Dave Rose: Mormon Coach

David Jack Rose is a retired university basketball coach and former basketball player. He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

He is known for turning the Brigham Young University Cougar basketball team from 9-21 losing record to 20-9 winning record. He is also known for recruiting Jimmer Fredette in 2007. Under his leadership BYU played in seven NCAA tournaments and two NITs. He led them in their first Sweet 16 appearance in 2011. His streak of nine-consecutive 20-win seasons tied the team for 20th all-time in NCAA history and tied them for the 10th longest current streak.

Rose was born on December 19, 1957, and played high school basketball in Houston, Texas. He was co-captain of “Phi Slama Jama,” the University of Houston’s basketball squad that included Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler and finished as national runner-up in the 1983 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Houston and also played baseball and basketball at Dixie State College.

In June 2009, Rose underwent emergency surgery to stop internal bleeding and his spleen and a portion of his pancreas were removed. Lab results from the surgery indicated that he had tested positive for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor cancer, a slow-growing non-aggressive type. He was treated and was back coaching the Cougars that season. Every six months, Rose receives a scan to monitor the disease. In August 2013, doctors discovered a cancerous tumor about the size of half a peanut, as well as other cancerous spots for which he had surgery.

He had been head coach at BYU since 2005. He received an extension that would keep him coaching there through the 2019–2020 season. He announced on March 26, 2019, that he was retiring after 14 seasons as head coach. Months after his retirement, he suffered a major heart attack in October. He suffered a stroke on New Year's Eve 2020.

He was the BYU associate head coach from 2000 to 2005 and assistant coach under Steve Cleveland from 1997 to 2000. He was Dixie State head coach from 1990 to 1997 and assistant coach from 1987 to 1990. He also coached high school basketball at Pine View High School (1986 to 1987) and at Millard High School (1983 to 1986).

During his 14 years as head coach, Rose guided the Cougars to a record of 348-135, including eight trips to the NCAA Tournament and five bids to the National Invitational Tournament (NIT). Rose also won four conference titles, was named conference coach of the year three times (2006, 2007, 2011); two-time USBWA District VIII Coach of the Year (2006, 2011); Naismith Coach of the Year Finalist in 2011; finalist for the Clair Bee Award in 2010; and honorable mention for National Coach of the Year by Scout.com (2006); and led BYU to 13 20-win seasons and eight 25-win seasons. He retired as BYU’s all-time leader.

He and his wife, Cheryl, are the parents of three children.