The Coach Lee Rose Foundation

“One true measure of a person is how that person treats those around them who are in absolutely no position to help them.” Coach Rose treated everyone the same – with kindness and empathy. He lived a humble and powerful life -and his impact is simply immeasurable. His Hall-Of-Fame coaching career spanned 53 years - from Versailles High School to the NBA. Rose took two teams to the Final Four, UNCC in 1977 and Purdue in 1980. He was a coach and executive in the NBA for over 20 years and was instrumental in the creation of the NBA D-League and the Pre-Draft Combine. As a young boy growing up in Eastern Kentucky, Rose never knew his father. With the support of his high school coaches and teachers, he received the first-ever full athletic scholarship to Transylvania University. One of his proudest accomplishments was the tireless work that he and Eleanor did in Kentucky’s Fifth Congressional District - where he grew up. From 2005 to 2017, they traveled to 42 counties and spoke to more than 11,000 middle school students. Coach Rose connected with them and encouraged them to stay in school and use education as a tool to success. Rose was active in Big Brothers Big Sisters, he championed the Special Olympics, and worked tirelessly for the homeless in Charlotte, NC. To honor his life and good works, the family has created the Coach Lee Rose Foundation. The mission is simple - to help underserved kids overcome obstacles via coaching, counseling, education, and social equity. Please visit the website and consider helping.