Incarnate Word basketball coach returns to practice just months after heart attack

Since Dan Rolfes took over the Incarnate Word basketball program, the Red Knights have won 13 state titles. Over the years, Coach Rolfes has built a reputation of winning not just on the court, but in everything he does.

This past March ahead of the biggest game of the year, Rolfes faced the biggest challenge of his life.

As the Incarnate Word Red Knights begin summer practice, Dan Rolfes leads that way like he’s done so many times before. Rolfes has led the Red Knights to a record 131 consecutive wins, but one win – isn’t as clear as the others.

“I don’t remember anything (that happened on Friday, March 15),” said Rolfes.

After Coach Rolfes and the Red Knights won the state semifinal game in Columbia, Rolfes called his wife and told her he wasn’t feeling well. As they left Mizzou Arena, his world stopped.

“We got about 20 feet outside the parking lot and then I collapsed and had a heart attack in the car,” he said. “My wife started CPR and once I got to the hospital, they worked on me for about an hour and a half and said they shocked me 27 times. I’m just glad they didn’t give up.”

“At one point they came out and talked to my wife, and it was around the hour mark, and said ‘What do you want us to do? Do you want us to continue?’ She said ‘Yes, keep going.’ So, they did, and thank goodness they didn’t stop,” Rolfes said.

However, the fight for his life wasn’t over.

“Two days later I coded again, they shocked me again,” he said. “All the CPR caused me to have a punctured lung, so I had to have surgery on my lung. They gave me a 1% chance (to live).”

All he needed was a chance. After less than a month in the hospital, Coach Rolfes was sent home to recover.

“Honestly, it wasn’t until I was able to get out of the hospital that I felt like I was getting better,” Rolfes said.

As his health progressed, Rolfes reunited with the state champions.

“I will continue to tell people that that was the best day of my life and I’m not kidding when I say it,” said Incarnate Word junior Addi Owen.

“When we saw him it was a sigh of relief like ‘I can see the future,’” added Incarnate Word junior Savannah Stricker.

“I missed them and I just wanted to let them know that I’m getting better, I’m here,” Rolfes said.

As for where Coach Rolfes feels two and half months after his heart attack, he says “I do feel better but I’m cautious and honestly I’m scared.”

“Scared of what?” First Alert 4 asked.

“Dying,” he answered.

As Rolfes returns to the court for summer practices, things look different this time around but the mentality stays the same.

“I just want to win at everything, so if this is a challenge which I think it is, I want to win and I want to beat it,” he said.

Rolfes says his doctor continues to remind him he has congestive heart failure as he carries a device that monitors his heartbeat daily. He says he’s expected to have more surgeries this summer.

When asked about his plans for next basketball season, he said if the doctors say it’s okay after the procedures, he expects to be on the sideline for the Red Knights.

Read the full article HERE.

Copyright 2024 KMOV. All rights reserved.