As coach Rick Majerus was being rolled into the operating room to undergo bypass surgery, he looked up from his gurney at his surgeon and said, "I'm scared I'm going to die."

"I'm not going to let you die," replied Dr. Kent Jones.Majerus is no wimp. After the Utes' recent victory over Brigham Young University - 89 to 83 - Cougar fans may have other names for him, but wimp would not likely be on the list.

Known for his intense coaching of the University of Utah basketball team and his driving enthusiasm for life, Majerus exudes personal courage.

But facing open-heart surgery, he concedes, was the scariest moment of his life.

In December 1989 at age 41, Majerus had been experiencing a shortness of breath during his daily jogs. He casually reported his symptoms to his friend Jones, who urged him to go in for a treadmill stress test - immediately!

"If God has ever interceded in my life, it was when God put Dr. Kent Jones in my life as a friend. If I hadn't had a friendship with him through the Booster Club, I would not have discovered I had heart problems until I had a heart attack," Majerus said.

The coach, who jogged regularly and could pump 300 pounds, was shocked to learn he would be going under the knife for seven arterial bypasses within 24 hours. He wanted the doctors to wait until the end of basketball season but finally persuaded them to postpone surgery for three days.

After surgery, Majerus reluctantly took the rest of the season off to restructure his life.

His options: make changes in eating, exercising and handling stress or . . . die.

Majerus first confronted the reality of death when he was 21. A close friend of his died of Hodgkin's disease. "It was a horrible, debilitating disease. I was with him when he died," said Majerus.

A few years later, Majerus' goddaughter was crushed by a tree during a tornado in Wisconsin. "When someone close to you dies, you begin to come to grips with your own mortality. You examine your values and what's important in your life. But going into surgery, you rethink all of it again. You think about how much you have to live for."

The genetic package Majerus inherited contributed to his clogged arteries. His father, grandmother and several uncles died of heart problems. But Majerus works at changing factors that are within his control. "When I came out of that operating room alive and with my heart still ticking, I got religion about taking care of myself," he said.

Stress. Telling a basketball coach to avoid stress is like telling Michael Jackson to stop moving to the music. It would be impossible for Majerus to sit passively on the sidelines while a referee makes a call he knows is WRONG, WRONG, WRONG. Meditative verses on tranquility and deep breathing don't diminish the indignation that must be expressed. But Majerus has developed what he calls a more "contemplative" attitude toward winning and losing to reduce stress.

"I still don't like to lose. But I realize now my biggest fear wasn't losing, but letting others down. Sometimes you have to accept losing and be a good sport. Sometimes the other team simply outplays us, and I accept that more now."

He's also learning to "Just Say No" to some of the invitations he receives to speak or sponsor a special cause.

And he takes vacations.

View Comments

Diet. In between practices, games, meetings, recruiting appointments and talking to youth groups, Majerus' past habits involved grabbing a bite of convenience food - regardless of its calorie content or nutritional value. Eating late at night, after a game, was his big weakness. During this basketball season, Majerus has gained 14 pounds - pounds he intends to lose. He is determined to drop up to 40 pounds, but he needs the assistance of a coach. "I operate best when I'm coached." He is asking doctors to help him develop a nutritional eating plan and swears he'll stick to it. Shunning caffeine has also helped him feel healthier.

Exercise. The biggest change in Majerus' life is his commitment to exercise an hour every day - "regardless of how crazy my schedule is." If a day goes by that he doesn't exercise, he notices the difference. Exercise helps him relieve stress and depresses his appetite.

He advises people, particularly those who have a history of heart disease in their families, to go to their doctors for regular checkups.

"Throw out self-diagnoses. Find a good, compassionate doctor and follow his or her advise. Don't be macho about self-denial in seeking help, or it may cost your life."

Join the Conversation
Looking for comments?
Find comments in their new home! Click the buttons at the top or within the article to view them — or use the button below for quick access.