Undisputedly, one of the best parts of the coaching profession is how people are able and willing to come together when one of our own is in need.
That is the situation facing form Lehigh (FCS - PA) head coach Andy Coen and his family that consists of his wife Laura and three kids - Molly, Nolan an Finn.
Coen, who resigned at Lehigh back in 2018 after being diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimers, has seen his condition worsen recently. In 2019 they put together a golf outing which went really well, and they're now in need of some additional fundraisers.
The family has shared with us that Coen, who is just 57 years old, was recently put into a memory care facility, and health insurance will not cover the cost of the facility. To combat that, former players, coaching colleagues and friends of the Coen family are uniting
Asking for help during a time like this can be a really tough thing to do, and we wanted to help by doing whatever we could to help spread the word.
A GoFundMe page has been set up, where they've raised over $120,000, which is just under half their goal of $250,000. You can view that page via this link.
A portion of that GoFundMe description reads:
"Coach Coen is 57 years old and his family needs help to pay for a Memory Care Facility. This expense is directly out of pocket for the family as insurance covers nothing.
Our Beloved Coach, Colleague and Friend needs our Help more than ever. Please consider Donating to assist for his care."
For those that are able, they're also doing an in-person event with drinks and some food. On February 18th, at the Wood Dining Room on the campus of Lehigh, a special event is being put on as an additional fundraiser for coach Coen. Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson, a former Lehigh assistant, will be one of the featured guests of the night, and the event will also feature some silent auction items that have been lined up.
The family shares that 100% of the proceeds from the event will go to the Coen family.
Here is where you can find some additional details of that event.
For those unable to attend, please consider donating to the GoFundMe for coach Coen, and please join us in continuing to keep him and his family in your prayers during their time of need.