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Western Carolina Assistant Coach Dies Suddenly

John Peacock was in his first year coaching the Catamounts, who play at OU on Sept. 11.

John E. Hoover

Western Carolina Assistant Coach Dies Suddenly
Western Carolina Assistant Coach Dies Suddenly /

John Peacock, offensive line coach at Western Carolina University, died suddenly and unexpectedly on Wednesday. He was 32.

The school’s athletic department announced the tragedy Friday via Twitter.

Peacock was in his first season coaching WCU, an FCS program that plays this season at No. 2-ranked Oklahoma on Sept. 11.

“Known by his colleagues and student-athletes as a selfless, hard worker who was always upbeat and constantly humming or singing,” the school said in the tweet. “Coach Peacock will be sorely missed.”

WCU will honor Peacock with a moment of silence before this year’s season opener and will lower the WCU flag on the day of his service.

OU coach Lincoln Riley offered his sentiments on Twitter as well.

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John E. Hoover
JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.

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