Dan Rolfes survived. He gets to live, he gets to love.

But then, it’ll hit him, like a basketball player setting a hard pick: “Is this going to happen again? When is it going to happen again? That’s always in the back of my mind — and honestly, (it makes you) a little scared.”

His father died of a heart attack. His father’s brother died of a heart attack. And his father’s father died of a heart attack. But Rolfes, miraculously, survived his own heart attack on, of all days, the Ides of March (March 15).

The legendary local coach, who has led Incarnate Word Academy to 13 girls basketball state titles, now lives to live. He has this perspective, this clarity. After the heart attack nearly killed him, Rolfes spent three weeks in the hospital, remained on dialysis for a while after that and now, seven months later, still is building back his physical strength.

“I am going to coach,” said Rolfes, 53. “I’m going to try. The doctors gave me the OK. They’re like, ‘Just take it slow. Take it easy.’ ... Basketball is a huge part of my life. And coaching, it’s not a job to me. It’s what I love to do. ... My biggest detriment right now is just fatigue and being tired. I have to sleep. If I don’t get a good night’s sleep, I’m worthless. So Napheesa’s game kept me up (on Thursday). But I’ll stay up for her games, that’s for sure.”

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE