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Wednesday, December 24, 1997

Penders adjusting to heart defibrillator

By CHIP BROWN / AP Sports Writer

AUSTIN (AP) -- One month after having a defibrillator and pacemaker placed in his heart, 52-year-old Texas basketball coach Tom Penders says he is adjusting to life.

He can't go through airport metal detectors or he will set them off.

"I show the airport security a card explaining the heart condition and then they give me a body frisk," Penders said.

He sometimes feels discomfort, especially while sleeping, because he can feel the device still settling in between his chest muscles.

And he has shortened the time he used to take collecting technical fouls during a game.

"I used to berate an official all game before finally drawing a ÔT,' " Penders said. "But that took too much time and energy. Now, I just run out onto the court or throw my jacket."

After drawing a technical foul by running out onto the court in a narrow loss at home to defending national champion Arizona, Penders kidded with reporters in the postgame news conference.

"I wanted to let everyone know that my health is fine and that I haven't changed my style of coaching," Penders said. "I also wanted to show that I'm a little quicker."

Penders was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy in 1991, and tests for insurance showed that he was at risk of suffering a heart attack.

"From 1991 until now, I was worried from time to time. I would be out playing golf on a hot summer day, sweating bullets and thinking I should be home in air conditioning resting," Penders said

He had other reasons for concern. His mom suffered from a rheumatic heart as a child and died at the age of 56. His father passed away at age 74 due to a weakening of the heart.

So he had the machine implanted during surgery performed at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston by a former Longhorns basketball player, famed surgeon Denton Cooley.

"It (the defibrillator) gives you your own personal EMS unit right in you," Penders said. "It gives you a feeling that you're safe.

Penders lost about 25 pounds as a result of a kidney infection that weakened his heart and led to doctors recommending that he get the defibrillator. He still hasn't gained the weight back.

"I'm thinner, so sometimes when I try to get the refs' attention, they don't see me," Penders joked.

Since the surgery, Texas players say Penders has mellowed a bit.

In a 116-94 victory over North Texas, the Longhorns turned the ball over 25 times, something that usually would guarantee plenty of extra sprints in practice. But the following practice wrapped without any extra running.

"Hey, Coach. How about those extra laps?" junior guard Chico Vazquez asked.

"We won by 20 points, go home," Penders said.

"Chico shook his head and looked at me like the heart thing was getting to me," Penders said. "I think I'm a better coach, a little more patient and enjoying it more. I used to get so serious and wrapped up about the petty things, and they don't bother me as much."

Said senior guard Brandy Perryman: "I haven't noticed much of a change other than he's a little more relaxed and a little thinner."