Coaches, pilot remembered after hot-air balloon crash
Published 10:13 am Monday, May 12, 2014
RICHMOND, Va. — The two University of Richmond basketball coaches killed in a hot-air balloon crash were a beloved long-time assistant who was part of one of the most revered moments in the program’s history, and a woman who was hardly out of college and always cheerful and willing to help.
The pilot, Daniel T. Kirk, was also killed when the balloon drifted into a power line and burst into flames Friday. He had 20 years of flying experience and was affectionately known as “Capt. Kirk.”
At the university’s graduation Sunday, a moment of silence was held for the coaches — director of basketball operations Natalie Lewis and associate head coach Ginny Doyle.
As a senior for the Spiders, Doyle set an NCAA record — for men or women — by making 66 consecutive free throws, an accomplishment that earned her dubious recognition from CBS college basketball analyst Billy Packer.