP Patricia. It's like losing a family member because everyone on here is closely related with each other in our love for the Bulls. I'll always remember her for her posts on here and wish her family the best.

I just recieved a email from the same lady Doug did she promised to keep both Doug and myself updated over the next few days.So ill keep you guys posted on this sad situation.

It's cool to find out the extent of diversity that visits here. I haven't been around long enough to remember much of pdenninggolden, but I do remember her level headed posting amongst the bickering that blows up here from time to time. I respected her as fellow passionate fan.