Furman Hall of Famer, former NFL coach in surgery to receive new heart
Former NFL coach and Furman Hall of Fame quarterback Sam Wyche went into surgery early Tuesday morning to receive a new heart, according to a post on his Facebook page. The post reads in part "The day that began with not the best news has come to a close with the best possible news for Sam. Please pray for the donor, the donor's family and the incredible medical team who have been and are taking care of him and doing this heart transplant in the wee hours of Tuesday."
Sports Illustrated's Peter King tweeted Monday night that a heart has been found for Wyche and that the final match preparations were underway. If the heart is a match, Wyche's surgery could be later Monday night.
On Wyche's official webpage, samwyche.com, last Thursday, Wyche stated that he was at the Carolinas Medical Center's Dickson Heart Unit in Charlotte awaiting a donor heart transplant. Wyche may have surgery to install an artificial heart pump if a donor is not found soon.
"If there is no match for a donor heart in the next few days, I will need to have an LVAD (Left Ventricular Assist Device) implanted below my heart until a donor heart can be obtained," Wyche's statement said. "I have outstanding Sanger Clinic physicians and hospital staff taking care of me.”
An update Wyche's Facebook page Monday morning, said that a new donor heart was needed within the next week. His medical team was reconsidering the feasibility of the LVAD in view of Wyche's history of blood clots in his lungs and the placement of a Greenfield filter more than 10 years ago. There were concerns that this may create a problem attaching an LVAD.
Wyche, 71, was a Furman quarterback from 1963-65. Over the past 20 years since his retirement from NFL coaching, Wyche can often be found in the stands at Furman football games.
During their game at The Citadel on Saturday, Furman players wore a red heart sticker on the back of their helmets while coaches wore the stickers on their shirts in Wyche's honor.
After an 11-year pro football playing career, Wyche was an assistant for the San Francisco 49ers, where he coached quarterbacks under the leadership of legendary head coach Bill Walsh. Wyche gained fame for introducing the no-huddle, hurry-up offense as head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, where he coached from 1984-91 before going on to coach the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for four seasons. The innovative offense, which is now used by teams at all levels, helped the 1988 Bengals reach the Super Bowl.
Wyche went on to spend seven years as a volunteer assistant at Pickens High School and he was a registered substitute teacher for Pickens County Schools.
Over the past two decades, Wyche has also worked as a TV analyst for NFL and college games. In August, Wyche was announced as the color commentator for Furman home games streamed over ESPN3.
This story was originally published September 13, 2016 at 9:20 AM with the headline "Furman Hall of Famer, former NFL coach in surgery to receive new heart."