Doctors amputated the left leg of Northern State coach Don Meyer below the knee Friday morning. September 20th, 2008
Doctors amputated the left leg of Northern State coach Don Meyer below the knee Friday morning. And now they will decide on a course to treat his cancer.
Meyer and his family were told the surgery went well, and its possible the second-winningest coach in mens college basketball to Bob Knight could be on the sideline for the Division II Wolves when the season begins Nov. 18 at home against Mount Marty College.
Jerry Meyer, who played for his father at Lipscomb and now is a national basketball recruiting analyst for Rivals.com, said his father is in good spirits.
They said the prosthesis would take about three months, but he could be in a wheelchair or walker and keep coaching, Jerry Meyer said. Its possible he could be coaching by the start of the season.
Jerry Meyer said his father told doctors the day after his auto accident two weeks ago that they should do whatever they needed to do.
He told them to take the leg; he could coach without it, Jerry Meyer said.
Don Meyer, 63, was leading a team caravan to a hunting lodge not far from the Northern State campus in Aberdeen, S.D., for an annual preseason retreat when the wreck occurred. The vehicle he was driving abruptly crossed the center line on two-lane Highway 20 and was hit on the left side by an oncoming semi-truck.
His left side was crushed. All of the ribs on his left side were broken, and he had multiple compound fractures of both bones in his lower left leg. Doctors also immediately removed his spleen and a portion of his intestines. When they opened him up, they discovered the cancer.
The oncologist told Meyer its a slow-growing cancer. Doctors have not decided how they will proceed.
Meyer has been a head basketball coach for 36 seasons, the past nine at Northern State. Prior to that he was at then-NAIA Lipscomb, located in Nashville, Tenn., for 24 seasons. He trails Knight on the wins list 902-891.
The Wolves went 29-4 last season and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the Division II national tournament. They were 17-1 at home, where they led Division II in attendance.