Milford High School boys basketball coach Dan Murray, left, is shown with his son, Daniel, who was helping out with the Spartans program. Dan Murray passed away Sunday after suffering a heart attack. (Courtesy photo)

MILFORD – Milford High School boys basketball co-coach Don Gutterson had been talking with head coach Dan Murray over the weekend, while Murray was in the hospital for a brief illness.

Murray, he said, was likely to be released Sunday.

“He was looking forward to going home and being able to watch the Super Bowl,” Gutterson said.

Unfortunately, Sunday Murray suffered a massive heart attack before his scheduled release and passed away, leaving behind a basketball program he had nurtured for the last 15 years.

“He was an incredible, caring man who always put others ahead of himself,” Milford athletic director Marc Maurais said. His positive outlook will be missed and this is a devastating loss to the entire community of Milford and basketball circles throughout New Hampshire. My heart goes out to his wife Jenni and sons Daniel and Michael.”

Maurais and Gutterson met with the Spartan varsity basketball players on Monday afternoon, and Gutterson said the players wanted to practice as scheduled.

“We met as a team today, and we decided that Dan would be (mad) if we didn’t continue practicing,” Gutterson said. “So they went on the court and practiced.

“Marc and I sat down with them and gave them a chance to express their feelings, their memories, frustrations. They were all good.”

The 1-2 Spartans, who have been playing just once a week due to the pandemic, are slated to face Hollis Brookline in a rematch of their opener, at Milford on Friday. Gutterson said the game will be played.

The popular Murray, known for his supreme class along with a competitive nature, was limited in his coaching this season due to a severe physical foot ailment, and Gutterson was performing a lot of the in-game and day-to-day duties. But he said Murray was planning on returning to practice this week.

Murray has been the centerpiece of basketball in Milford, helping out the youth programs and, along with Gutterson, running camps every summer.

He played in the 1972 Class L state championship Spartans basketball team, and began his coaching career at Wilton-Lyndeborough in 1980-81, first as the JV boys coach and later as the varsity head coach.

Eventually he ended up in Milford, where he guided the Spartans to back to back state titles in 2010 and 2011, going a combined 43-1 in that span.

“Dan had a great passion for basketball and working with kids,” said former Souhegan coach Mike Facques, whose legendary late father, Mo Facques, coached and developed Murray with that 1972 Milford team. “He had such a respect for the tradition of basketball, and New Hampshire basketball.”

Murray, who owned a painting business that allowed him the time for his coaching passion, was basically Mr. Basketball in Milford.

“Dan was always giving of his time, whether it was offering summer basketball camps or working with children at Heron Pond on Saturdays with instructional basketball clinics,” Milford principal Chali Davis said in an email to the school staff. “When given the opportunity this past summer, he worked with his basketball team to connect with them and work on skills.

“This is a loss for our young people and for all that knew and loved Dan. He was a kind, generous man who loved the Milford community and made it a better place.”

A Go Fund Me has been set up for the Murray family at https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-support-the-murrays