North Dakota State head wrestling coach Bucky Maughan said Tuesday that he'll undergo chemotherapy treatment after having a cancerous tumor removed from his colon.
He also said he's more worried about Iowa State coming to the Bison Sports Arena on Saturday than his own health.
Maughan is not expected to miss any of NDSU's matches this season. The veteran coach, in his 45th year with the Bison, had a tumor, which was discovered during a routine colonoscopy, removed Nov. 11.
He said the operation was a success and follow-up appointments confirmed that. But Maughan is taking the advice of his doctor that chemotherapy will help make sure it doesn't return.
"I was thinking of rolling the dice here," he said. "But he explained to me that we can work out a schedule where it will not interfere with wrestling."
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Maughan will have treatments every other Monday and Tuesday for 12 sessions. All of NDSU's matches are either on a Friday or Saturday so any side effects should be gone by then, he said.
"The hardest part for me was when I found out, I was just mad," he said. "The doctor said you were lucky that you caught it early and I thought to myself lucky is winning the lottery. But I've kind of accepted it. I'm more worried about Iowa State, they're tough as heck."
Maughan, 67, said he sought the advice of NDSU assistant athletic director Amy Ruley, who went through a highly publicized bout with breast cancer when she was the Bison head women's basketball coach.
Maughan did not accompany his team to the Las Vegas Invitational last weekend, but that was related to infection from surgery.
But he'll be on the sideline Saturday when the Bison host Dickinson State at 1 p.m. and the Cyclones at 5.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Jeff Kolpack at (701) 241-5546.
Kolpack's NDSU media blog can be found at www.areavoices.com