It was May 2007 while we were sitting at Bob Evans for breakfast when I asked her a question I had pondered many times, “Coach Yow, when are you going to write a book?” Like thousands of others, my life had been touched and inspired by this remarkable woman. I loved her genuine nature and humility, but what amazed me the most was her wisdom—always simple, yet so profound and powerful. I just couldn’t imagine her legacy not being left in written form.

    There had to be a way to expand her influence beyond the locker room, women’s basketball fans and cancer patients to the millions more who would find hope and courage from her story.

    Coaching basketball and fighting cancer left no capacity for book-writing, she said, so a few months later I asked if I could help.  I had come across a book of stories written by the players of Loyola lacrosse coach, Diane Geppi-Aikens, who died from brain cancer. This spawned the idea for former Wolfpack players to pen stories highlighting the life lessons they learned from Coach Yow. At her request, I connected the lesson from each player story to inspirational truths from the Bible in order to show how the things she taught and modeled were founded in her faith in Christ. And so, Leader of the Pack tells the story of not only an amazing leader, but also her amazing God.

Stephanie Zonars