Ronald Duwayne Ekker, who passed away peacefully on July 6, 2025 at the age of 90, was a beloved husband, father, coach, and basketball visionary. He was born Oct. 3rd in Mabel, Minn. to Clara and Calmer Ekker. In the United States Army, while stationed at Fort Polk, LA, he managed the baseball team that went to the Championship at Fort Hood, TX. Ron had a deep love for his family and the game of basketball, having devoted his life to coaching and mentoring players. He graduated from Winona State University where he played basketball and baseball, and later returned to be head coach of the basketball team. Ron had an illustrious coaching career at all levels, which spanned more than 5 decades. He was a head coach at the college level for more than 15 years. He recruited and coached Hall of Famers like Maurice Cheeks, won numerous conference championships and competed in the NCAA tournament on several occasions, earning Coach of the Year accolades at various colleges and was inducted into the Hall of Fame at West Texas State. Ron coached in the Continental Basketball Association for 9 years for several different teams. While in the NBA, he was the Director of Scouting and Assistant Coach for the Dallas Mavericks under Hall of Fame coach Don Nelson, and Assistant Coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic under John Lucas and Johnny Davis. In 2011, NBA commissioner David Stern asked Ron to start an NBA sponsored basketball school in China to train coaches and develop players. When his time on the court was finished, Ron became an accomplished author, writing 10 basketball books as well as launching Basketball Talk Pro, an online coaching training program. He never stopped sharing his passion, knowledge, and expertise for the game he loved.

Ron left a lasting impact on the game of basketball and, most importantly, his family. He will be forever remembered as a loving, kind, optimistic man who was always ready to lend a helping hand to those he loved. A lifelong learner, Ron never stopped growing and embracing new challenges. His passions outside of basketball included reading, boating on the Mississippi River, Jazz music, and playing the saxophone. Ron will be deeply missed by his loving wife of 43 years, Ginger, his three daughters Kelsey, Lisa (Marco) Molinari, and Carissa (Bruce) Nustad, his 7 grandchildren, and 6 great grandchildren. Ron was preceded in death by his parents, brother Gerald, sister Marion Womble, son Brett, and twin infant sons Erik and Leof.