Former Rutgers Athletics Administrator Kevin MacConnell Needs R Help

On Saturday, a bit of bad news spread throughout the Rutgers community, as former Rutgers Athletic Administrator, Kevin MacConnell, was revealed to have kidney cancer. I never met him, but have heard countless stories about how great he was to Rutgers and how beloved he was by all that worked with him. You can read a bit about him here, in a great profile from Tara Sullivan on his successful son, Brett, now an assistant coach with Princeton Basketball.

MacConnell is set to have surgery tomorrow in New York City, but as we all know, the cost of healthcare in this country can be extremely expensive. This isn’t meant to be a political post, but a human one. Here is the message that Kevin’s son, also named Kevin, posted to this link, asking for donations:

Recently my father, Kevin MacConnell, was diagnosed with kidney cancer. It was a shock to us. After various testing, they concluded he has to have his kidney removed because of the tumors size.

Luckily as we were already planning to go to New York last week, my father was able to see a doctor at Columbia Presbyterian in NYC. My father and the doctor quickly created a great relationship, and he decided to have his surgery there as it's the best option.

Unfortunately the cost of flying back and forth to New York multiple times, and other various expenses are very expensive especially since his surgery is very soon on August 14th, a day after his birthday.

My father means the world to my family and I. He is a very generous person to many people. We would appreciate any help you could offer to make this trip easier. Thank you for all your prayers for my father.

Although the modest goal of $5,000 has already been met and then some, there is no way to know how much the entire process will cost the family. I encourage all Rutgers fans, even if its $5, to make a donation. At the end of the day, through the wins and losses that occur with Rutgers Athletics, it truly is all about the people, and I’ve always been told many times that MacConnell is an all-timer in Rutgers athletics history.

According to the post by his son, it is also Kevin’s birthday today, on the eve of his surgery. Here’s to wishing Kevin the happiest of birthdays and a speedy recovery in his battle against cancer. Every Rutgers fan should keep Kevin in their thoughts and prayers, as he was a truly positive force for decades within the athletic department we all root so hard for!