Jim Matney was one of just 12 Kentucky high school coaches to win 300 or more games.
At the end of Monday’s weekly press conference looking back on the historic win over Florida and upcoming game with LSU, Kentucky coach Mark Stoops was asked for his thoughts on Johnson Central coach Jim Matney who passed away last week at age 62 from COVID. Matney is one of only 12 Kentucky prep coaches ever to win 300 or more games and Johnson Central senior lineman Grant Bingham is part of UK’s 2022 recruiting class.
“Coach Matney, we just wish his family the best and we respect his legacy and honor him,” Stoops said. “I have great respect for high school coaches, and coaches in general, people that sacrifice a lot of their life impacting other people’s lives and Coach was certainly that way.”
Matney’s loss hit home with Stoops.
“Reminded me of my father. I lost my father in the middle of the season and I remember getting a knock on that door when I was in college and my dad was a high school teacher and coach,” the UK coach said.
“He dedicated his whole life to helping people, and heck, we are three days away from that anniversary of my dad’s death, so it home with me, with Coach Matney, and so I know that community is responding to that.”
Johnson Central High School principal Justin Arms is also an assistant football coach. He joined us on Stock Yards Bank Sunday Morning Sports on WLAP to discuss what an “emotional time” it had been for everyone in the Johnson Central community.
“We were blessed to have Coach with us for 18 years here. He was a father figure to thousands of students in our school, and not just the athletes. We lost a great guy, the kind that is very, very hard to replace,” Arms said.
Johnson Central named its field for Matney Friday before it played and beat Clay County. Arms said there was no way the game was not going to be played because Matney would not have wanted that and it was also a way to “celebrate the life and legacy” of Matney.
“We knew he would want to see his boys play and compete,” Arms said. “But pregame was very emotional.”
Matney’s sons wore game jerseys and led the team on the field after the dedication ceremony.
“It was a fitting dedication for Coach. He did so much for mountain people. He dedicated his life to helping anyone he could in the mountains,” Arms said.
