Florida State forward Phil Cofer learned some absolutely terrible news moments after the Seminoles held off Vermont in the the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday as he was told his dad, Mike, passed away from a lengthy illness.
Cofer, a senior who has averaged 7.4 points and 3.5 rebounds a game this year, sat out the win due to a foot injury after playing 19 minutes in the ACC title game against Duke last Saturday.
ESPN has some details:
“He got a phone call in the locker room after the game that his dad had died,” Florida State spokesman Chuck Walsh told ESPN.
Cofer’s father had suffered from a “long illness.”
When Cofer received the call about his father during the Seminoles’ open locker room after the win in the first round of the NCAA tournament, he did not discuss it with the media. Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton was not aware of the news when he spoke with reporters after the game.
Hamilton talked after the game about how important Cofer has been to the team during his career:
Florida State fans and media offered their support on Twitter:
