Rowe led Trailblazers to second-straight NACA Tournament appearance in March

TEACH head coach Gregory Rowe passed away at Vidant Beaufort Hospital of Washington early Sunday morning from what many say to be an aneurysm, although the cause of death has not been officially determined.

As the girls basketball coach, Rowe led his team to a 18-5 record and a second-straight appearance in the National Association of Christian Athletes Tournament in Tennessee. The Trailblazers finished fourth out of 14 teams in Division 5 at the Tournament. Rowe’s daughter Whitney, the leading scorer for the Trailblazers, was named to the All-Tournament team and finished the season averaging just under 20 points per game. In March, she was also named a first-team All-County selection by The Washington Daily News.

“When he took over as coach I think they had won one game the previous season,” said Lee Evans, the current volleyball and softball coach for TEACH. “He was hoping they’d win five games in his first season. They ended up winning something like 15.”

The charismatic coach was known for his loud, animated and intelligent coaching style on the sidelines during games and his ability to motivate and serve as a mentor off the court.

“He was just a great guy you loved and a great coach,” Evans said. “He worked off the girls’ individual talent and brought it all together as a team. He was like their second dad, a father figure to them. If they ever needed anything, he was there for them.”

Rowe has coached the team since 2007 and took over as athletic director three years ago.

Arguably the Trailblazers’ most impressive season came in 2013. The team finished with a 24-4 record, was N.C. Christian Conference regular season and tournament champions and won the North Carolina Christian Athletic Association State Championship. TEACH also finished fourth at the NACA National Tournament.

Rowe, a safety manager at PotashCorp of Aurora, stepped down as head coach following the 2014 campaign.

To honor his memory, TEACH has created the Greg Rowe Scholarship Fund to grant five TEACH students with $1,000 scholarships. In just three days, TEACH has already collected $2,500. All donations are to be sent to the TEACH Athletic Program at 2945 Gilead Shores Road, Blounts Creek, N.C. 27814.

Rowe leaves behind two daughters, Whitney and Jessica, and his wife of 23 years, Shelia.