Older coaches must be wary of COVID
Rick Barnes thought he was in the clear early in his bout with COVID-19.
The Tennessee coach should have known better, given his texts with Tom Izzo, his Michigan State counterpart who also went through it.
About a week into his quarantine, Barnes lost his appetite and started feeling lethargic.
Just like Izzo said.
“He gave me full warning,” said Barnes, who is 66 and has been a head coach the past 33 years.
“He texted me almost every day — just don’t be surprised when this stuff happens. And I would tell you, it probably took me 12 days to where I felt really good.”
Barnes, Izzo and Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim are among the coaches 65 and up who have contracted COVID-19, which can be a greater threat the older one is.
While many elderly people are isolating at home, college basketball coaches are required to travel, work indoors and be around crowds — all among the most risky behaviors amid a pandemic.
Lon Kruger knows he is taking a chance.
Oklahoma’s 68-year-old coach has been spared so far, even with his Sooners having to briefly shut down because of cases within the program.He said hearing about his colleagues got his attention.
“It’s just a reminder to do what we can to avoid it,” Kruger said.
“Not to s ay t hat anything’s 100% guaranteed, but the university continuously reminds us to be careful and follow the recommendations.
“Especially with the masks. It’s a pretty easy thing to do to wear a mask.”