Rutgers basketball coach Steve Pikiell diagnosed with cancer, Brandin Knight to run team during his treatment

Rutgers men's basketball coach Steve Pikiell announced Wednesday he has been diagnosed with cancer and Knights assistant coach Brandin Knight will step into interim duties while Pikiell finishes treatment for the disease after undergoing surgery.

"I am incredibly grateful to my team of doctors at RWJBarnabas Health and Memorial Sloan Kettering for guiding and supporting us through this difficult time," Pikiell wrote in a letter to Rutgers basketball fans. "After a successful surgery, my doctors and I have a kick-ass game plan to finish treatment. I will still be involved with the team to the best of my ability as I navigate the challenges of the season through treatment."

A letter from men's basketball head coach Steve Pikiell to Rutgers Nation. https://t.co/lvMCRvht2V#TheKnighthood🛡️⚔️ pic.twitter.com/gkWOjHWCuK

Pikiell, 58, has manned Rutgers for the last 10 seasons, leading the Scarlet Knights to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2020-21 and 2021-22. He snapped Rutgers' three-decade streak of Selection Sunday blues and turned The RAC into a house of horrors for most visitors.

But Rutgers has fallen on hard times, coincidentally with the explosion of the pay-for-play era. Rutgers is just 44-54 in the last three seasons. The Scarlet Knights went just 6-14 in Big Ten…

Original source: https://www.cbssports.com/