MAC ON SPORTS: NAGY PASSES AWAY EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING
J. Thomas McNamara
Miles Schnaer and Dave Kreps dropped me emails to let me know that Dick Nagy, their longtime friend and assistant to the late Lou Henson passed away.
Schnaer wrote, “ Hi Tom
Thought I would let you know that Dick Nagy passed away early this morning. He put up a great fight, but didn’t make it. I am so thankful that I flew up to see him last week and we had a great time and he said he loved me which he always did and told me as I was leaving we were brothers.”
When Schnaer owned Miles Chevrolet, he provided Illinois basketball coaches with their courtesy cars. As a result Henson, Jimmy Collins and Nagy spent considerable time together.
Nagy is the third member of the Flyin’ Illini coaching staff to pass away in the last 15 months. Henson died in July 2020 and assistant coach Jimmy Collins in December 2020.
On April 26, 1979, Nagy joined Tony Yates as a Henson assistant, replacing Les Wothke, who had left Illinois to become head coach Western Michigan.
