WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Wake Forest basketball coach Skip Prosser died of an apparent heart attack Thursday after collapsing while exercising, the university confirmed.

Prosser was 56.

Mike Muse, the director of basketball operations at Wake Forest, said he found Prosser on a couch in the coach's office Thursday afternoon. He tried to administer CPR.

A Wake Forest basketball player told local television station WXII 12 that he saw Prosser running at 11:30 a.m.

The coach was rushed to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Athletic director Ron Wellman called it "a devastating loss" and said he was unaware of any previous health issues for Prosser

Prosser had coached at Wake Forest since the 2001-02 season. He also coached at Xavier for seven seasons and Loyola (Md.) for one season.

Prosser had just wrapped up a basketball camp at the school. The players ranged in age from 7 to 17.

"(Prosser) talked about how you've got to be on time and don't be a ball hog, stuff like that," one of the campers said.

Under Prosser, the Deacons won a school record 27 games in 2004-05. In 2003, the Deacons won the ACC regular season championship outright for the first time in more than 40 years.

All of the school's afternoon workouts were canceled. Several athletic department employees were sent home early.

Prosser is the only coach in NCAA history to take three different schools to the NCAA tournament in his first season at each of those schools.

While at Wake Forest, Prosser coached future NBA stars Chris Paul and Josh Howard, and was named Atlantic Coast Conference coach of the year in 2003.

He graduated from the United States Merchant Marine Academy in 1972.

Prosser's career college coaching record was 291-146.

He leaves behind wife Nancy and two sons: Scott, 28, and Mark, 27.