Dawahares/KHSAA Hall of Fame

April 13, 2015 Hall of Fame Working

DAWAHARES/KHSAA HALL OF FAME
NOMINATION FORM AND INFORMATION

Information about Nominee:

Name: Jim Matney

Information about Person Making the Nomination:

Name: Kayle VanHoose

Address:
257 N. Mayo Trail
Paintsville, KY 41240

Category of Nomination:

Coach

Gender:

Male

Minority?

Primary KHSAA Basketball Region: 15

Secondary KHSAA Basketball Region: 0

Coach:

Coached at which High School(s): Johnson Central, Sheldon Clark

Year of Retirement: 2021

Nominee's Accomplishments at the High School Level in Kentucky:

Football: - All-time coaching career of 309-133 in Kentucky High School Football - 5x 4A State Championship Appearances - 2x 4A State Champion - 2020 Kentucky Football Coach of the Year Wrestling: - 12 Consecutive Regional Wrestling Regional Championships - 2x KY State Duals Champion - 2020 NFHS High School Wrestling Coach of the Year - 1994 State Wrestling Champion (Team) - 1995 State Wrestling Champion (Team) - 2019 State Wrestling Runner-Up (Team) Also coached countless Individual State Wrestling Champions In Wrestling, Jim was inducted into the KWCA Hall of Fame in 2017. (attached) In 2015 Jim was inducted into the Johnson Central Hall of Fame. (attached) Throughout Jim Matney's life and career, apart from achieving a remarkable football record of 309-133, he positively influenced thousands of lives across several decades. He was a man of strong values and led young people through his faithful walk with Christ. Matney was a family man first, cherishing his wife and sons the way a father truly should. He walked the walk -- loved people for who they were, helped people in need, and saved many young people from a life of poor choices and poverty through his leadership and philanthropy. To know Jim was to love him -- he left every program and community better than he found it. You mountain kids have made believers out of a lot of people for a lot of years. Now my question to you guys is what are we going to do this year? Are we going to carry it on? Are we going to carry on what we believe in? We believe in the mountain way of life! We believe in being up these hollas, and being hillbillies, gettin in these trucks, going huntin' and fishin'. This is who we are and the rest of the nation makes fun of us. But it's a funny thing to me that anytime anybody retires in the city, you know where they want to come live? They want to come live in the country, get them a house up a holla somewhere, and live our life. And I'm glad to have them. We are who we are. We are the boys from the mountains, from the hollas, from the small towns. Don't let anybody come in here- especially from a big city- ever walk out of here thinking they are better people than you.