CARLETON – Death was not an possibility. Darrell Mossburg had too many causes to stay.
The Airport women basketball coach collapsed in a faculty hallway earlier than a recreation in early December.
It was a shock to the match, 56-year-old bodily schooling instructor at Flat Rock.
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More: Airport’s girls basketball season ends with loss in quarterfinals
“I had severe abdominal pain,” Mossburg recalled. “I didn’t want the kids to see me like that. They got me into the teacher’s lounge. Luckily my wife (Lori) was there.”
The information obtained worse.
“I had a blockage in my intestine and the main artery to my aorta was blocked,” he stated. “They couldn’t help me.”
Airport women basketball coach Darrell Mossburg high-fives his assistant coaches following a 68-60 victory over Dearborn Divine Child in the finals of the Division 2 Regional that Divine Child hosted on Wednesday, March 11, 2026.
Doctors lastly discovered a course of motion.
“They gave me the end-of-life speech and rushed me into surgery,” he stated. “They didn’t know if I was going to make it out.”
Right earlier than he was wheeled in, his daughter, Chelsea Raisinen, revealed to him that she was pregnant together with her first youngster.
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His daughter-in-law Jessie Mossburg is also anticipating.
Thoughts of turning into a grandfather for the first time gave him willpower.
“That kind of changed my state of mind,” he stated. “I had to see those grandkids.”
And he additionally needed to see his different “kids” once more.
This 12 months’s Airport group was his finest squad in 32 years of teaching (16 as a head coach). Mossburg has guided them by means of many ups and down. Four seniors on the group had been four-year starters.
The story has a cheerful ending.
Mossburg stayed near the group throughout his restoration, serving to assistant Luke Baker with apply and recreation plans. He was lastly cleared to renew his function as head coach in time for the state match.
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Airport loved the biggest season in class historical past, going undefeated in the Huron league in crafting a 24-3 document, successful a regional title for the first time and reaching the state quarterfinals earlier than getting derailed by defending champion Tecumseh.
Airport women basketball coach Darrell Mossburg talks to his group throughout a 60-50 win over Flat Rock in the finals of the Division 2 Girls Basketball District at Flat Rock on Friday, March 6, 2026.
Mossburg has been named Monroe County Region Girls Basketball Coach of the Year.
“I saw these girls in the fourth or fifth grade and knew they could be one of the better teams we’ve ever had,” he stated. “It turned out to be a fabulous year for everyone involved.”
Fabulous and horrifying.
Doctors made a startling discovery throughout Mossburg’s emergency surgical procedure in December.
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“My body had created new arteries to the intestine to get the blood flowing,” he stated. “A CAT scan found four new arteries forming. To keep it simple, I tell people I had a severe heart attack. But what I had was very rare. They called me Case 168.”
It may be described one other method.
“You could call it a miracle,” he stated.
His group helped him by means of the restoration.
Acting Airport women basketball coach Luke Baker talks to his group throughout a 65-22 victory over Ann Arbor Pioneer on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026.
“SMCC (Dec. 18) was the first game I was able to watch in the hospital,” he stated. “It was a little different. I knew I had to do whatever it took to get back.”
The group visited him a couple of week later.
“It was very emotional when the kids came to see me a day or two before Christmas,” Mossburg stated. “They all came together right after practice.”
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By Dec. 29, medical doctors allowed Mossburg to attend an Airport recreation.
Baker took over as interim coach.
“Luke puts in a lot of time for our program,” Mossburg stated. “He watches film and does a great job scouting. I knew they were in great hands while I rested.”
Mossburg typically attended practices and sat on the bench for a lot of video games earlier than taking the reins once more in March.
“One of my goals was always to get back before the end of the season,” he stated. “I knew we had a special team this year. Obviously, I didn’t want to miss it. Life can throw you some curveballs, but you’ve got to keep pushing.”
Mossburg’s household tried to ensure he didn’t push too exhausting, too quickly.
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His daughter is an assistant coach for the group and his spouse saved the scorebook for his first few video games again.
“The doctors were concerned about my blood pressure,” he stated. “Chelsea and Lori tried to keep me calmed down.”
Has this expertise modified Mossburg?
“Some will say, ‘No, it hasn’t,’” he stated with a chuckle. “It does make me respect each day more. If you are able to wake up each morning and put your feet on the ground, you have to try to have a great day.
“This made me appreciate things more.”
This article initially appeared on The Monroe News: Airport basketball coach Darrell Mossburg shaped by near-death episode