Jackie Moore, the Eastern women’s basketball assistant coach who died Nov. 4 while working out, had valvular disease, according to Coles County Coroner Ed Schniers.

Moore collapsed while working out that night on campus and was rushed to Sarah Bush Lincoln Hospital where she was pronounced dead at 9:44 p.m.

A day later, Schniers determined that Moore had died of natural causes but could not submit an official cause of death until approximately four to six weeks later.

Monday, Schniers confirmed the assistant coach’s cause of death.

According to the coroner, Moore had valvular disease, meaning that the valves in her heart did not function properly.

“Tracing the disease is difficult and would’ve been especially difficult in (Moore’s) case because she was an athlete and in such good shape,” Schniers said.

According to WebMD, valvular disease can develop before birth or can be acquired during somebody’s life.

Sometimes, however, the cause of the disease is unknown.

Symptoms of valvular disease include: shortness of breath, feelings of weakness or dizziness, chest discomfort, irregular heartbeat, swelling of feet, ankles, or abdomen and rapid weight gain, according to WebMD.

Eastern head coach Brady Sallee brought Moore onto his staff in 2007 after she had spent the previous year as an intern for the NBA’s Detroit Pistons and the WNBA’s Detroit Shock.

Moore was a 2005 graduate of Christian Brothers Academy in Memphis, Tenn., where she played basketball for four years.

After graduating, Moore played professional basketball in Austria.

In a Nov. 6 article in The Daily Eastern News, Sallee said Moore was the type of person he would want his children to emulate.

“She was just an incredible role model for our players,” Sallee said. “I guarantee you not a day will go by that we don’t make Jackie proud.”

In the article, senior guard Ashley Thomas described Moore as more than just a coach, but a friend.

“She was someone who believed in us and pushed us to be out best every day,” Thomas said. “You never know how important something like that is until you don’t have it. We are going to miss her in so many ways.”

In Moore’s three seasons as a member of Eastern’s staff, the Panthers had two of their most accomplished teams in program history during the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 seasons.

Those years saw the Panthers going 43-22, including a 20-game home winning streak that was the fourth highest in the nation.

Moore witnessed Eastern crown a new program scoring leader, as former forward Rachel Galligan eclipsed the previous high mark and reached 1,891 points in her career.

Moore is survived by her parents William Moore and Rosemarie Gignac, older brother Eddie and younger sister Stephanie.

Alex McNamee can be reached at 581-7944 or admcnamee@eiu.edu.

Women’s assistant basketball coach Jacqueline Moore(File Photo/The Daily Eastern News)

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