College basketball world mourns Dan Peters' passing

Former UC associate head coach Dan Peters died Monday after nearly a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 60.

Peters, who had a 30-year coaching career, joined Bob Huggins' UC staff in 1999 after six years as the head coach at Youngstown State. When Huggins was suspended by then-athletic director Bob Goin following his arrest in June 2004 for driving under the influence, Goin appointed Peters as interim head coach.

By the time Huggins returned from his suspension on Aug. 27, Peters had left UC to take a job as an assistant coach under Thad Matta at Ohio State.

Peters, who was diagnosed with cancer in December, has been the director of basketball operations at Akron since 2009.

UC coach Mick Cronin worked with Peters on Huggins' staff for two years in the late 90s.

"Our condolences and prayers go out to the Peters family," Cronin said in a statement released by UC. "Dan was a great family man. He will be missed by the coaching fraternity."

Reaction via Twitter from Ohio State assistant Jeff Boals:

From former Lakota East star James Dews:

From Huggins earlier this week:

When Peters took over as interim coach, he was 49 and had been on Huggins' staff for five years, including two as associate head coach.

"I plan to continue to build on the tradition of excellence that has been established here," Peters said at the time. "We expect UC basketball having another banner season, one in which we compete for a conference championship and postseason play."

In 2004, Peters moved to Ohio State, where he was associate director of operations and assistant coach from 2004 to 2009. He was the director of basketball operations at Akron for the past five seasons.

Peters also served as a head coach at Youngstown State (1993-99), Saint Joseph's College in Indiana (1991-93) and Walsh (1983-88), where he also replaced Huggins.