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Dan Rolfes survived. He gets to live, he gets to love.

But then, it鈥檒l hit him, like a basketball player setting a hard pick: 鈥淚s this going to happen again? When is it going to happen again? That鈥檚 always in the back of my mind 鈥� and honestly, (it makes you) a little scared.鈥�

His father died of a heart attack. His father鈥檚 brother died of a heart attack. And his father鈥檚 father died of a heart attack. But Rolfes, miraculously, survived his own heart attack on, of all days, the Ides of March (March 15).

The legendary local coach, who has led Incarnate Word Academy to 13 girls basketball state titles, now lives to live. He has this perspective, this clarity. After the heart attack nearly killed him, Rolfes spent three weeks in the hospital, remained on dialysis for a while after that and now, seven months later, still is building back his physical strength.

Basketball practice starts on Nov. 4.

鈥淚 am going to coach,鈥� said Rolfes, 53. 鈥淚鈥檓 going to try. The doctors gave me the OK. They鈥檙e like, 鈥楯ust take it slow. Take it easy.鈥� ... Basketball is a huge part of my life. And coaching, it鈥檚 not a job to me. It鈥檚 what I love to do. ... My biggest detriment right now is just fatigue and being tired. I have to sleep. If I don鈥檛 get a good night鈥檚 sleep, I鈥檓 worthless. So Napheesa鈥檚 game kept me up (on Thursday). But I鈥檒l stay up for her games, that鈥檚 for sure.鈥�

The greatest of all his great players is Napheesa Collier, who finished second in WNBA MVP voting this year. Collier鈥檚 Minnesota Lynx are in the WNBA Finals. During Thursday鈥檚 Game 1, the Lynx trailed by as many as 18 points at New York. But Minnesota mounted an impossible comeback, and Collier鈥檚 fadeaway jumper with 8.8 seconds left secured the victory. New York ran away from Minnesota on Sunday to even the series 1-1.

鈥淲hen I鈥檓 rooting for the Cardinals, I love the Cardinals 鈥� it鈥檚 our hometown team,鈥� Rolfes said. 鈥淏ut when you know someone personally? It鈥檚 a little different.鈥�

To think he might鈥檝e missed it.

On March 15, he coached his indomitable basketball team to victory in the Missouri Class 6 state semifinals. It was played at Mizzou Arena.

After the game, he suffered a heart attack on a parking lot.

His wife began to save his life.

Lisa Rolfes was a nurse for 30 years and immediately gave her husband CPR.

An ambulance soon arrived.

鈥淎nd they shocked me 27 times,鈥� Rolfes said. 鈥淭hey did CPR and the shocking for like 90 minutes. And the doctors at Mizzou鈥檚 hospital didn鈥檛 give up. So I鈥檓 super-thankful for them to continue to try and save me. ...

鈥淭he craziest thing is, I don鈥檛 remember anything. I remember practicing the day before (March 14). After that, I don鈥檛 remember anything. I don鈥檛 remember Thursday night. I don鈥檛 remember Friday. I don鈥檛 remember coaching the game Friday. I remember nothing. ...

鈥淎nd the one thing is, with not remembering anything, I don鈥檛 remember how I felt. I would have loved to know what I felt like prior to (the heart attack). So I know if I feel like that again, I need to call 911, get to a hospital.鈥�

Lisa keeps in touch with some of the nurses and the ambulance driver. This summer, Lisa and Dan went to Columbia for the Show-Me State games. Lisa organized a meeting with the ambulance driver.

鈥淗e said to me,鈥� Dan recalled, 鈥溾�榃e just don鈥檛 see people recover from what happened.鈥欌��

The day after their coach鈥檚 heart attack, the Incarnate Word girls had to find the composure to play in the state title game. With the crowd raising signs of hope for 鈥淐oach Dan,鈥� the IWA team pulled off the victory, 53-43 against Kickapoo. IWA was lef by assistant coach Tanner Wilkenson and the rest of the IWA staff.

Rolfes lived.

It was incredible. Fate-altering.

But in the ensuing days, 鈥淚 literally can鈥檛 even walk,鈥� Rolfes recalled. He lost 30 pounds. He was on dialysis because his kidneys weren鈥檛 functioning correctly. The recovery was 鈥� and is 鈥� a challenge of mental strength, as he works to build his physical strength.

Lisa became the coach鈥檚 coach.

Each day during the summer, they鈥檇 walk in their neighborhood. Lisa continuously challenged him to go past one extra house 鈥� 鈥淲e鈥檝e got to keep moving!鈥� she鈥檇 say.

鈥淚鈥檓 starting to jog on the treadmill and lift weights ...鈥� said Rolfes, who has been back at work this fall as the IWA athletics director. 鈥淚鈥檓 trying to get back to normal day activities. And I don鈥檛 know if that鈥檒l ever happen. I guess that鈥檚 to be determined. ... To me, it鈥檚 been going one house further every day when I鈥檓 trying to walk. Well, you know, part of my rehab is my goal is to be back on the court. That鈥檚 my next house. ...

鈥淚 think my mindset was just trying to get a little better every day. And when you go through this process, you just kind of look at it and realize all the things that really matter to you.鈥�

His wife. His son. His two daughters. His basketball team. His faith.

He cannot do anything about the lingering fear of another heart attack. That鈥檚 there. But he can go on with his life with a clarity of what it means to fully live.

鈥淯nless you go through it, I don鈥檛 think you get that perspective,鈥� Rolfes said. 鈥淵ou can say it as much as you want, but unless you have that experience of having everything taken away, it鈥檚 just hard to realize.鈥�