Pittsburgh Mourns the Loss of Their former head coach, William Laird Cowher. ..

 

 

Kaye Cowher, the wife of former head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers Bill Cowher, died on Friday night at the age of 54.

The Cowhers made the decision to keep Mrs. Cowher’s fight with skin cancer a private one, as they do with most things personal.

Bill and Kaye first bonded as athletes at North Carolina State University, when they started a relationship that would last for over 20 years. Bill played linebacker for the football team at Wolfpack, while Kaye and her twin sister Faye excelled as basketball players.

During their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Cowher had three children, all of whom are talented athletes.

Kaye enjoyed coaching her two oldest daughters, Lauren and Meagan, as they followed in their mother’s footsteps and played NCAA basketball together at Princeton.

Mrs. Cowher was also actively involved in charities that protect abused children while she lived in Pittsburgh.

Barely a year after coaching the Pittsburgh Steelers to victory in Super Bowl XL, the apex of his 15-year head coaching career, Coach Cowher declared his retirement.

Despite speculation that he was leaving due to financial worries over a contract extension, Cowher stated that being with his family was his main reason for leaving the NFL coaching ranks.

It’s hard to say whether Mrs. Cowher’s health concerns affected the decision because of the Cowhers’ degree of anonymity. Still, before Coach Cowher departed Pittsburgh, the family had bought a home in North Carolina, where Kaye was born.

According to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Cowher family has asked for privacy at this difficult time and has decided not to provide any further information on Mrs. Cowher’s illness or passing.

Monday is set aside for funeral rituals in North Carolina.