UNLV’s Barney Cotton undergoes heart transplant
Former UNLV offensive coordinator Barney Cotton underwent a heart transplant Tuesday, coach Tony Sanchez said.
Today at 3:30 PT 5:30 MT Coach Cotton @Coach_Cotton will undergo heart transplant surgery. Please send your thoughts and prayers for a successful surgery & speedy recovery his way.
We’re praying for you Coach!— Coach Tony Sanchez (@UNLVSanchez) October 22, 2019
Sanchez did not have an update Tuesday night on Cotton’s condition.
Cotton was the Rebels’ coordinator the past four seasons, but stepped aside in July so that he could be placed on a waiting list. He has been staying at his sister’s home in Omaha, Nebraska.
Sanchez said that Cotton, 63, was placed on a higher priority list, which sped the process.
“We’re praying it goes well,” Sanchez said before the procedure. “Does it take? How does the body react? The next few weeks will be crucial, the next six months.”
Cotton told the Review-Journal in July that he hoped to return to coaching. “I always figured I was going to coach five, six, seven more years anyway,” he said at the time.
“The poor guy has gone through so much,” Sanchez said. “He’s an intense guy, but you get him away from football, and he’s a good guy.”
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Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.
