In the days after Paul Mills publicly revealed he nearly died following a cardiac event, the Wichita State head coach said the response has reinforced why he felt compelled to share his story in the first place.
Mills spoke with local media on Monday to preview WSU’s American Conference opener against the UAB Blazers at 3 p.m. Wednesday in Birmingham, but also to update his health.
He said his decision to come forward after WSU’s win over Eastern Kentucky to wrap up an 8-5 nonconference showing was rooted in clarity.
“You didn’t want it getting out that he had this or he had that,” Mills said. “Let’s make sure that accurate information is being given and I can probably provide that better than anybody.”
Mills said he had already shared the details with people close to him and wanted the information to come directly from him before it surfaced elsewhere. He also consulted with his former boss, Baylor head coach Scott Drew, who encouraged Mills to tell his story publicly if it could help others take their health more seriously.
That perspective has been validated in the week since. Mills said he has received an outpouring of messages not only from the coaching community and WSU fans, but also people he doesn’t know — some of whom told him his story prompted them to schedule physicals or get calcium tests they otherwise wouldn’t have considered.
Mills reiterated on Monday that the procedure he underwent was minimally invasive. Doctors did not open his chest, instead inserting a thin wire through a small incision in his wrist to perform the surgery and place two stents. He said the relief was immediate.
“It’s like a sumo wrestler was sitting on top of your chest and all of a sudden he disappeared,” Mills said. “I feel great.”
Mills emphasized that his situation was not the result of heart disease, but rather a correctable problem that required urgent attention. Cholesterol, he said, played a significant role — and it was something he admits he underestimated.
“I knew from a cholesterol perspective, my numbers were high, but I was like, ‘I can go work this out,’” Mills said. “The truth is, and I didn’t know this, that cholesterol is 80% hereditary. You’re not working out bad genes. You’re not working out a bad diet.”
That realization has shaped the message he hopes others take from his experience.
“If there are opportunities where you can prevent this stuff, you need to prevent it,” Mills said. “There’s a number of situations that can be prevented. I do think mine could have been prevented, had I been aware. I just wasn’t doing the things necessary.
“I’m hoping people can learn from my lack of going up and maintaining physicals.”
Mills likened his experience to that of LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey, who underwent a similar procedure in the summer of 2023 after doctors discovered a severely blocked coronary artery during a routine visit. Mulkey returned to coaching that season without restrictions. Mills did not specify whether he currently has any limitations, but he repeatedly stressed how strong he feels more than three weeks removed from surgery.
He also noted that he’s hardly alone among coaches who have navigated heart-related scares, pointing to Mulkey, South Carolina women’s coach Dawn Staley and Kansas men’s coach Bill Self, a trio that has combined to win nine national titles.
“There’s a correlation here between heart issues and national championships,” Mills joked. “So that’s the next goal.”
On the court, Mills will look to lead WSU to its first conference-opening win since the 2020-21 season. In fact, the Shockers have started conference play in massive holes each of the last four seasons, starting 0-4 in 2021-22, 0-3 in 2022-23, 0-6 in 2023-24 and 0-3 last season.
If the Shockers are to avoid another slow start, they will have to show they can win on the road right away. Four of the team’s first six conference games are away from Koch Arena with two road tests this week against UAB (9-4) and Charlotte (6-7) on Saturday.
“You don’t need to wait and find out if you have a road mentality and are doing the things necessary in order to win a road game,” Mills said. “So really excited about that opportunity.”
This story was originally published December 30, 2025 at 6:02 AM.
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Taylor Eldridge
The Wichita Eagle
Wichita State athletics beat reporter. Bringing you closer to the Shockers you love and inside the sports you love to watch.
