Mike Krebs/Senior Staff Photographer
Families, friends and former coaches gathered Thursday at Hickman High School, the alma mater of Missouri wrestler J’den Cox, and there, clad in gold, was former athletic director Mike Alden.
Alden, who now is an associate teaching professor in the Department of Educational, School & Counseling Psychology at Missouri, said he got a call Thursday morning from Cathy Cox, J’den’s mom, asking him to come out. Alden said he had some events planned but canceled them because of how much he admires Cox’s family.
Alden held the Tigers’ athletics chair for 17 years, so he spoke to reporters on Thursday about Cox, first-year football coach Barry Odom and the athletics director position.