Trine University mourns loss of student-athlete Fred Garland

The Trine University community is mourning the tragic loss of Fred Garland, a Trine University student and a member of the national championship men’s basketball team.

Fred passed away Dec. 11, 2024, in a car accident.

Fred was a senior from Detroit, Michigan, majoring in sport management.

He played a key role in Trine University’s NCAA championship run last season and was averaging 14 points per game as a starter this season.

“Fred had an incredible work ethic on and off the court, and that propelled him to success as a person, student and basketball player,” said men’s basketball Head Coach Brooks Miller. “His winning smile brightened everyone’s day whenever he was around. There is a huge hole in the heart of Thunder basketball today. We are thinking of and praying for the whole Garland family.”

Fred earned First Team all-conference honors in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association last season, the second season he had been named to an All-MIAA team. He was the Thunder's second leading scorer at 13.4 points per game, sixth in the MIAA.

Percentagewise, he was the team's leading three-point shooter at 44.4% and was fifth in the conference in total field goal percentage at 52.9%. Fred was the team's leading assist man with 3.2 per game.

“With his positive attitude and dedication to performing at his best, Fred Garland was everything you would want in a student-athlete,” said Matt Land, assistant vice president for athletics. “He will be greatly missed across the entire Trine University campus.”

“It is unspeakably tragic when this happens to someone in the prime of life,” said Earl D. Brooks II, Ph.D., Trine University president. “My heart goes out to Fred’s family, to the Thunder men’s basketball team and coaching staff and to everyone here on Trine’s campus who knew and cared for Fred. The thoughts and prayers of the entire university go out to each one who was impacted, but especially to Fred’s family during this time.”

Visitation will be Friday, Dec. 20, at James H. Cole Home for Funerals in Detroit Michigan, with the funeral service Saturday, Dec. 21, at Central Baptist Church South Campus in Detroit. More details are available at https://obits.jameshcole.com/frederick-garland-jr.