Basketball world responds to Rick Majerus' death

• Rick Majerus, coach at Marquette, Ball State, Utah and Saint Louis, passed away on Saturday at 64
• Loyola coach Porter Moser, a Majerus assistant at St. Louis, was heartbroken
• Celtics coach Doc Rivers fought back tears when asked to comment on the news

After hearing some heart-rendering news Saturday, Porter Moser found himself in a place of solitude Sunday morning.

He was in church "just trying to hold it together."

Moser's tweet on Saturday was one of many early confirmations that the inevitable had happened: Rick Majerus, one of basketball's greatest coaches who was fighting a deadly heart condition, had passed away.

Majerus coached at Marquette, Ball State, Utah and Saint Louis, compiling a 517-215 record. But it was who he was as a person that resonated after his passing.

Moser, now head coach at Loyola, served as an assistant on Majerus' staff for four years at St. Louis.

"I got a call 10 minutes before (he passed). He and I were very close. It just keeps weighing on my heart," a choked up Moser told USA TODAY Sports. "People will say a lot about who he was as a coach, but you need to multiply that by 50 for who he was as a person. He was so great to my wife and I. Most coaches want to talk to you when things are going great. He called me after every loss last season. He wanted to pick me up. I'm going to miss that fatherly advice."

Before the St. Louis' game against Valparaiso on Sunday, the team held a moment of silence to honor the late coach who led the Billikens to their first NCAA tournament in 12 years.

"It was upsetting, tears were shed," St. Louis forward Cody Ellis said. "But it brought us together as a team. It helped us regroup. … We definitely came today to play for him."

St. Louis beat Valparaiso 62-49 and players dedicated the win to Majerus.

"Coach dedicated his life to basketball," said Dwayne Evans, who netted 24 points. "I can't think of a better tribute than to get a win."

Moser said he stayed in close contact with Majerus after he left St. Louis, saying Majerus invited him and his wife up to the NCAA tournament last season because he was "still a part of the team."

"His influence is all over my (Loyola) program. His impact to me as a coach will be everlasting," Moser said. "He saw the game at a different pace. His office was a room with a table, dry erase boards and a TV. He didn't want an I-love-me office with a gold medal or Final Four trophy. To be able to sit in that room and game plan with that man was a true blessing. I was upset I didn't get to finish what I started at my former school (Illinois State) but life works in mysterious ways. Now I know why … I got to coach with the greatest."

Majerus' death was felt in the NBA, too.

"He definitely made a change in my life, giving me the opportunity to get a college education and play college basketball," Denver Nuggets point guard and former Utah player Andre Miller said on Sunday via The Denver Post. I enjoyed all of my times with him, and probably was the most influential coach as far as teaching me how to play basketball at the college level, and at the pro level."

"There's a lot of Rick Majerus in how I coach," Nuggets coach George Karl said on Sunday via NBA.com. "There's a lot of Rick Majerus in how I act as a person. I'll never forget him."

Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers, who received his nickname from Majerus when he played at Marquette, fought back tears when addressing Majerus' passing to reporters.

"That's a tough one for me," Rivers said after his team's loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night. "I mean, he's the one who gave me my name."

"The guy was just mesmerizing," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said on Sunday. "He could talk about any aspect of the game. I have piles of notes about his basketball philosophy. He's probably one of the top five basketball coaches at any level."

"He would basically give you the shirt off his back if that's what you needed – whatever it took," said Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Jim Boyland, who played point guard on Marquette's 1977 squad.

"Regardless of how demanding he was, Rick proved his love for friends and players past and present in a myriad of ways," former NBA coach Del Harris said on Sunday. "I have recorded and saved voicemails he has sent me and my son Dominic has saved encouraging letters Rick sent him from years past."

The list went on and on with those who paid tribute to Majerus late Saturday and all of Sunday. Here's a scroll of the top reactions to Majerus' death from the basketball world:

St. Louis guard Kwamain Mitchell via The Associated Press: "He developed me into a man."

NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson via Twitter: "My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Rick Majerus. He was and outstanding coach w/ a great basketball mind!"

Indiana coach Tom Crean via The Associated Press: "He was brilliant. He was a guy I could call at any time and he would give me ideas."

Missouri coach Frank Haith via Twitter: "Absolutely heartbroken with these reports. Prayers to Coach Majerus' family and all the wonderful student-athletes & staff at Saint Louis U."

Xavier coach Chris Mack via Twitter: "Sad news in the world of college basketball. Coach Majerus made us all better coaches by having to play his teams. He will be missed."

UNLV coach Dave Rice via the Associated Press: "It's a sad day for college basketball. Certainly one of the great college basketball coaches. He took talent where they were most effective. When you went up against Coach Majerus and you won you knew you did something special."

ESPN analyst Dick Vitale via Twitter: "So sad to hear about the passing of former ESPN colleague and one helluva coach Rick Majerus. He will be missed by many. May he RIP."

ESPN analyst Jay Bilas via Twitter: "RIP Rick Majerus. Too soon. Rick loved the game. Not just what he got from the game, or who he was in the game. He just loved the game."

ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla via Twitter: "Rick Majerus was on my Mount Rushmore of basketball teachers along with Hubie Brown, Bob Knight, Dick Bennett and Bob Hurley."

Former St. Louis player Kyle Cassity via The St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "He did so much for St. Louis in general and did so much for me, to be honest. He gave me the opportunity of a lifetime and made me a better person. I'll be forever grateful for that. He's a hell of a coach and was a great mentor to me and a lot of other people. I hate to see him go."

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch had a touching profile of Majerus on Sunday morning titled, "Majerus lived his life to help others."

The best from that piece described Majerus' relationship with Keith Van Horn:

Majerus was there for Keith Van Horn, his brightest star at Utah. The coach received a late-night call in 1993. It was Van Horn's mother. She had shocking news: Keith's father was dead. A sudden heart attack took his life. And Van Horn's mom didn't know how to tell her son. She asked Coach Majerus to do it.

Majerus, of course, was there. At 2 a.m., he took Van Horn to a diner. They sat down. The coach told the freshman the worst words imaginable: Your father has died. Van Horn broke down in tears. Majerus consoled him. They sat there all night, telling happy stories about their late fathers, eating breakfast, and handling the pain. They cried together. They shared bagels. They hugged. They talked some more.

When Van Horn finally walked into the morning light of Salt Lake City, he was ready to face the tragedy. Van Horn said he entered that diner as a kid, and by the time he left, he'd become a man. Majerus pulled him through.

Another must-read from the web came from CBS Sports' Doug Gottlieb, who was recruited by Majerus after he was expelled from Notre Dame. The best from Gottlieb's moving column, "Majerus just wanted to talk ball" is here:

Over the time we talked he told me in detail how he would use me.

"Here is how it will work. Your dad thinks you can be John Stockton, I don't. In fact I told him to never say that out loud to anyone again, but that doesn't mean I don't understand why he believes it. He is your dad, he loves you, but you will never be John Stockton." Majerus said. "But you can be better than John Crotty and play in the NBA a long time because you can really see the floor."

As Majerus spoke, he started to eat my fries.