Ed Jones and Nate Fox had a lot in common.
Both were standout power forwards, both helped lead the University of Maine to a 20-win season and each hailed from Illinois.
Jones was an assistant coach at Maine when Fox and Rumford’s Andy Bedard arrived on campus after transferring from Boston College in 1997.
The 37-year-old Fox was shot and killed outside his home in Bloomingdale, Illinois, after returning from his job as a car salesman on Dec. 22.
Jones was deeply saddened by the death of Fox, who graduated from Maine in 2000 and went on to have a long and productive pro career in Europe.
“It’s tragic,” said Jones, who remembers Fox’s lighthearted personality.
“Everybody who knew him loved him,” Jones said.
“He liked to joke around.”
Former Maine women’s basketball standout Kristen McCormick Marchese concurred.
“He was a big goofball,” quipped Marchese. “He made everybody laugh and he could do it without talking, just through his facial expressions. It always seemed like he was scheming in some way.
“He was a lot of fun and he was also a great basketball player,” she added.
Fox arrived at Maine along with former BC teammate Bedard, a star guard out of Mountain Valley High School in Rumford.
Jones said they didn’t have high expectations for Fox but figured he could at least contribute as a practice player. Fox established a positive impression during his transfer season when he and Bedard sat out because of NCAA transfer rules.
After watching Fox play and working with him, Jones said to himself, “holy %#*&. This guy is going to be something special.”
During his two seasons, the 6-foot-9 Fox scored 1,036 points and grabbed 454 rebounds. He averaged 17.9 points and 7.8 rebounds in leading the Black Bears to a 43-16 record.
As a senior captain (1999-2000), Fox led America East in field-goal percentage (.583), was third in scoring (17.5) and fifth in rebounding (7.5 rpg). He was a two-time All-America East selection and was an All-District 1 choice in 2000.
“He was the best power forward I’ve ever coached or ever seen at Maine,” said Jones. “And you couldn’t have asked for a better leader. He was vocal but he also led by example. He had a tremendous work ethic.”
Dr. John Giannini, who was the head coach at Maine for eight years and is now in his 11th season at La Salle University, called Fox “as good as any player as I have ever coached.
“He was a great player. Nate and Andy (Bedard) were our version of [John] Stockton and [Karl] Malone,” said Giannini, referring Utah Jazz NBA Hall of Famers.
But Giannini said he was more than an exceptional player.
“We really achieved (success) because of his toughness, unselfishness and just the fact his teammates liked him,” Giannini said. “He was a character guy. His personality was just as big and strong as his body.”
Giannini pointed out that Fox always stood up for his teammates which further enhanced his popularity with them.
“It bothered him if I criticized one of his teammates because he really cared about those guys and their feelings. That speaks volumes about him and what his presence did for our team chemistry,” said Giannini.
Giannini also noted the fun-loving side of Fox.
“He was always having fun. He was special that way,” said Giannini. “He made people smile. He enjoyed life and he helped other people enjoy life. He was a lot of fun to be around on and off the court.”
Fox also proved to be special friend, one who helped out Marchese when she found herself alone in a foreign country.
“Nate ended up getting me a professional basketball job in Portugal. I was in the next town over from Nate,” said Marchese. “When I arrived in Portugal I was shell-shocked.”
She arrived and was greeted by teammates who spoke no English and was subjected to blood tests in the hospital.
“I was freaking out. So I called Nate,” Marchese said.
“He met up with me and we went to a cafe and talked for hours. He told me to give it a week,” she added.
Marchese wound up staying with Fox and some of his teammates while her team was readying an apartment for her.
“Nate is the only reason I stayed. It all came together,” said Marchese, who spent a year in Portugal before returning to Massachusetts to play for the Springfield Spirit in the Women’s National Basketball League.
“He was a wonderful support system for me. He was a wonderful guy,” said Marchese, who added that she was devastated by his death.
Jones said he and Fox had a special bond because of their Illinois-Maine ties.
“It was our badge of honor,” said Jones, who pointed out that Fox was a multisport talent and a great athlete who had been a star quarterback in high school.
“He could have started at Maine (in football),” said Jones.
Giannini said the fact Fox was able to have such a long and successful professional career is a testament to his personality as well as his talent.
“Pro basketball is a brutal business. They get rid of people left and right and you can wind up getting a bad rap,” said Giannini. “Nate played at a high level for a long time and there’s no way he could have done that if he hadn’t consistently had a positive influence on his coaches and teammates. That tells you how much his coaches and teammates liked him.”
According to an obituary published on the Carlson-Holmquist-Sayles Funeral Home website, Fox was an avid fans of the Chicago Bears, Cubs and Bulls. He enjoyed camping, fishing and grilling.
He is survived by his parents, Roy and Marilyn, brothers Matthew and Nicholas, and his girlfriend Carlie Fraley.
His funeral is scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday in Joliet, Illinois.