Majerus hospitalized, to resign after year

SALT LAKE CITY -- Utah basketball coach Rick Majerus will resign at the end of the season after his latest health problem put him in the hospital with chest pains.\nMajerus, 55, was being treated in Santa Barbara, Calif., Wednesday. His condition was not released.\nAssistant Kerry Rupp will coach the Utes in the interim, though Majerus could return and finish out the season if his health allows. Rupp will guide the team when it plays Saturday against BYU.\nMajerus is the second coach this week to take a leave because of health reasons. Louisville's Rick Pitino took an indefinite leave Monday to determine the cause of the urological-related pain.\n"Its been a strange week for the coaching fraternity -- first Rick Pitino and now Rick Majerus," said Kentucky coach Tubby Smith, whose Wildcats beat Utah in the 1998 title game. "This profession can be physically and emotionally demanding."\nThe health of the portly Majerus has always been a concern, especially after he had heart bypass surgery in 1989 -- just six games into his first season at Utah. Since then, he has led the Utes to the NCAA tournament 10 times.\n"Everybody that knows Rick and cares about Rick has mentioned that he needs to take care of himself," Utah athletic director Chris Hill said.\n"I think coaches' lives in general are stressful. I think every year is stressful because of the pressure they put on themselves," he said. "I think they're all very, very intense and maybe Rick is maybe on the high end of intense."\nMajerus felt chest pains late Tuesday in Salt Lake City. He was flown to southern California for treatment by his cardiologist.\nRupp and his fellow assistants heard about Majerus early Wednesday.\n"He just said he had some health issues," Rupp said. "Your health has to come first and foremost, and he has said that to our players many a time."\nUtes players learned of the situation at a team meeting Wednesday morning.\n"We were shocked, of course, but he would want us to move on," Nick Jacobson said. "What are we supposed to do? Just play on."\nFormer Utah star Keith Van Horn predicted Majerus wouldn't wander too far away from basketball.\n"I'm sure he'll stay around the game, maybe just not deal with practices and games for a little while," said Van Horn, now with the New York Knicks. "It will be good for his well-being. But I know he'll stay in the game in some fashion."\nUtah (15-5, 3-2 Mountain West) has lost its last two games, falling at Air Force on Monday night 62-49. Majerus had one of his youngest teams this season with just two seniors, no juniors and a host of underclassmen.\nIn Rupp's only game as head coach, Utah beat BYU 79-75 last season in Provo after Majerus left to attend the funeral for the stepfather of former Utah standout Andre Miller.\n"I am pretty surprised. I haven't heard too much about it. But I will definitely give him a call and see how he's doing," said Miller, the starting point guard for the Denver Nuggets.\n"He means everything. He taught me the feel for the game. He influenced me and I learned that early from him," he said. "I think he's a coach, a motivator. He will push to get the best out of his players. He's definitely knows his basketball and the right way to play it."\nMajerus came to Utah from Ball State in 1989, and the 1990s saw Utah ranked eighth among NCAA Division I programs in both wins (250) and winning percentage (.767).\nMajerus has twice taken extended leaves in two other seasons since he started at Utah.\nAlong his bypass surgery in December 1989, Majerus coached one game in the 2000-2001 season before leaving to deal with health issues and care for his ailing mother.\nMajerus is well-known for his demanding coaching style and frequent outbursts. His program had a high turnover rate, with many players leaving after getting frustrated with Majerus' oft-abrasive treatment.\nUtah was placed on three years' probation by the NCAA last summer after an investigation confirmed several minor violations, including meals Majerus bought during meetings with players. The NCAA rule has been changed to allow for such meals as long as each one is documented.\nReacting to the reprimand, Majerus flashed his disdain for the NCAA's complex rules.\n"I don't think anybody ever said we gained a competitive advantage because, 'I had that hamburger with Majerus.' Or in recruiting, somebody would say, 'Hey, if I only become a Ute I'll be able to go to Crown Burger with Majerus,'" he said after the Utes were placed on probation.\nUtah may still participate in postseason tournaments and no restrictions were placed on TV appearances.\nJust this month, Hill said Majerus was cleared in an investigation into a complaint by a former player who claimed the coach berated him about his partial hearing loss.