Heart problems force SM Northwest’s Meseke to take leave from coaching

In a meeting with his cardiologist Wednesday morning, longtime Shawnee Mission Northwest High School boys basketball coach Ben Meseke learned he will be evaluated for a possible heart transplant.

Meseke met with his varsity players later in the day to inform them he would have to “back off” from teaching and coaching.

“I’ve had heart problems for a number of years,” Meseke said Thursday. “(I’ve) had a couple pacemakers put in. Things just aren’t working the way they should. It’s getting weaker and weaker.”

Meseke, entering his 13th year with the program, guided the Cougars to a 19-6 mark — a program record for wins — and a fourth-place finish at the Kansas 6A state tournament last season.

His condition has gradually worsened, he said, forcing him to take more breaks during activities. He said he’ll be evaluated in the near future for the opportunity to be put on a waiting list for a heart transplant.

“After that, you just hope somewhere along the line someone signed the back of their driver’s license (to be an organ donor) and you get a heart that can fit,” Meseke said. “… I don’t know quite what I’m going to go through. But I know in a lot of cases people have lived a lot of years from heart transplants.”

Mike Rose, an assistant coach for the team, will take over as interim head coach, said Meseke, who hopes to remain involved with the team.

“I’m still going to be able to attend some practices and some games. I just won’t be coaching at a high level,” he said. “I told him I’m still going to get in there and meddle. I just want to help him out in any way I can … because we’ve got a really neat team this year.”

submitted by RYAN YOUNG - 2009-11-05 23:09:04

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