Las Vegas NowUNLV's Coach Lon Kruger Talks With Eyewitness News

UNLV's Coach Lon Kruger Talks With Eyewitness News

(Aug. 8) -- For the first time since major heart surgery, the head men's basketball coach at UNLV is speaking out.

Less than a week after undergoing sextuple bypass surgery on his heart to fix clogged arteries, UNLV's Coach Lon Kruger is out of the hospital and back in his office.

The Runnin' Rebel's basketball head man met with the media Wednesday just six days after the six bypass operation.

"We felt very fortunate and blessed for the timing to have found this be able to treat it and move forward. I never had any shortness of breath or chest pain or any symptoms at all. So for the doctors to have found it and acted on it and moved forward on it and executed well, we felt just very lucky," Coach Kruger said.

Kruger is sporting quite a scar on his arm.

The Kruger family has a history of heart issues and he praised his doctors for finding the problem during a routine exam.

Coach says he's glad he didn't need to undergo surgery during the season.

(Aug. 3) -- The head basketball coach of the UNLV Runnin' Rebels is recovering in the hospital following heart bypass surgery.

Friday's report from the hospital is that Coach Lon Kruger is resting well following Thursday's four-hour six bypass open heart surgery.

Many fans who watched the 54-year-old on the sidelines saw a man who looked totally healthy. But after a routine exam last week doctors certainly found something alarming.

Kruger will be recovering in the hospital for about a week and is then expected to recover at home.

Everybody seems confident that Coach Kruger will be ready to go prior to the start of the basketball season.

(Aug. 2) -- Lon Kruger, UNLV's head basketball coach, underwent elective open heart bypass surgery Thursday afternoon. The procedure was performed at St. Rose Hospital. Doctors performed six bypasses during the four-hour surgery.

Kruger was informed by a doctor earlier this week at a routine physical that he should have the surgery as soon as possible. It's certainly a procedure that may have saved his life.

Lon's wife Barb says her 54-year-old husband is doing well and looking forward to a full recovery.

Coach Kruger is expected to be in the hospital for four days before returning home.

The UNLV Athletic Department requests all cards and well wishes be sent to:

UNLV Men's Basketball Office
4505 Maryland Parkway
Las Vegas, NV 89154-0011

In 2003, UNLV football coach John Robinson suffered a mild heart attack and had stenting done to open blocked arteries.

Also, last week, Wake Forest head coach Skip Prosser was found dead in his office after suffering a heart attack. One doctor said a routine stress test may have led to an early discovery that could have saved his life.

E-mail your comments to Sports Director Chris Maathuis.