Former Cincinnati Bengals coach Sam Wyche underwent heart transplant surgery early Tuesday morning at a hospital in Charlotte, N.C.
Wyche’s doctors were able to find a successful donor in the late afternoon Monday.
From a statement on Wyche’s Facebook page:
“I am thrilled to tell all of you he is now at 2:50 a.m. (Wyche) is on his way to the (operating room) for his new heart. He does not know who the donor is nor any of the circumstances surrounding his donor. Sam is eternally grateful as all of you can imagine.”
Wyche had been informed earlier in the day he was not a candidate for an artificial heart pump.
“The day that began with (bad) 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.”
Wyche’s page gave an update at 10 a.m.: “Coach is out of the operating room and now in recovery. The surgeon said Sam did great. The total operating time was about 4.5 hours. Now he is a strong man, spiritually and physically with a strong heart, thanks to a wonderful donor and a donor’s family.” The statement ended with the hashtag #DonorLife.
Wyche announced last week he was in need of a heart transplant and was hospitalized in Charlotte.
Wyche coached the Bengals from 1984 to 1991. He took the team to the playoffs in 1988 and 1990 and to the Super Bowl in 1988, losing on a last-minute touchdown drive by the San Francisco 49ers. The fiery and emotional coach was known for his feud with Houston Oilers coach Jerry Glanville, and his statement ripping the city of Cleveland over a live microphone at Riverfront Stadium when Bengals fans were throwing snowballs to protest a call in a game against the Seattle Seahawks.
Wyche was fired by Mike Brown in 1991 after the team went 3-13. Mike had just taken ownership from his father Paul, who died in 1990. Wyche didn’t agree with the direction of the team. Brown claimed Wyche had quit and refused to pay him back salary. At the time of his firing Wyche was the winningest coach in Bengals history.
Wyche later coached the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was an offensive coach in Buffalo. He was a color commentator for NBC and CBS and was also a studio analyst. He coached high school football in the 2000s between NFL stints and ran for county council in South Carolina.