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Berkeley County Coroner Confirms Death Of Retired CSU Coach Rick Duckett

Pictured: Rick Duckett (CREDIT: Charleston Southern University)

GOOSE CREEK, S.C. – Coaching basketball veteran Rick Duckett has died, the Berkeley County Coroner’s Office confirmed Monday. He passed away over the weekend following a battle with cancer, the Winston-Salem Journal reported.

Duckett was 66 years old.

Coroner Darnell Hartwell said his office was notified on Sunday at 4:27 p.m. of Duckett’s death at a residence in Goose Creek.

Goose Creek EMS & Fire and the Goose Creek Police Department also responded to the location. 

Duckett was hired as the assistant basketball coach at Charleston Southern University in 2017 but had since retired.   He had a career in coaching spanning more than 40 years.

“Duckett’s career included head coaching stints at Fayetteville State, Winston-Salem State and Grambling State, as well as a seven-year stop as an assistant under Dave Odom at South Carolina,” according to his online bio at Charleston Southern University.

Following the news of his death, former colleagues and basketball players took to social media to recall the impact he had on their lives.

“An honorable man with exceptional character. I’m so glad I got a chance to see him one last time back in June. He will forever be missed and I’m very thankful for coach,” Trè Kelley, a former player, posted to X (formerly Twitter).

“We are keeping the family of Coach Rick Duckett in our thoughts and prayers, after learning the news of his passing on Sunday night. He was a man of grace, class & high character,” said former colleague, Carey Rich.

Duckett leaves behind a wife and two children.

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