VanMatre named to OHSBCA Hall of Fame
Lead Summary
By
The Highland County Press-
GREENFIELD — Rick VanMatre, the former McClain boys basketball head coach, is headed to the Hall of Fame.
VanMatre, who coached the McClain Tigers boys basketball program for 28 seasons, was recently named a 2011-12 inductee to the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame. He will be formally inducted April 28, 2012.
With a 472-170 record from the 1981-82 season through the 2008-09 season, the legendary coach had just two losing seasons. His teams tallied 19 or more wins in a season 11 times.
His first season as head coach, his team went 19-3, followed by another 19-win season. He followed that with a 15-win season and three consecutive 20-plus win seasons, including a 25-1 record in 1986-87.
The three-year, 20-plus win streak reappeared from 2004-2006 with three more 20-plus win seasons. In both of those streaks, there were five losses in each streak.
Those season included records of 22-2, 24-2, 25-1, 22-2, 21-2 and 21-2.
In '09, during his first year retired away from the game, VanMatre spoke about his time as a head coach and his time away from the game.
“I was fortunate to spend 28 wonderful years coaching,” VanMatre said. “It is nice to not have all the stress that goes with an entire season anymore. There’s a lot of stress that goes into coaching, and now it is just nice to come home after school and do whatever I want.”
His teams won the South Central Ohio League championship eight times, 16 sectional titles, eight district championships and were regional runner-ups three times.
In '82 and '07, VanMatre was the Associated Press Division II Coach of the Year.
His '07-08 team that was 25-1 overall finished No. 1 ranked by the AP that regular season.
The OHSBCA inducts Ohio High School Basketball Coaches into its Hall of Fame each year. The first year of induction was in 1987, where nine legendary coaches were inducted into the initial class.[[In-content Ad]]
VanMatre, who coached the McClain Tigers boys basketball program for 28 seasons, was recently named a 2011-12 inductee to the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame. He will be formally inducted April 28, 2012.
With a 472-170 record from the 1981-82 season through the 2008-09 season, the legendary coach had just two losing seasons. His teams tallied 19 or more wins in a season 11 times.
His first season as head coach, his team went 19-3, followed by another 19-win season. He followed that with a 15-win season and three consecutive 20-plus win seasons, including a 25-1 record in 1986-87.
The three-year, 20-plus win streak reappeared from 2004-2006 with three more 20-plus win seasons. In both of those streaks, there were five losses in each streak.
Those season included records of 22-2, 24-2, 25-1, 22-2, 21-2 and 21-2.
In '09, during his first year retired away from the game, VanMatre spoke about his time as a head coach and his time away from the game.
“I was fortunate to spend 28 wonderful years coaching,” VanMatre said. “It is nice to not have all the stress that goes with an entire season anymore. There’s a lot of stress that goes into coaching, and now it is just nice to come home after school and do whatever I want.”
His teams won the South Central Ohio League championship eight times, 16 sectional titles, eight district championships and were regional runner-ups three times.
In '82 and '07, VanMatre was the Associated Press Division II Coach of the Year.
His '07-08 team that was 25-1 overall finished No. 1 ranked by the AP that regular season.
The OHSBCA inducts Ohio High School Basketball Coaches into its Hall of Fame each year. The first year of induction was in 1987, where nine legendary coaches were inducted into the initial class.[[In-content Ad]]