A tragic loss has occurred in the SLU Billikens family.

Saint Louis University is mourning the loss of assistant basketball coach Ford Stuen. The Billikens assistant was diagnosed with an infection at the end of the 2020-2021 season. Stuen passed away Tuesday morning at only age 29, Frank Cusumano from KSDK-TV confirmed. on Tuesday.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the @SaintLouisMBB,” Cusumano wrote on Twitter. “29-year-old assistant coach Ford Stuen has passed away. He was hospitalized since Easter with an infection. He was a wonderful young man who was a rising star in the coaching world. Ford leaves behind a wife and child.”

A rising coach in the basketball world, Stuen was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches’ 30-under-30 list, which highlights the best young coaches across the country.

He’s survived by his wife, Courtney, and daughter, Lucy. The family is expecting another child in August.