Oakland basketball coach Greg Kampe reflects on serious health scare, difficult season

Kampe nearly died due to sepsis

ROCHESTER, Mich. – Oakland University men's basketball coach Greg Kampe's obsession with basketball was almost his undoing, but it might have also helped save his life.

The 2017-18 season didn't end the way Kampe had hoped. The Grizzlies didn't win the Horizon League title or make the NCAA Tournament.

The season didn't start the way he would have ever dreamed, either, and now he's lucky to be alive. He said that helps him put a tough year into perspective.

Kampe was out of town on a recruiting trip last July when he realized something wasn't right.

"My assistant looked at me and said, 'Your eyes are yellow,'" Kampe said. "I was really, really sick."

Kampe thought it was the flu or something he could shake off, but after he returned to Detroit, he went to the emergency room.

"The nurse said, 'Your fever is 106,'" Kampe said. "All of a sudden, it was code red. The lights went off and they yelled rapid response to the room. I said, 'Whoa, they're coming for me.'"

Kampe had sepsis, as the kidney stone surgery he had neglected led to an infection in his blood.

"They said if I had gone to sleep and tried to sleep it off, I would not have survived," Kampe said.

He spent five days in the intensive-care unit, and it took months to recover. Once he was back on his feet, he went back to basketball.

"There's a reason I survived it," Kampe said. "This is going to be the greatest year ever."

The season was unlike any other in his 34 years at Oakland. It had the highest expectations, as the team was expected to win the conference title and had serious NCAA Tournament hopes.

"We were getting preseason votes in the top 25," Kampe said. "This was going to be the year."

But sophomore guard Brailen Neely went down and needed knee surgery, and junior center Brad Bretchting had foot surgery in September and didn't return. Oakland later lost star guard Martez Walker to a broken left ankle.

In the end, five scholarship players were lost to injury.

"Martez went down in the Detroit game and we went from averaging 80 points to 60," Kampe said. "We tried to slow the game down. We fought, but it didn't happen."

Oakland's season ended in the Horizon League Tournament semifinal, when it suffered a heartbreaking one-point loss to Cleveland State. It was a gut punch, especially for the seniors.

"Nicest kids," Kampe said. "They're ambassadors of this university and I didn't get them to the NCAA Tournament. I feel really badly about that."

Kampe has been coaching for three decades. He describes himself as a dad to a whole lot of players who have come through his program. He said he learned that not everything in life goes your way, and it's not always about winning.

"These young men are great kids," Kampe said. "Start as boys, leave as men. It's a process I'm really proud of. I think this program is as good as there is."

Now that another offseason is upon Kampe, he said he wants to slow down. It's best for his health, but he can't sit still. He plays in a bowling league with his friends every Wednesday.


"What goes through my mind? I hope I don't throw it in the gutter," Kampe said.

But bowling isn't about the score for him. It's about getting away from the stresses of his day job and having fun. While this season wasn't always easy, he said the hard times will help him grow as a man and a basketball coach.

Kampe said he'll continue to bowl in the winter and golf in the summer, but it's cooking he's best at. He said he hopes to stay with Oakland for a long time.


About the Authors:

Jamie anchors sports coverage on Local 4 News Saturdays at 6 & 11 p.m. and Sunday at 6 p.m., in addition to hosting Sports Final Edition.

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.