Oakland coaches Greg Kampe, Jeff Tungate have COVID-19; both programs shut down

Oakland head men's basketball coach Greg Kampe and women's head basketball coach Jeff Tungate both tested positive for the coronavirus this week, and both programs have been shut down indefinitely.

The school made the announcement Friday afternoon, while suggesting there were additional positive tests within the athletic department without naming more names.

Tungate said he tested positive Wednesday and Kampe said he tested positive Thursday, and the school said it immediately began contact tracing.

Athletic-department employees starting getting the contact-tracing calls Thursday.

The school said both Kampe and Tungate "are doing well and experiencing mild symptoms."

"I'm fine," Kampe said in a text message.

"I'm doing good," Tungate said, also in a text message. "Thankfully pretty mild symptoms so far."

Oakland's basketball teams are set to start the nonconference portion of the season in less than three weeks, though those schedules still remain in limbo. For the women, Horizon League play starts Dec. 12-13, and for the men, Dec. 19-20.

"The basketball teams are taking the necessary steps and precautions to return to play safely," the school said in a statement.

Kampe, 64, who is quarantining at home in Detroit, is entering his 37th season as head coach at Oakland. He's the third-longest-tenured Division I coach at a single school, behind Syracuse's Jim Boeheim (45) and Duke's Mike Krzyzewski (41).

Kampe has lost a significant amount of weight, 60-plus pounds, in recent months, but is considered to be in a high-risk category for COVID-19 patients after a life-threatening battle with sepsis in 2017.

Tungate, 50, is entering his eighth season as Oakland's women's coach. He missed much of last season after undergoing back surgery.

tpaul@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @tonypaul1984