CHICAGO -- Illinois-Chicago coach Jimmy Collins was admitted
to the hospital Wednesday after tests showed he had suffered an
abdominal aortic aneurysm, university officials said.
Collins, 59, gave notice of an indefinite leave of absence late
last month because of "physical and mental" exhaustion. Neither
Collins nor the university knew of his medical condition at that
time, school spokesman Mike Cassidy said Wednesday night.
Results from medical tests performed last week showed Collins
had suffered an abdominal aortic aneurysm, which is swelling of the
main blood vessel -- the aorta -- in the abdomen. The abdominal aorta
carries blood from the heart to the abdomen, pelvis and legs. After
an aneurysm, the blood vessel wall thins and is in danger of
rupturing.
Collins was scheduled to have surgery on Thursday morning to
repair the aortic artery at the University of Illinois Medical
Center, Cassidy said.
Associate head coach Mark Coomes has led the Flames since
Collins announced his leave of absence Dec. 23.
Collins has said he decided to go on leave after the team played
Dec. 21 at Penn, in part because he felt staying with the team
"was causing unneeded stress."
No time has been set for when Collins will return, Cassidy said.
"He'll be on continued leave until he completes a full
recovery," Cassidy said. "He'll decide when he's fully
recovered."
Before he took over at Illinois-Chicago in 1996, Collins was an
assistant coach at Illinois.