Longtime Fresno State baseball coach Bob Bennett in a coma, hospitalized
Longtime Fresno State baseball coach Bob Bennett was hospitalized this week in a coma.
Doctors are trying to determine what caused Bennett, 86, to lose consciousness.
Todd Bennett, one of the coach’s sons, posted to social media late Wednesday that his father was unconscious but in stable condition and has shown some positive signs.
Bennett went to a hospital Monday for a heart procedure to help prevent strokes (implanting a Watchman device), according to his son.
Todd Bennett said the procedure went well. But while recovering Tuesday, Bennett’s heart stopped and he “coded.”
“Luckily, it happened in the presence of a doctor and nurses,” Todd wrote. “They immediately began CPR. His heart resumed beating on its own after about 15 minutes of CPR, and he was placed on a ventilator under heavy sedation. He has been unconscious since the event.”
How and why Bennett’s heart stopped remains unclear.
“We initially thought he had a heart attack, but the EKG shows no sign of a heart attack or heart damage,” Todd wrote. “The brain scan showed no signs of a stroke, and the Watchman device did not malfunction or cause an embolism.
“The doctors cannot determine why his heart stopped.”
Bennett showed signs of improvement Tuesday with his pupils responding to light and his body reacting when he is uncomfortable from being moved, his son added.
“He has a firm grip,” Todd said. “All of his vital signs are normal and his organs are functioning properly, although initially, he was experiencing kidney failure.”
Doctors were planning to try to bring Bennett out of his coma on Thursday or Friday, Todd wrote. “That is when we will find out if he is going to regain consciousness. And, if so, if he experienced any brain damage from the event.”
Bennett is one of the winningest coaches in NCAA Division I history, posting a 1,302-759-4 overall record in 34 seasons. He guided Fresno State to 17 conference titles and made two trips to the College World Series.
He retired after the 2002 season.
In 2016, Fresno State honored the coach by renaming its baseball venue Pete Beiden Field at Bob Bennett Stadium.
Hundreds of his former players returned to celebrate the occasion.
“He wasn’t just a baseball coach,” former Bulldogs standout Terance Frazier said then. “He was like a father figure to me and (to) a lot of other kids.”
As word spread of the coach’s condition, several have reached out to offer their thoughts to the Bennett family.
“My mom (Jane) is doing as well as can be expected,” Todd wrote. “I know that my dad, mother, sister, brother, and I are being lifted up with you prayers and positive thoughts.
“Thank you all. I will give you updates as we learn more.”
This story was originally published May 20, 2020 at 11:47 PM.
