HARTFORD, Conn. -- Florida State assistant coach Charlton Young could no longer hold back his tears. And that was long before the emotional scene that has unfolded this weekend during the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
It was more than two weeks ago, in fact. Back home in Tallahassee.
As senior forward Phil Cofer walked across the Tucker Center court on Senior Night -- his final time playing on that floor -- Young couldn't help but reflect on their sometimes-trying, always-fulfilling five years together.
Young remembered how Cofer was the first recruit he landed as a member of Leonard Hamilton's coaching staff. How the talented Atlanta product went from a starter as a freshman to a backup when the Seminoles landed star-studded recruiting classes in 2015 and '16, and how he eventually worked his way back into a starring role two years later.
How Cofer completely transformed his game, evolving from a powerful and athletic low-post player to a prototypical "stretch-four," a forward who can shoot 3-pointers and handle the ball on the perimeter. And how he battled through a seemingly endless string of injuries, while also coping with the medical issues of his parents -- Mike and Reba Cofer.
All while also being the emotional leader of the FSU men's basketball team. The energy guy who pushed teammates through the toughest of workouts. The tough guy who refused to slow down even when his body was aching.
"Has a smile on his face every day," Young said. "You rarely ever see Phil Cofer down. If I was that age, going through the injuries, had my parents sick ... I'd be down all the time. That guy is a motivation for us. He's an inspiration for us."
Which was part of the reason why what happened here Thursday evening was so jarring.
As Florida State's players and coaches wrapped up their postgame interviews, about an hour after scrapping their way to a hard-fought NCAA Tournament victory against Vermont, Cofer received a phone call he undoubtedly had been dreading for months, if not years.
His father, Mike, a former star linebacker at Tennessee and with the NFL's Detroit Lions, had passed away at the age of 58.
In an instant, Cofer went from laughing and celebrating to sobbing uncontrollably. The 6-foot-8 forward collapsed into the arms of his teammates, who first helped carry him to a private area of the locker room and then later to the team hotel.
The agony filling Cofer's wails was something few in that locker room will forget any time soon.
It hit his teammates hardest of all. Not only because of how much they care about him, but because he has always been their emotional rock. The one who never backs down from a challenge. The one with the strength and character that came from being Mike Cofer's son.
"Phil's father was one of the most competitive human beings that has ever played in the NFL," FSU head coach Leonard Hamilton said. "He is a guy who had to endure an unbelievably challenging debilitating disease that mentally and emotionally was draining in itself, but the physical toll it took on his body is beyond anything that you possibly could explain. And he never complained. He always faced it every day with the heart of a lion, with tremendous amount of courage, and he passed that same mental and emotional aspect over to his son, Phil.
"He always challenged Phil, and he always encouraged him to play with the heart of a lion, and without making any excuses for anything at all. And Phil's attitude has been as good as anyone that I've ever coached in my whole coaching career. He's always positive. He's always energetic. He's a fun guy to be around, a great teammate. He's a guy that uplifted other guys on the team when they were down."
The fact that Phil Cofer is even still a member of the Florida State men's basketball team in 2019 is a testament to his perseverance and love for the Seminoles.
After enjoying a successful freshman season, during which he started 24 games and ranked among the team leaders in points (6.9) and rebounds (4.5) per game, Cofer saw his role diminish over the next two seasons -- thanks largely to injuries, an influx of elite talent and a change in FSU's offensive system.
First, Cofer sustained an ankle injury that cut short his sophomore year after just 11 games. Then when he returned the following season, he was relegated to backup duty following the arrival of five-star recruit and future first-round NBA draft pick Jonathan Isaac. While starting only two games that year, Cofer averaged just 2.9 points and 1.9 rebounds per game.
Young felt terrible about the situation.
The assistant coach remembers lying in bed one night, unable to sleep, worrying that Cofer might not feel that Florida State was the right place for him any longer.
The next morning, he went straight to Cofer's apartment and knocked on the front door.
"I said, 'Listen I know it's hard what you're going through,'" Young recalled. "'You're a Florida State Seminole. We want you to be here with us.'
"He was like, 'Coach, that's why you came over here? You think I'm transferring?' He said, 'Coach, I'm a Seminole.'"
At a time when college athletes constantly transfer because of concerns about playing time or starting roles or shot attempts, Young said Cofer never wavered.
"That kid never thought about it," Young said.
Instead, Cofer dedicated himself to becoming a player who could better fit into the Seminoles' new-look offense, even though he knew it wouldn't be easy.
Instead of playing their power forwards down near the basket, FSU wanted to bring them out to the perimeter and force defenses to cover more space. And if Cofer was going to fit in, he would need to completely change his skill set. He would have to develop a solid 3-point shot -- something he seldom even attempted early in his career. And he would need to become a better ball-handler and passer.
At the time, Cofer wasn't even 100 percent certain he could make the transition successfully. But Hamilton explained that it would be best for the team, and it would also make him more marketable as a professional.
"Coming out of high school, I couldn't shoot or nothing. Everybody knew me as just dunking everything," Cofer told Warchant earlier this week. "But when I got here as a freshman, Coach Hamilton gave me the goal to start, and he always kept putting confidence in me. He helped change my game. I didn't think I was ever going to get out of the post, but he basically just believed in me and told me to keep working."
Cofer attacked the challenge the way he does everything -- full speed ahead.
With the help of FSU's assistant coaches -- Young, Stan Jones and Dennis Gates -- he changed his shooting mechanics. He was in the gym morning, noon and night. If no one else was around, he would coax teammates and coaches to come join him.
"Phil lived in the gym," Gates said, adding that Cofer was well aware that some fans and media doubted his abilities. "There's an internal toughness, an internal drive for Phil to prove his critics wrong."
Sure enough, Cofer did just that last season. After Isaac left for the NBA, Cofer stepped right back into a starting role, and this time he emerged as a star. He led the Seminoles in scoring with 12.8 points per game, and he also ranked second in rebounding (5.1 average). He scored 20-plus points in six different games, including 28 in a late-December showdown at Duke. And he was arguably the best player on a team that advanced all the way to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.
Then after applying for -- and receiving -- an extra year of eligibility from the NCAA to compensate for his injury-shortened sophomore season, Cofer seemed primed to take his game to an even higher level in 2018-19.
"He was fantastic in the summer," associate head coach Stan Jones said, echoing reports from teammates that Cofer was nearly unstoppable during offseason workouts and pick-up games.
But as fate would have it, another obstacle would soon be placed in his path. Just before the start of this season, Cofer sustained another right foot injury that forced him to miss the first nine games of the year. He has since missed a few more along the way. And even when he has been in the lineup, Cofer clearly hasn't been 100 percent. His scoring average has dipped back down to 7.4 points, and he's only averaging 3.5 rebounds.
Despite it all, teammates and coaches say Cofer has been as positive as ever.
"I've got so much respect for Phil Cofer," Young said. "That's why I was in tears on Senior Day. Because I know how much Phil Cofer has done to be with his team. I know how much pain he's endured."
"Phil has been everything," sophomore forward Mfiondu Kabengele added. "He's our energy guy, and for him to go through so much with his foot, and he's still coming with positive energy to every practice, every film session, everything ... it was just great to see."
Buoyed by that optimistic outlook, Cofer seemed to be playing some of his best basketball in the games leading up to the NCAA Tournament. In last week's upset of No. 2 Virginia, Cofer hit three 3-pointers and finished with 11 points. He had three more 3-pointers in the Seminoles' win over Virginia Tech.
Several of his shots in both games came in crucial situations, and he ended up playing 37 minutes in one game and 32 in another -- both well above his average of 26 minutes.
Unfortunately for Cofer, playing three games in three days took its toll, and he again began experiencing pain and swelling in his right foot. X-rays and other exams showed no structural damage, but Cofer and the Seminoles decided it would be best for him to sit out their NCAA Tournament opener against Vermont with the plan of possibly playing in the second round on Saturday.
The plan seemed to work to perfection, as FSU was able to knock off Vermont with Cofer on the bench. And after another 48 hours of rest, the 'Noles were hopeful they would have their emotional leader -- and dangerous 3-point shooter -- back on the court.
Then came that dreaded phone call following the game.
"I don't think you can ever prepare for it," Young said of a father's passing. "He's hurting real bad. ... His father was everything to him. His best friend. When things like this happen, you're never the same."
"I couldn't imagine what he's going through right now," said redshirt freshman forward RaiQuan Gray. "It's a tough time for him and his family. We're just trying to be there for him. That's our brother. And it's a loss to us, too."
Once Cofer was able to regain his composure late Thursday night, FSU's coaches sat him down and explained they would support him in whatever he wanted to do next -- if he wanted to go home to be with his mother, Reba, or if he wanted to stay in Hartford with his teammates.
Cofer's family made their feelings clear -- they wanted him to stay with his team.
"We believe that God works in mysterious ways, and it's a blessing that he was here with us," Young said. "We have something special in this locker room. We're not a program that's just saying, 'Family.' We really are family. ... No one could fake the sincerity that you see in these kids' faces when they want to take care of their brother, Phil Cofer. So I think Phil is happy that he's with us. He wants to be with us.
"We'll get Phil home right after the game."
When he spoke with the media on Friday, Hamilton didn't rule out the possibility of Cofer playing on Saturday against Murray State. He did say it was "doubtful," due to his lingering foot injury and the obvious emotional distress.
Cofer did not attend the team's practice in the XL Center on Friday, and it's unclear if he'll even be able to play next weekend should the Seminoles advance to the Sweet 16.
But one thing seems certain -- Phil Cofer will be with his team.
He didn't leave them when the offensive system changed shortly after his arrival. He didn't leave when other higher-rated recruits arrived. He didn't leave when injuries kept setting him back and his playing time diminished, nor when he could have bolted to play professional basketball at the end of last season.
For Phil Cofer and the Florida State men's basketball team, it has been five years of struggles and successes. Five years of dogged determination. Five years of love and support.
After everything they've been through together, how could he leave them now?
"Phil Cofer will be a Seminole for life," Young said. "His basketball career is far from over. He's gonna play beyond Florida State. He's earned that. And when Phil Cofer is finished playing pro basketball, he'll be an NBA general manager, he'll be a head coach, he'll be an A.D. ... he's gonna be successful in life."
To help Cofer's family pay for medical and funeral expenses, Florida State University has worked with the NCAA to allow Cofer to start a GoFundMe account. Here is the link to that account.
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