Coach on East HS basketball staff dies

The Wichita East High School basketball program lost one of its own unexpectedly Thursday.

Coach Amos Alford died after a medical emergency, the Wichita school district says..

Alford was the junior varsity coach of the Aces' junior varsity boys' basketball team. His son played for the East High freshman team and his daughter played for Derby.

He's remembered dearly by his former players.

"It's a lot of sadness. He touched a lot of people in the basketball community," Khalub Thompson says.

Markell Young says Alford was his favorite coach.

"...He was more relatable to us," Young says. "He knew how each of us played and how each of us could be successful."

Alford was a security officer at the Griffenstein-Wells alternative school in the Wichita school district. The district says Alford suffered a medical emergency at the school Thursday.

The school's principal, Darrin Ross, issued the following statement to parents Thursday evening.

... It is with great sadness to share the news that our security officer, Mr. Amos Alford, passed away this afternoon from a medical condition. Mr. Alford was a wonderful mentor and friend to our students and we will miss him dearly. Our deepest sympathies go to his family. If parents want to keep their students home on Friday in order to grieve and process the sad news, they are welcome to do so and the absence will be excused. We will also have counselors available at school for anyone who needs to talk. When a tragic death occurs, it often helps a young person to talk about it. Sometimes a little extra time spent talking with your child can help them deal with the pain that accompanies the death of a someone they know. Please call our office if you need assistance in dealing with this sad situation. Thank you for your continued support of Wells and Greiffenstein.