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OXFORD — Charlie Coles is not ready to retire as head coach of the Miami University men's basketball team.

Not this year. And if everything goes well, not next year.

But Coles' coaching career is far from his only priority right now.

"I'm doing this a year at a time," Coles said when asked about his coaching plans. "I love coaching, but I also, since I've been sick, found out what the quality of life means. I want, if possible, to enjoy my life."

The 66-year-old Coles, with the help of his wife, Delores, is recovering from three different stays at Mercy Hospital of Fairfield since March 1.

The first trip resulted in a heart by-pass. The second was for a bleeding ulcer. And then came surgery to remove his gall bladder.

"The by-pass, which I was most afraid of, turned out to be the least difficult of all," Coles said.

The recovery from the gall bladder surgery has been slow.

"I'm not struggling now," he said, "but I'm not back to normal, and people say it takes a while. If anybody out there has had a gall bladder removal, they can call me any time and talk to me about that.

"I'm still trying to build up my strength," Coles said. "I'm eating like I've never eaten before. I've lost a lot of weight. I'm drinking milk shakes. It's going slow, but I'm gaining some. I originally lost 30 pounds. I've gained just a little of it back, but it hasn't been from me not eating."

Still, most days he is able to spend limited time in his office at Millett Hall. His plan is to be back on the Miami bench, back to full strength, for the start of the RedHawks' 2008-09 season.

"Yeah, I think I've got plenty of time for that, providing everything goes well," he said.

The last several months, he said, has been much harder on him than the episode at Western Michigan in 1998, when his heart stopped during a Mid-American Conference Tournament game.

"All they did at Western," he said, "was put in a defibrillator and let me go.

"I'm looking to get back to where I was," he said. "That was the whole reason for the by-pass surgery. They told me my whole quality of life would improve. I'm waiting for that to happen."

Quality of life means many things to Coles.

"Of course, the grand-kids have to be No. 1," Coles said. "Three of my grand-kids just moved to Saginaw, Mich., where my son works for Frankie Smith. I can see myself up there at least once a month."

Chris Coles is a new assistant coach under Smith (a former assistant at Miami) on the Saginaw Valley State University men's basketball team.

"I like playing a little golf, just kinda doing a little bit of everything," he said. "A baseball game here. Just living in the community."

Coles was reminded that the last time he missed Miami's post-season for medical reasons, the RedHawks came back the following year and soared into the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16.

"If that would happen, boy, that would be wonderful," Coles said. "I've certainly thought about it."

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2197 or pconrad@coxohio.com.

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