From Staff Reports
Former Louisiana Tech strength and conditioning coach Kurt Hester passed away Saturday following a battle with Stage IV melanoma, his family announced over the weekend.
Louisiana Tech Athletics put out a message through the football X account on Sunday.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of former strength coach Kurt Hester. Kurt served from 2013-2021, helping guide the Bulldogs to seven straight bowl appearances and leaving a last impact on our program.”
Hester, who was currently working for the University of Houston football program, was a part of Skip Holtz staff during his time in Ruston.
He was known for his mental toughness and pushing student athletes to build the best versions of themselves both physically and mentally. He practiced what he preached on a daily basis.
“Some of our guys are perfectly healthy and some face soreness, tweaked ankles or strained hamstrings,” said Hester during an interview in 2014 after being diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome. “I was paralyzed on one side of my face. I am 50 years old. I don’t play football on a daily basis. I have a million reasons why I could not finish or even start any of those drills but I don’t allow myself to think `I can’t’ and I don’t teach our kids to think `I can’t.’ In the right frame, the mind is stronger than any muscle in the body and can prove to the body it can do far more than what anyone thinks is capable.”
Hester is survived by his wife, Seana, and children Sydney, Rieleah and Remy.
The 61-year-old was diagnosed with melanoma in February and given four to six weeks to live.
