Cal Basketball: Ex-Coach Todd Bozeman's Son Shot, Killed in DC Nightclub
Blake Bozeman, born in Berkeley while his father Todd Bozeman was an assistant coach with the Cal basketball team, was shot and killed last Saturday night while celebrating a friend's birthday at a club in Washington D.C.
He was 31.
Blake Bozeman was among three men and one woman shot by a lone gunman at the CRU Hookah Lounge just before midnight on Saturday. He was taken to an area hospital, where he died, CBS News Baltimore reported. The other three victims were hospitalized with non-life-theatening injuries, according the multiple reports.
Blake Bozeman during his Morgan State playing career.
Photo courtesy of Morgan State Athletics
Blake played guard for Todd at Morgan State University in Baltimore from 2011 to ’15, averaging 12.4 points as a senior. He was married this past summer and was the father of three.
"We saw him that day. He came by that morning with the children," Todd Bozeman said through tears in an interview with Fox5 in Washington D.C. "I got people calling me, telling me, `Man, be strong.’ What does that mean? That’s my baby boy – my only one.”
“I was hoping this was a really bad dream,” said Bozeman’s wife, TeLethea, in the same interview.
Blake Bozeman was a year old when his father helped direct the 1992-93 Cal team, led by Jason Kidd and Lamond Murray, to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament.
The talented Bears were struggling under Lou Campanelli when a player uprising led to a mid-season coaching change. Bozeman was promoted to interim head coach and Bears closed the season by winning 11 of 13 games, including an upset win over two-time defending national champion Duke in the second round of the NCAAs.
Bozeman, just 29 at the time, was named the Bears permanent coach after the season and led the program through the 1995-96 campaign before he was forced to resign for NCAA recruiting violations.
After sitting out of collegiate coaching while serving an eight-year “show cause” ban by the NCAA, Bozeman was hired in 2006 by Morgan State near his roots in D.C. He coached the team for 12 seasons, guiding the Bears to NCAA tournament bids in 2009 and ’10.
Blake Bozeman was a high school basketball star then played for his father at Morgan State, where he earned a bachelor of science in marketing in 2014 and his master’s degree in 2016.
“It’s a terrible thing, a crushing blow for me, his teammates and many classmates,” Cleve Christie, Bozeman’s high school coach at Soloebury School, told The Trentonian. “All the guys have been calling. They were such a cool group of students both on and off the court, the kind of guys who kept in touch after high school graduation.”
Lenjo Kilo, a former teammate in summer-league ball, called Blake a "very authentic and genuine guy, stand-up guy" in an interview with ABC 7News in Washington DC.
Tiwian Kendley, who played with him at Morgan State, told the news station that Bozeman was a peacemaker.
“No violence. If anything, he wanted to de-escalate any situation that he had hands-on with and bring the best out of anybody," Kendley said.
Blake Bozeman worked in real estate but devoted his free time to charitable activities, according to reports. He volunteered with the Special Olympics, refereed soccer games and organized a dance for children with special needs.
"Blake did a lot," said Todd Bozeman, now 59. "He was devoted to helping athletes transition. He started this group – it’s called the Pivot Group, and it's about pivoting outside of athletics into the business world.”
"Educating the young athletes on financial literacy and investing, he thought that was very important for them to know," TeLethea Bozeman told Fox5.
Blake Bozeman
Photo courtesy of GoFundMe
Morgan State University officials shared their thoughts in a statement:
“The Morgan family extends our deepest condolences and prayers to the Bozeman family and friends. Our family was an extension of his and he was a shining example of what it means to be a student-athlete.”
The other three shooting victims all survived. Police are offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the assailant.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to benefit Blake Bozeman’s family.
Cover photo of Todd Bozeman and his young son Blake courtesy of the Bozeman family
Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo
