We have received word here at GREENSBOROSports.com that NC Gaters AAU boys basketball coach Vic Sapp, 46(we were originally told that Vic was 52, our apologies), was found dead this morning at his home in Chapel Hill. Suicide has been suspected as a cause of death. They found Vic early this morning in his garage and carbon monoxide poisoning has been speculated as a contributing factor in the cause of death.
Vic was a very good friend of mine and he helped me and I helped him with many different projects over the years. He never missed a Pizza Hut Little Four Basketball Tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Vic attended Page High School and was very active here in local community sports since back in the early 1980’s. Vic worked in sales at the former Davidson’s on High Point Road and was one of the top salespeople in the history of that business. Vic spent much of that time in charge of gun sales at Davidson’s. Vic later did wholesale gun sales and then opened Triad Team Sports back in the mid-1990’s. Vic later went into real estate sales after he moved from Greensboro to Chapel Hill. Recently Vic had been involved in property sales and management in Wilmington and had been working on a huge land development project up above Asheville.
Vic began the biggest part of his coaching career at the Glenwood Recreation Center working with Mike Crabtree and Greg Everette and coaching the Glenwood Bears Pee Wee and Mite football teams. Vic moved on to basketball and became one of the most influential people in the history of the AAU boys basketball ranks. Vic worked with Billy Britt to build a strong program for young men that could compete on any level.
Vic’s level of coaching grew to where he was the head coach of the AAU Boys 18 and Under National Champions. Vic’s team included Raymond Felton of UNC-Chapel Hill and Carmelo Anthony of Syracuse. Vic also helped as a coach for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels JV basketball team. He was very good friends with former Tar Heel Patrick Sullivan.
Vic was the President of the North Carolina Gaters AAU boys basketball program and he was involved with some very important local officials including:
NC Gaters Executive Board:
Vic Sapp, President
Billy Britt, Past President
Stan Kowalewski, V.P.
Robert Vail, Treasurer
Jamal Mention, Secretary
Freddy Johnson, At-Large
Pete Baker, At-Large
Mike Barber, Attorney
Board of Trustees:
Eric Alspaugh
BJ Barnes
Dr. Charlie Byrnes
John Chapman
Mike Crabtree
Mike Cranford
Walt Faye
Richard Goff
Brent Halsch
Myron Herron
Robert Kent
Frank Kincaid
Dr. Jim Kramer
Tom Palombo
Reggie Peace
Larry Pulliam
Ed Purgason
Doug Shelton
Bob Smith
*****Rest in Peace Vic Sapp, you will be missed and you leave behind a legacy of long-lasting success in the area of Boys AAU Basketball.*****