Most sports fans are well aware that prominent coaches such as Nick Saban, Jimbo Fisher and Mike D'Antoni are from West Virginia. Likewise, most also know that the greatest wide receiver to ever play football (Randy Moss) and the modern day version of Pete Maravich (Jason Williams) are from the Kanawha Valley.
But here are some sports facts and stories you may not know about:
n You may not know that the mother of PGA golfer Matt Kuchar, who finished second at the British Open, last weekend, is from Huntington. Meg White, Kuchar's mom, is a 1973 graduate of the old Huntington High.
n You may know that Tex Williiams is a basketball coaching legend in our state, but you may not know that he also coached St. Albans to four state cross country championships, including three in a row from 1972-74.
n Ardent WVU fans know that the Mountaineers played in the men's basketball national championship game in 1959. Most don't realize that the game was played only a few hours from our state's borders at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky.
n Many in our area know local car dealer Joe Holland but may not realize that "Joey" Holland played on a University of Kentucky basketball team in 1975 that played in a national championship game in San Diego. Kentucky lost a high-scoring game 92-85 to UCLA in the last game ever coached by the great John Wooden.
n Basketball fans in our state know the coaching legend of former Fairmont State coach Joe Retton, but many may not remember that he got the Falcons coaching job as a young man after coaching at tiny Barrackville High School in Marion County. He coached a tiny guard at Barrackville named Teddy Darcum, who followed Retton to Fairmont State and together they started the Falcons dynasty.
n Even the most avid baseball fan in our state probably does not remember Sam "Toothpick" Jones. He pitched in the major leagues from 1951-64 with the Indians, Cubs, Cardinals, Giants, Tiger and Orioles. On May 12, 1955 he became the first black pitcher to throw a no-hitter in the major leagues when he performed the feat for the Cubs against the Pirates in Wrigley Field. Jones lived most of his adult life in the Monongah and Grant Town areas in Marion County. Sadly, he died at the age of 45 at a hospital in Morgantown.
n Many older area football fans remember the name of former Charleston High star Melvin Riggins, a star running back for the Mountain Lions in the mid-1960s. He went on to play at the University of Cincinnati where he led the nation in kickoff returns. You may not know that some of his school records at Cincinnati stood for over 30 years.
n This past Wednesday was a sad anniversary in our state's basketball history. It was the 10-year anniversary of the death of former Wake Forest men's basketball coach Skip Prosser. Prosser was a big name in our state when he was a high school coach at Wheeling Central in the 1980s.
n Ardent Marshall fans remember Rick Tolley, the outstanding young football coach who was killed in the 1970 Marshall plane crash. Many of those fans may not know that Tolley played high school basketball at Mullens and his coach was Lewis D'Antoni.
n Area sports fans know that former Spencer High School football coach Jim Hamric is the new Commissioner of the Mountain State Athletic Conference. Many may not remember his great quote after leading Spencer to the 1991 AA state football title. "I am just a Roane County boy coaching other Roane County boys," said the modest Hamric at the time.
Contact Frank Giardina at flg16@hotmail.com.