Donnie Kirksey, beloved Chicago basketball coach, dies of COVID-19 after 2-week battle

CHICAGO (WLS) -- COVID-19 has claimed the life of a giant in Chicago's basketball community.

Donnie Kirksey died Monday after a two-week battle with the virus. He was the head high school basketball coach at Chicago Vocational School and left an imprint on the lives of many young athletes over the past several decades.

"It meant so much to me and to other people how he treated us, how he gave us perspective, life lessons," said Tom Kleinschmidt, basketball coach at DePaul College Prep. "He had a Ph.D. in people."

Kirksey was 57 years old.