June 16, 2025 • 33 mins
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My guest today is Howard Jones—though to me, and many others, he’s best known as Mr. Jones or Coach Jones. He played a significant role in my childhood while I was growing up in the small Kentucky town of Pine Knot. As an educator, Coach impacted countless lives throughout the county. He also served our country with time in the Army and cultivated a thriving garden over the years. And, as you'll hear at the end of this episode, he shares some truly meaningful life advice.
Coach Jones's remarkable journey unfolds in this heartfelt conversation about resilience, mentorship, and the power of community influence. Born in a small Kentucky home where his family saved pennies for soda bottle deposits, Coach Jones transformed his humble beginnings into a lifetime of impact as an educator and coach.
The story follows Coach Jones from his childhood friendship with my Uncle Robert Bartley through his college years at Cumberland and Eastern Kentucky University, revealing how determination overcame financial obstacles at every turn. When he arrived at Pine Knot High School in 1955, he inherited a basketball program that had fallen on hard times—a perfect canvas for his philosophy that "we may not have the talent, but we're going to outwork
Coach Jones served his country in the Army, spending time stationed in Germany, where he also coached the base basketball team. Upon returning to Pine Knot, he put the leadership skills he had honed abroad to work, turning a struggling basketball program into a powerhouse—leading the team to an impressive 27-win season and a berth in the regional tournament.
Beyond the wins and losses, Coach Jones's greatest legacy may be his elementary school basketball program, where he focused on fundamentals without cutting players. His teaching methods—like placing tape on the floor to help young players understand positioning—showcase the creative problem-solving that defined his coaching style.
Throughout the conversation, Coach Jones's humility shines through as he shares wisdom gained over decades: get as much education as possible, take care of your body, and live in a way that makes your children proud. His story reminds us that sometimes the greatest victories happen long after the final buzzer, measured in the lives touched and values instilled rather than points on a scoreboard.
Subscribe, share, and join us next time as we continue exploring the extraordinary stories of ordinary people who've made all the difference in their communities and beyond.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Dan the Road Trip Guy.
I'm your host, Dan, and eachweek we'll embark on a new
adventure, discovering memoriesand life lessons of our
incredible guests.
From everyday travelers tothrill seekers and everyone in
between, this podcast is yourfront row seat to inspiring
stories of passion, resilienceand the pursuit of happiness.
So buckle up and enjoy the ride.
(00:24):
I am excited today to talk withmy guest.
He had a huge influence in mylife from grade school on,
through high school and beyond.
He's the first basketball coachI ever knew in the second or
(00:47):
third fourth grade I don'tremember the exact time, but I
do have a letter he sent out tofamilies introducing basketball
in our small Kentucky town.
He was a physical educationteacher at the high school.
He was the athletic directoralso.
He did a lot at our high school.
It was a small school.
He had a way of encouraging youthat just made you feel good
(01:12):
about yourself.
I really believe you're goingto enjoy my conversation with
him, especially if you grew upin McQuarrie County, Kentucky,
attending Pine Awe High School.
So I'm excited to talk to CoachJones.
Welcome to the show, Coach.
Welcome to the show, CoachJones.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Thank you, sir.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
I'm so glad you're here.
It's been a long time sincewe've connected.
But take me on a journeybecause I don't really know.
I always knew you lived inPinot, but I don't know anything
before that.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
So take us through that okay, let's start out here
that my hometown was corbett,kentucky, and I was born in a
house that's still there, sowhat's to say?
And my parents were blue-collarworkers.
My father was a machinist witha railroad company, worked the
(02:09):
night shift in the evening tillmidnight and then he struggled
the next morning for four orfive hours for anything the
neighbor wanted done.
But everyone in my neighborhoodthere was no money.
Almost Everyone was what Iwould say was poor.
We struggled all the time.
(02:29):
Now, one story I want to giveyou is when I was uh, oh,
approaching teenage, rc potluckcompany williamsburg started
their soda factory and a fellacame through the neighborhood
with a car and we had anintroductory offer on a car that
(02:51):
we could go to the grocery andget six RC bottle sodas free.
But we had to pay two cents onthe bottle, which was 12 cents,
and I remember our family savingmoney to get the 12 cents.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
And my father had just as good a job as anybody in
the neighborhood.
In our neighborhood we all worethe same clothes, ate the same
food, so as to say I wore thesame clothes, ate the same food.
So as to say, as far as thefood, everyone raised a garden.
My family had a cow and a hog.
(03:34):
We killed each year and a lotof the people did so.
That was more or less how I gotstarted Well to school, to a
one-room school for three years,and then they had an opening at
the elementary school with itthat it was in the same building
(03:55):
as the high school and that wasLedgap High and Elementary.
So I transferred to that schoolin the fourth grade and there I
met your uncle, Robert Bartley,who became my best friend.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
Oh my, I did not know that.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Okay and we were in school together, through college
, almost so as to say, and I'llelaborate just a little bit on
that.
Just a little bit on that.
Our school was really similarto Pine Otter's size and
subjects.
We had an elementary and a highschool in the same building
(04:36):
with a shop attached and we hada gymnasium and a football field
and that was pretty much itRight.
I went there and then in acouple of years a fellow moved,
came to stay with hisgrandfather, whose father was
killed in the mines in HarlanCounty, which you know was up
(04:56):
the road, so as to say fromwhere I live.
He became a real good friendand I had another friend we
didn't quite gee as much asthese two.
All four of us were the onlyfour to graduate from college,
get a degree from college.
They had partly taught a while.
(05:19):
So did those guys named fromHarlan County was Clyde Haack.
He graduated at Eastern with adegree in industrial arts and he
taught industrial arts atWestern for a while and they
offered him the head of thedepartment at Bellingham College
(05:39):
in the state of Washington andhe went there and he died about
eight or nine years ago withsome type of cancer problem.
They just hit him and he diedjust in a few hours, and so Mr
Bartley is gone, and then theother fellow is also gone, and
(06:01):
all four of us taught some.
You know, so it's.
I even know that I taught.
Well, my wife did also.
I taught 40 years, and she did,or 40-plus years, just maybe,
and we went from there.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
Yeah, so you went to Cumberland College, right?
Speaker 2 (06:21):
After high school I went to Cumberland College on a
work ship.
Then I worked two hours eachday doing something and my job
at Cumberland was to clean theroom that the president of the
college taught physics in, andman, he had chalk all over the
place.
I had a job I enjoyed that Wentto Cumberland three semesters I
(06:45):
didn't know, you know, moneywas scarce, I didn't know how
long I was going to make it, soas to say, but anyhow it took
just as many hours as it wouldlet me, and I finished the three
semesters over there.
I graduated from CumberlandJunior College and went to
Eastern Kentucky, which is nowEastern Kentucky University, at
(07:07):
midterm and went four semestersthere and finished my degree
Well in college.
Then Bartley went to UnionCollege, my best friend.
I was at Cumberland, and thenext year then that one semester
I was at Cumberland, bartleycame there and we roomed
together and I left at midtermand he came to Eastern, then the
(07:30):
next year there and we roomedthere, I guess about three
semesters at Eastern.
Wow.
But Bartley was certainly he wasvaledictorian of our class.
I always enjoyed him.
I enjoyed math and he was realgood in math and I know the
teacher would make theassignments and give us a few
(07:53):
minutes there to work on ourassignments and I always would
check with Bartlett to see ifour answers were the same,
because he was 100%.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Wow, I didn't know you all went to Eastern also
together.
That's something I didn't know.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Yeah, we were at Eastern together and really at
Eastern then.
I don't remember the why, buthe didn't finish in the four
years, four, eight semesters offour years.
He lacked a few hours and Ifinished and at that time then
(08:31):
we were deferred to go tocollege rather than to go into
service okay well, thisdeferment here then was good for
the school year and I came backto my home high school, which
was Lindgif, and they needed aPE teacher which fit right in
(08:54):
with me with what I wanted to do.
So I taught PE that lastsemester there of my four years
of college and coached thejunior varsity basketball team
and helped with spring football.
Well, at the end of that yearthen I had decided that hey, I
(09:18):
wanted to be the head coach, Iwant to do the head coach.
I felt like the coach that Iworked with and played with and
so forth, played for.
I felt like he had got a littlebit stale, so as to say, and I
wanted to get away.
And he'd been there about 20years and I wasn't about to kick
(09:38):
him out, so as to say, if Icould.
I was taught in college thatwhen you are looking for a job,
look for a hope and don't lookto take somebody else's job.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
That's right.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
So I ended up then looking for a job, going through
Easter's employment service forteachers and so forth, and
found that they had an openingat Pound.
Not Well, I had interviewed fora few other jobs, but I wanted
to sort of stay close to Corbin,so I interviewed for this job
over here and was offered thejob, and to Pine Knot I came.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
Wow, I never knew how you got to Pine Knot, so that's
interesting.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Okay, now my idea in coming to Pine Knot was do as
much for the community as youcan do as good a job as the
administration wanted you to do,teach and plus and just try to
outdo everyone so as to say so.
(10:39):
I inherited a basketballprogram at Pine Island.
I inherited a basketballprogram at Pine Knot.
I'm talking about the seniorhigh school there that had not
won very many games at all inthe last four or five years.
As a matter of fact, the yearbefore I came, the person they
had left and they didn't get areplacement and they had three
(11:07):
men teachers and one of them hadto take the team.
Now can you imagine having totake the team and you didn't
want to coach?
and so on and so forth.
Okay, now there was not muchmoney involved.
You would not believe me when Itell you how much money I made
that first year I taught Becausethere was just no money.
(11:29):
When I interviewed, I found outthat I was in charge of
everything but the school.
I was a varsity coach, I was aJV coach, I was a grade school
coach If I couldn't findsomebody that I wanted to coach
in and I was in charge of thebelieve it or not the
(11:52):
cheerleaders.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Yeah, sure you were.
Do you recall what year thatwas that you came to Pine Knot?
Speaker 2 (11:58):
It was in 1955.
So I have to say that I came toPine Knot.
Then I taught that year, I gotstarted and Uncle Sam was ready
for me and the superintendentbegged and pleaded to let him
finish the year.
It's going to disrupt us and soforth.
(12:19):
That was in the fall even afterwe just started.
So they agreed with him and Ifinished that year and somehow
or another I fell through thethe crack and they didn't send
me an induction notice.
Okay, and the superintendentwanted me to start the next year
.
He said I don't have anybodyand I'll take a change.
(12:41):
So I got started that next yearand he fought with him with his
connections so as to say, andwe was able to get through that
next year.
And then, as soon as that yearwas out, I went into service,
partly about that time then hadgone into service, we were
(13:09):
supposedly in service.
Well, I hit the jackpot inservice.
So it's to say Okay.
The group that I was with, Iwent to Fort Hood for basic and
we were told that we wouldprobably be going to Fort Sam
(13:30):
Houston in Texas to medicalschool.
Well, along the way we weretold that we were in a gyroscope
unit and that gyroscope meansthat we're replacing another
unit.
So I was placed in the 4thArmored Division that replaced
the 2nd Armored Division inGermany.
(13:53):
So instead of going to Fort SamHouston, the Master Sergeant
that was going with us conducteda real fine first aid school.
We got to Germany then, andwhen we got to Germany there was
24 of us in so-called themedical section.
We were medics and we were inreconnaissance, and you know,
(14:17):
reconnaissance is when they sendyou out and you don't come back
.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
Right.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Enemies out there.
Yeah, exactly.
We had 24 of us over there andwe operated just like a little
doctor's office or something.
We had one doctor and twodentists and we took care of
about 1,200 troops.
Another attached unit there wasan artillery they had that had
(14:46):
a bunch of big old like werecalled Honest Johns.
So we took care of that outfitand any dependents that were
there.
Well, we'd been there a coupledays and it was getting settled
in and the sergeant called ustogether and he said as usual,
the Army forgets, forgot to sendanybody to clerical school.
(15:10):
We didn't have anybody to dothe reception work there in the
office and he said you won't,y'all think about it tonight.
And then after Reveille thenI'll call out the ones that are
interested and I'll decide who'sgoing to get first chance at it
.
Well, we went to the supplyroom and lined up and there was
(15:33):
12 or 15 of us and all of us hadcollege degrees or were close.
So it's to say we lined up andthe guy in front said Sergeant,
what do you want me to type?
Well, he said in Army language.
He says I don't give ayou-know-what what you type,
you've got one minute.
(15:53):
And then he said whoever hasthe best gets first chance at it
.
Well, I was about in the centerof the line, so as to say they
were typing and sitting down andso forth, and I ended up at the
back of the line by design.
And when it came my turn, thenoh, I need to tell you that the
(16:17):
first guy that picked up anewspaper and tried to type one
minute from a newspaper, well,the next to the rest of them
just fell in line.
When I got there I didn't sayanything, so I typed now is the
good time to come to the aid ofour country.
I believe we're similar to that.
Sure yeah.
So I rattled that off here fouror five or six times or
(16:39):
something, and he laid aboutthere he said Joe, it's just
first chance.
Well, my buddies here, we wereall buddies at that time.
So you know, we lived together,we lived above the doctor's
office, so as to say, and weknew a lot about each other.
I knew that they'd been ahead.
So I ended up with that.
(17:01):
Well, the master sergeant thatwe had, I found out later, got
his rank in combat.
He didn't have, let me just say, he just didn't have a very
good education.
He didn't understand a lot ofthings that was going on.
He brought me in and talked tome there and said hey, I'm going
(17:22):
to depend on you now to runthis.
Well, we was near Nuremberg,germany, a little town called
Schwalbach.
We was near Nuremberg, Germany,a little town called Schwabe.
He depended on me and theheadquarters of our unit was at
Gopkin, germany, and so theywould call a couple times a
month checking all thisinformation.
(17:43):
The master sergeant, he stayedpretty close there.
He'd come running down the halland he'd say, jones, get on the
phone to Gopkin.
Well, he'd get down the halland he'd say, jones, get on the
phone.
Well, he'd get on the extensionand they'd ask a question and a
sergeant would cover his phoneand I'd tell him that he'd tell
an answer.
I became real good, closefriends with him and he really
(18:06):
took care of me, so as to say, Iended up.
We didn't have a lot of duties,like you know the kitchen
duties, the guard duties, that'snot all.
That's not all, so as to say,we went on a week or so.
The sergeant says the captainwants you to report to him at a
(18:27):
certain time.
Well, I did and I came in andhe said and, talking with these
people, he said I understand youhave some coaching experience.
I told him what I had done andhe said would you be interested
in coaching our team here?
We will have a base team.
I said I don't know, I'm prettybusy right now.
(18:50):
He said we'll take care of thatbusy stuff.
He said I need a coach.
I agreed to do it and he put meon half day duty there at the
dispensary and I was to selectthe team and be in charge of it.
And he made it plain, he made alittle talk to me and then he
(19:11):
had us all together and he saidhey, we're going to sponsor this
team.
As long as you win, we'll keepthe team, otherwise we'll
dispense, and so forth.
Well, that had its advantagestoo.
We had.
What would you call it here?
When they call you out in themorning, an alert?
(19:32):
Alert's the word.
I'm trying to think of.
We had an alert about once amonth about the middle of the
morning and he said hey, I wantyou all practicing basketball
when we have the alert, you allfall out and go to the gym
immediately.
Well, we did that.
Nobody came or anything.
So we took the mats down andwent back to sleep.
(19:54):
But those guys knew that theyhad to produce, so they really
worked at it and I knew who theplayers were because, you know,
we chit-chatted around.
I had six or seven that hadplayed college basketball.
It wasn't as tough a job as itwould seem and they tried to do
(20:17):
what I said.
So as to say, rather than, okay, this reconnaissance did.
We did a lot of training overthere and it was done in the
field.
Well, when it came time for twoweeks training, we were
assigned a guard duty and we hadguards around the chain link
(20:38):
fence at our base.
We was the guards at the placeand then we practiced basketball
.
So that was a luck deal.
So as to say, okay, now herecomes the more good part.
Then in the doctor's office,I'll call it.
Right.
Then the people that left tookall the records and everything.
(20:59):
There are people left, you knowthe 2nd Armored Division was
coming to Fort Hood, texas, sothey took all the records.
Well, I really, you know, hadnever been into anything like
that.
The sergeant says right,there's a bookcase, it's got all
the ARs in it, anything youdon't know.
All you got to do is pick it up.
(21:19):
You're a college graduate, youfigure it out.
Well, and going through the ARsArmy regulations, then I looked
upon the ones that released youfrom service.
They were right there, numbered, and how you qualified.
I found one.
(21:40):
It was AR-205.
I don't remember the firstthree letters of it.
They would release a personunder national health, safety
and interest.
Well, I read that and saw thatI qualified, except that my MOS
(22:00):
was a medic, which was acritical MOS at that time.
Clerical was not.
So I began immediately with asurge.
I said we need to get thatchange.
Yeah, we'll get that change.
Then we did it.
After that I wrote mysuperintendent here and told him
about the possibility and soforth and told him that if we
(22:24):
could get a little politicalhelp, little political help,
that it would be a plus.
We applied and it went throughso as to say and I remember the
first that I heard about it wasI got a letter from both
Congress and the Senator on thesame day and said that I will be
(22:47):
released within two weeks toreturn to my former job.
Speaker 1 (22:54):
Now, how long were you in the Army?
Speaker 2 (22:57):
I was in the Army 13 months and 17 days and about
half of that was spent inGermany.
I did basic training, advancedbasic.
We had leave after the secondtraining to Germany.
We went, and it was a fine jobwith me.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
I floated to it so as to say yeah, Well, you know we
thank you for your service and Ialways knew you were in the
Army.
I just never knew the story.
So I really appreciate yousharing that.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
Well, after that I came back and started, you know
back where I left off, and thatsecond year that I was here I
started the program here, almostlike you start from new.
I figured out what was going tobe my weak points and tried to.
You know, hit those real hard.
So, as far as the team wasconcerned, one that I worried so
(23:56):
much about it, and that myprincipal made it plain that she
did not want to be called anynicknames, I was going to be
called Mr, just like everybodyelse was.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
Right.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
Because Mr Williams that had coached here previously
, he, they called him joe andshe didn't like it.
So I had told him this and youmight remember this little
speech that I made to you all.
I made it to everyone, uh, inmy classes I told him who I was.
I told him what my name was.
If you don't know, my nicknameis cotton.
(24:29):
I said administration requiresthat and that I have me called
mister.
I said now, when you getthrough school, you graduate.
You see me on the streetanywhere.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
I said I have no problems with you calling me
caught and I never had anytrouble with well, I, I, I'm not
sure, of course, you werealways coach jones to me or mr
jones, because that's the way Igrew up, but, uh, I never knew
how you got that nickname.
Are you willing to share that?
Speaker 2 (24:58):
okay, the nickname was is by her, was always just
as white as a sheet of paper andmy parents said, started
calling me cotton before I wentto school and, as a matter of
fact, my wife calls me Cotton.
I've always just called meCotton and I doubt that a few of
my neighbors even know my namenow.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
Yeah, I think I still have a hard time calling you
that, so you're still CoachJones or Mr Jones to me.
But yeah, that's good.
So you coached after you cameback you coached high school
basketball.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
See, I coached high school basketball two years
before I went into service.
That second year then I tookthe hard line at it.
We may not have the talent, butwe're going to outwork
everybody.
I started summer practiceSaturday practice, sunday
afternoon practice and thatfirst year we won five ballgames
and was probably lucky to winthat because some of my older
(26:02):
seniors and so forth they left.
They didn't stay, and so thatsecond year then we won 20 ball
games and they hadn't seen thatmany wins in forever and so
instead of being able to shootbirds if they were people in the
bleachers, nobody came.
My first half year I was here,so as to say and we started
(26:25):
picking up and then that secondyear we started filling her up
and really I don't know whathappened or how, but my first
game that I played mccurry, myfirst year here, we won it and
then we had to be deaf in a longtime, you know so it's the same
yeah, exactly now.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
Did you coach?
Uh, did you coach high schoolafter you came back from the
army?
Speaker 2 (26:47):
yes, yes, yes.
I came back there and picked upthe US Service.
They won four ballgames.
They slid right back that nextyear.
I didn't start over, but it wasgoing back, but we won 16
ballgames.
We won 16 ballgames the nextyear.
(27:09):
Then we won 25 ballgames andlost six.
And then the next year we won27 ballgames and lost seven and
went to the regional tournamentoh wow.
Yeah, that was a big deal, soas to say we had 14 or 15 teams.
(27:42):
You know from Russell County,wayne County.
Oh wow, ray Mills, who was avarsity player at the University
of Kentucky.
Speaker 1 (27:50):
Yeah, and now?
When did you stop coaching highschool basketball?
Speaker 2 (27:55):
After 1962, then.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
Then I had gotten married and was trying to figure
out, you know, financially.
My wife was teaching andtogether we wasn't making much
money.
I was going to tell you thatfirst year, for all those things
that I sponsored, I got 2400dollars.
Okay, and my wife didn't getthat much because she hadn't
finished her degree wow so, youknow, there was just not much to
(28:31):
go out.
Well, uh, I had started afamily there.
You know, robert was born in 61,I guess you probably you were
two I was yes I had to sort oftry to figure things out, and I
figured out that that I couldmake more money by getting
groceries at earl anderson's,that I could coach you, but I
didn't do that.
Then I started doing thingsthat not necessarily working for
(28:56):
other people, but working formyself that would benefit me
While I was in service.
Then they completed the frontwing at the Pine Island
Elementary School and moved tothe first sixth grade.
Out there they had 58, and sothey went along there until the
(29:21):
mid-60s and they didn't have abasketball team.
We had a seventh and eighthgrade team at our school but
they didn't have one.
And I looked at Robert and sortof tried to, you know, look
down the road and the type kidhe was and what he liked and so
forth, and I thought, well, Ican at least try to help my kids
(29:44):
, so as to say, and then, behelping some other people
absolutelyand so I got with the elementary
preschool, which was DenzelKing, and he was great, he was
all for it.
Y'all were in the second gradethen and I took the third grade
also.
(30:04):
To have enough, I took the onesthat wanted to come out for
basketball and didn't cut anyoneIf anyone wanted to quit.
You know they quit.
But I had a rule, like I did inhigh school, and I'll tell you
about that maybe, if I canremember, in a second.
And we started there.
Okay, what I tried to do is toteach the fundamentals.
(30:27):
You know how to dribble a ballwithout batting it like a paddle
, but to shove it down, you know, and it'll come back up and so
forth.
And then, after a few sessionsof that, then I divided the team
, the boys, into two teams andMr Merton Wilson, which was
(30:48):
Merton Lynn Wilson's father,agreed to coach one team and I
coached the other referee and wetried to start with there.
And I can remember the firsttime that we went out there new
experience for me that it wasjust like a bunch of hounds
chasing a fox.
Everybody was after the ball.
(31:09):
You know, I didn't hardly knowwhat to do, but we got through
that day.
And so for the next time thatwe did it, I put tape on the
floor and said when your teamgets the ball, you run right
there and if you're guardingthat man you go to, you go with
him and you guard him down there.
And that way it separated thema little while and we sort of
(31:31):
got started.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
Hey, well, this has been fun, coach.
I could talk to you probablyall night.
You've been around a bit.
Is there anything you wouldtell people on how to live a
good life?
Besides, don't take a vacation.
What would you tell some youngperson?
Speaker 2 (31:52):
well, not taking a vacation might be all right if
you handle it mentally, and itdidn't bother me mentally at all
.
Well, if I was talking to ayounger person, I'd certainly
tell them to uh, when you'regoing to school, get as much out
of it as you can, get as mucheducation as you can, so as to
(32:13):
say and be sure that you takecare of your body.
That would be the big thingsthat I would say, and certainly
I would want you to be a personthat your children were proud of
.
Speaker 1 (32:29):
I know your kids are proud of you and probably
everybody that had you in schoolhas great memories of their
time with you.
Thank you for tuning in to Danthe Road Trip Guy.
I hope you enjoyed our journeytoday and the stories that were
shared.
If you have any thoughts orquestions or stories of your own
, I'd love to hear from you.
Feel free to reach out to meanytime.
(32:50):
Don't forget to share thispodcast with your friends and
family and help us to spread thejoy of road trips and great
conversations.
Until next time, keep driving,keep exploring and keep having
those amazing conversations.
Safe travels and remember youcan find me on the internet at
dantheroadtripguycom.
Welcome to Dan the Road Trip Guy.
I'm your host, Dan, and eachweek we'll embark on a new
adventure, discovering memoriesand life lessons of our
incredible guests.
From everyday travelers tothrill seekers and everyone in
between, this podcast is yourfront row seat to inspiring
stories of passion, resilienceand the pursuit of happiness.
So buckle up and enjoy the ride.
(00:24):
I am excited today to talk withmy guest.
He had a huge influence in mylife from grade school on,
through high school and beyond.
He's the first basketball coachI ever knew in the second or
(00:47):
third fourth grade I don'tremember the exact time, but I
do have a letter he sent out tofamilies introducing basketball
in our small Kentucky town.
He was a physical educationteacher at the high school.
He was the athletic directoralso.
He did a lot at our high school.
It was a small school.
He had a way of encouraging youthat just made you feel good
(01:12):
about yourself.
I really believe you're goingto enjoy my conversation with
him, especially if you grew upin McQuarrie County, Kentucky,
attending Pine Awe High School.
So I'm excited to talk to CoachJones.
Welcome to the show, Coach.
Welcome to the show, CoachJones.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Thank you, sir.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
I'm so glad you're here.
It's been a long time sincewe've connected.
But take me on a journeybecause I don't really know.
I always knew you lived inPinot, but I don't know anything
before that.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
So take us through that okay, let's start out here
that my hometown was corbett,kentucky, and I was born in a
house that's still there, sowhat's to say?
And my parents were blue-collarworkers.
My father was a machinist witha railroad company, worked the
(02:09):
night shift in the evening tillmidnight and then he struggled
the next morning for four orfive hours for anything the
neighbor wanted done.
But everyone in my neighborhoodthere was no money.
Almost Everyone was what Iwould say was poor.
We struggled all the time.
(02:29):
Now, one story I want to giveyou is when I was uh, oh,
approaching teenage, rc potluckcompany williamsburg started
their soda factory and a fellacame through the neighborhood
with a car and we had anintroductory offer on a car that
(02:51):
we could go to the grocery andget six RC bottle sodas free.
But we had to pay two cents onthe bottle, which was 12 cents,
and I remember our family savingmoney to get the 12 cents.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
And my father had just as good a job as anybody in
the neighborhood.
In our neighborhood we all worethe same clothes, ate the same
food, so as to say I wore thesame clothes, ate the same food.
So as to say, as far as thefood, everyone raised a garden.
My family had a cow and a hog.
(03:34):
We killed each year and a lotof the people did so.
That was more or less how I gotstarted Well to school, to a
one-room school for three years,and then they had an opening at
the elementary school with itthat it was in the same building
(03:55):
as the high school and that wasLedgap High and Elementary.
So I transferred to that schoolin the fourth grade and there I
met your uncle, Robert Bartley,who became my best friend.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
Oh my, I did not know that.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Okay and we were in school together, through college
, almost so as to say, and I'llelaborate just a little bit on
that.
Just a little bit on that.
Our school was really similarto Pine Otter's size and
subjects.
We had an elementary and a highschool in the same building
(04:36):
with a shop attached and we hada gymnasium and a football field
and that was pretty much itRight.
I went there and then in acouple of years a fellow moved,
came to stay with hisgrandfather, whose father was
killed in the mines in HarlanCounty, which you know was up
(04:56):
the road, so as to say fromwhere I live.
He became a real good friendand I had another friend we
didn't quite gee as much asthese two.
All four of us were the onlyfour to graduate from college,
get a degree from college.
They had partly taught a while.
(05:19):
So did those guys named fromHarlan County was Clyde Haack.
He graduated at Eastern with adegree in industrial arts and he
taught industrial arts atWestern for a while and they
offered him the head of thedepartment at Bellingham College
(05:39):
in the state of Washington andhe went there and he died about
eight or nine years ago withsome type of cancer problem.
They just hit him and he diedjust in a few hours, and so Mr
Bartley is gone, and then theother fellow is also gone, and
(06:01):
all four of us taught some.
You know, so it's.
I even know that I taught.
Well, my wife did also.
I taught 40 years, and she did,or 40-plus years, just maybe,
and we went from there.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
Yeah, so you went to Cumberland College, right?
Speaker 2 (06:21):
After high school I went to Cumberland College on a
work ship.
Then I worked two hours eachday doing something and my job
at Cumberland was to clean theroom that the president of the
college taught physics in, andman, he had chalk all over the
place.
I had a job I enjoyed that Wentto Cumberland three semesters I
(06:45):
didn't know, you know, moneywas scarce, I didn't know how
long I was going to make it, soas to say, but anyhow it took
just as many hours as it wouldlet me, and I finished the three
semesters over there.
I graduated from CumberlandJunior College and went to
Eastern Kentucky, which is nowEastern Kentucky University, at
(07:07):
midterm and went four semestersthere and finished my degree
Well in college.
Then Bartley went to UnionCollege, my best friend.
I was at Cumberland, and thenext year then that one semester
I was at Cumberland, bartleycame there and we roomed
together and I left at midtermand he came to Eastern, then the
(07:30):
next year there and we roomedthere, I guess about three
semesters at Eastern.
Wow.
But Bartley was certainly he wasvaledictorian of our class.
I always enjoyed him.
I enjoyed math and he was realgood in math and I know the
teacher would make theassignments and give us a few
(07:53):
minutes there to work on ourassignments and I always would
check with Bartlett to see ifour answers were the same,
because he was 100%.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Wow, I didn't know you all went to Eastern also
together.
That's something I didn't know.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Yeah, we were at Eastern together and really at
Eastern then.
I don't remember the why, buthe didn't finish in the four
years, four, eight semesters offour years.
He lacked a few hours and Ifinished and at that time then
(08:31):
we were deferred to go tocollege rather than to go into
service okay well, thisdeferment here then was good for
the school year and I came backto my home high school, which
was Lindgif, and they needed aPE teacher which fit right in
(08:54):
with me with what I wanted to do.
So I taught PE that lastsemester there of my four years
of college and coached thejunior varsity basketball team
and helped with spring football.
Well, at the end of that yearthen I had decided that hey, I
(09:18):
wanted to be the head coach, Iwant to do the head coach.
I felt like the coach that Iworked with and played with and
so forth, played for.
I felt like he had got a littlebit stale, so as to say, and I
wanted to get away.
And he'd been there about 20years and I wasn't about to kick
(09:38):
him out, so as to say, if Icould.
I was taught in college thatwhen you are looking for a job,
look for a hope and don't lookto take somebody else's job.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
That's right.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
So I ended up then looking for a job, going through
Easter's employment service forteachers and so forth, and
found that they had an openingat Pound.
Not Well, I had interviewed fora few other jobs, but I wanted
to sort of stay close to Corbin,so I interviewed for this job
over here and was offered thejob, and to Pine Knot I came.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
Wow, I never knew how you got to Pine Knot, so that's
interesting.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Okay, now my idea in coming to Pine Knot was do as
much for the community as youcan do as good a job as the
administration wanted you to do,teach and plus and just try to
outdo everyone so as to say so.
(10:39):
I inherited a basketballprogram at Pine Island.
I inherited a basketballprogram at Pine Knot.
I'm talking about the seniorhigh school there that had not
won very many games at all inthe last four or five years.
As a matter of fact, the yearbefore I came, the person they
had left and they didn't get areplacement and they had three
(11:07):
men teachers and one of them hadto take the team.
Now can you imagine having totake the team and you didn't
want to coach?
and so on and so forth.
Okay, now there was not muchmoney involved.
You would not believe me when Itell you how much money I made
that first year I taught Becausethere was just no money.
(11:29):
When I interviewed, I found outthat I was in charge of
everything but the school.
I was a varsity coach, I was aJV coach, I was a grade school
coach If I couldn't findsomebody that I wanted to coach
in and I was in charge of thebelieve it or not the
(11:52):
cheerleaders.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Yeah, sure you were.
Do you recall what year thatwas that you came to Pine Knot?
Speaker 2 (11:58):
It was in 1955.
So I have to say that I came toPine Knot.
Then I taught that year, I gotstarted and Uncle Sam was ready
for me and the superintendentbegged and pleaded to let him
finish the year.
It's going to disrupt us and soforth.
(12:19):
That was in the fall even afterwe just started.
So they agreed with him and Ifinished that year and somehow
or another I fell through thethe crack and they didn't send
me an induction notice.
Okay, and the superintendentwanted me to start the next year
.
He said I don't have anybodyand I'll take a change.
(12:41):
So I got started that next yearand he fought with him with his
connections so as to say, andwe was able to get through that
next year.
And then, as soon as that yearwas out, I went into service,
partly about that time then hadgone into service, we were
(13:09):
supposedly in service.
Well, I hit the jackpot inservice.
So it's to say Okay.
The group that I was with, Iwent to Fort Hood for basic and
we were told that we wouldprobably be going to Fort Sam
(13:30):
Houston in Texas to medicalschool.
Well, along the way we weretold that we were in a gyroscope
unit and that gyroscope meansthat we're replacing another
unit.
So I was placed in the 4thArmored Division that replaced
the 2nd Armored Division inGermany.
(13:53):
So instead of going to Fort SamHouston, the Master Sergeant
that was going with us conducteda real fine first aid school.
We got to Germany then, andwhen we got to Germany there was
24 of us in so-called themedical section.
We were medics and we were inreconnaissance, and you know,
(14:17):
reconnaissance is when they sendyou out and you don't come back
.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
Right.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Enemies out there.
Yeah, exactly.
We had 24 of us over there andwe operated just like a little
doctor's office or something.
We had one doctor and twodentists and we took care of
about 1,200 troops.
Another attached unit there wasan artillery they had that had
(14:46):
a bunch of big old like werecalled Honest Johns.
So we took care of that outfitand any dependents that were
there.
Well, we'd been there a coupledays and it was getting settled
in and the sergeant called ustogether and he said as usual,
the Army forgets, forgot to sendanybody to clerical school.
(15:10):
We didn't have anybody to dothe reception work there in the
office and he said you won't,y'all think about it tonight.
And then after Reveille thenI'll call out the ones that are
interested and I'll decide who'sgoing to get first chance at it
.
Well, we went to the supplyroom and lined up and there was
(15:33):
12 or 15 of us and all of us hadcollege degrees or were close.
So it's to say we lined up andthe guy in front said Sergeant,
what do you want me to type?
Well, he said in Army language.
He says I don't give ayou-know-what what you type,
you've got one minute.
(15:53):
And then he said whoever hasthe best gets first chance at it
.
Well, I was about in the centerof the line, so as to say they
were typing and sitting down andso forth, and I ended up at the
back of the line by design.
And when it came my turn, thenoh, I need to tell you that the
(16:17):
first guy that picked up anewspaper and tried to type one
minute from a newspaper, well,the next to the rest of them
just fell in line.
When I got there I didn't sayanything, so I typed now is the
good time to come to the aid ofour country.
I believe we're similar to that.
Sure yeah.
So I rattled that off here fouror five or six times or
(16:39):
something, and he laid aboutthere he said Joe, it's just
first chance.
Well, my buddies here, we wereall buddies at that time.
So you know, we lived together,we lived above the doctor's
office, so as to say, and weknew a lot about each other.
I knew that they'd been ahead.
So I ended up with that.
(17:01):
Well, the master sergeant thatwe had, I found out later, got
his rank in combat.
He didn't have, let me just say, he just didn't have a very
good education.
He didn't understand a lot ofthings that was going on.
He brought me in and talked tome there and said hey, I'm going
(17:22):
to depend on you now to runthis.
Well, we was near Nuremberg,germany, a little town called
Schwalbach.
We was near Nuremberg, Germany,a little town called Schwabe.
He depended on me and theheadquarters of our unit was at
Gopkin, germany, and so theywould call a couple times a
month checking all thisinformation.
(17:43):
The master sergeant, he stayedpretty close there.
He'd come running down the halland he'd say, jones, get on the
phone to Gopkin.
Well, he'd get down the halland he'd say, jones, get on the
phone.
Well, he'd get on the extensionand they'd ask a question and a
sergeant would cover his phoneand I'd tell him that he'd tell
an answer.
I became real good, closefriends with him and he really
(18:06):
took care of me, so as to say, Iended up.
We didn't have a lot of duties,like you know the kitchen
duties, the guard duties, that'snot all.
That's not all, so as to say,we went on a week or so.
The sergeant says the captainwants you to report to him at a
(18:27):
certain time.
Well, I did and I came in andhe said and, talking with these
people, he said I understand youhave some coaching experience.
I told him what I had done andhe said would you be interested
in coaching our team here?
We will have a base team.
I said I don't know, I'm prettybusy right now.
(18:50):
He said we'll take care of thatbusy stuff.
He said I need a coach.
I agreed to do it and he put meon half day duty there at the
dispensary and I was to selectthe team and be in charge of it.
And he made it plain, he made alittle talk to me and then he
(19:11):
had us all together and he saidhey, we're going to sponsor this
team.
As long as you win, we'll keepthe team, otherwise we'll
dispense, and so forth.
Well, that had its advantagestoo.
We had.
What would you call it here?
When they call you out in themorning, an alert?
(19:32):
Alert's the word.
I'm trying to think of.
We had an alert about once amonth about the middle of the
morning and he said hey, I wantyou all practicing basketball
when we have the alert, you allfall out and go to the gym
immediately.
Well, we did that.
Nobody came or anything.
So we took the mats down andwent back to sleep.
(19:54):
But those guys knew that theyhad to produce, so they really
worked at it and I knew who theplayers were because, you know,
we chit-chatted around.
I had six or seven that hadplayed college basketball.
It wasn't as tough a job as itwould seem and they tried to do
(20:17):
what I said.
So as to say, rather than, okay, this reconnaissance did.
We did a lot of training overthere and it was done in the
field.
Well, when it came time for twoweeks training, we were
assigned a guard duty and we hadguards around the chain link
(20:38):
fence at our base.
We was the guards at the placeand then we practiced basketball
.
So that was a luck deal.
So as to say, okay, now herecomes the more good part.
Then in the doctor's office,I'll call it.
Right.
Then the people that left tookall the records and everything.
(20:59):
There are people left, you knowthe 2nd Armored Division was
coming to Fort Hood, texas, sothey took all the records.
Well, I really, you know, hadnever been into anything like
that.
The sergeant says right,there's a bookcase, it's got all
the ARs in it, anything youdon't know.
All you got to do is pick it up.
(21:19):
You're a college graduate, youfigure it out.
Well, and going through the ARsArmy regulations, then I looked
upon the ones that released youfrom service.
They were right there, numbered, and how you qualified.
I found one.
(21:40):
It was AR-205.
I don't remember the firstthree letters of it.
They would release a personunder national health, safety
and interest.
Well, I read that and saw thatI qualified, except that my MOS
(22:00):
was a medic, which was acritical MOS at that time.
Clerical was not.
So I began immediately with asurge.
I said we need to get thatchange.
Yeah, we'll get that change.
Then we did it.
After that I wrote mysuperintendent here and told him
about the possibility and soforth and told him that if we
(22:24):
could get a little politicalhelp, little political help,
that it would be a plus.
We applied and it went throughso as to say and I remember the
first that I heard about it wasI got a letter from both
Congress and the Senator on thesame day and said that I will be
(22:47):
released within two weeks toreturn to my former job.
Speaker 1 (22:54):
Now, how long were you in the Army?
Speaker 2 (22:57):
I was in the Army 13 months and 17 days and about
half of that was spent inGermany.
I did basic training, advancedbasic.
We had leave after the secondtraining to Germany.
We went, and it was a fine jobwith me.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
I floated to it so as to say yeah, Well, you know we
thank you for your service and Ialways knew you were in the
Army.
I just never knew the story.
So I really appreciate yousharing that.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
Well, after that I came back and started, you know
back where I left off, and thatsecond year that I was here I
started the program here, almostlike you start from new.
I figured out what was going tobe my weak points and tried to.
You know, hit those real hard.
So, as far as the team wasconcerned, one that I worried so
(23:56):
much about it, and that myprincipal made it plain that she
did not want to be called anynicknames, I was going to be
called Mr, just like everybodyelse was.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
Right.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
Because Mr Williams that had coached here previously
, he, they called him joe andshe didn't like it.
So I had told him this and youmight remember this little
speech that I made to you all.
I made it to everyone, uh, inmy classes I told him who I was.
I told him what my name was.
If you don't know, my nicknameis cotton.
(24:29):
I said administration requiresthat and that I have me called
mister.
I said now, when you getthrough school, you graduate.
You see me on the streetanywhere.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
I said I have no problems with you calling me
caught and I never had anytrouble with well, I, I, I'm not
sure, of course, you werealways coach jones to me or mr
jones, because that's the way Igrew up, but, uh, I never knew
how you got that nickname.
Are you willing to share that?
Speaker 2 (24:58):
okay, the nickname was is by her, was always just
as white as a sheet of paper andmy parents said, started
calling me cotton before I wentto school and, as a matter of
fact, my wife calls me Cotton.
I've always just called meCotton and I doubt that a few of
my neighbors even know my namenow.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
Yeah, I think I still have a hard time calling you
that, so you're still CoachJones or Mr Jones to me.
But yeah, that's good.
So you coached after you cameback you coached high school
basketball.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
See, I coached high school basketball two years
before I went into service.
That second year then I tookthe hard line at it.
We may not have the talent, butwe're going to outwork
everybody.
I started summer practiceSaturday practice, sunday
afternoon practice and thatfirst year we won five ballgames
and was probably lucky to winthat because some of my older
(26:02):
seniors and so forth they left.
They didn't stay, and so thatsecond year then we won 20 ball
games and they hadn't seen thatmany wins in forever and so
instead of being able to shootbirds if they were people in the
bleachers, nobody came.
My first half year I was here,so as to say and we started
(26:25):
picking up and then that secondyear we started filling her up
and really I don't know whathappened or how, but my first
game that I played mccurry, myfirst year here, we won it and
then we had to be deaf in a longtime, you know so it's the same
yeah, exactly now.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
Did you coach?
Uh, did you coach high schoolafter you came back from the
army?
Speaker 2 (26:47):
yes, yes, yes.
I came back there and picked upthe US Service.
They won four ballgames.
They slid right back that nextyear.
I didn't start over, but it wasgoing back, but we won 16
ballgames.
We won 16 ballgames the nextyear.
(27:09):
Then we won 25 ballgames andlost six.
And then the next year we won27 ballgames and lost seven and
went to the regional tournamentoh wow.
Yeah, that was a big deal, soas to say we had 14 or 15 teams.
(27:42):
You know from Russell County,wayne County.
Oh wow, ray Mills, who was avarsity player at the University
of Kentucky.
Speaker 1 (27:50):
Yeah, and now?
When did you stop coaching highschool basketball?
Speaker 2 (27:55):
After 1962, then.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
Then I had gotten married and was trying to figure
out, you know, financially.
My wife was teaching andtogether we wasn't making much
money.
I was going to tell you thatfirst year, for all those things
that I sponsored, I got 2400dollars.
Okay, and my wife didn't getthat much because she hadn't
finished her degree wow so, youknow, there was just not much to
(28:31):
go out.
Well, uh, I had started afamily there.
You know, robert was born in 61,I guess you probably you were
two I was yes I had to sort oftry to figure things out, and I
figured out that that I couldmake more money by getting
groceries at earl anderson's,that I could coach you, but I
didn't do that.
Then I started doing thingsthat not necessarily working for
(28:56):
other people, but working formyself that would benefit me
While I was in service.
Then they completed the frontwing at the Pine Island
Elementary School and moved tothe first sixth grade.
Out there they had 58, and sothey went along there until the
(29:21):
mid-60s and they didn't have abasketball team.
We had a seventh and eighthgrade team at our school but
they didn't have one.
And I looked at Robert and sortof tried to, you know, look
down the road and the type kidhe was and what he liked and so
forth, and I thought, well, Ican at least try to help my kids
(29:44):
, so as to say, and then, behelping some other people
absolutelyand so I got with the elementary
preschool, which was DenzelKing, and he was great, he was
all for it.
Y'all were in the second gradethen and I took the third grade
also.
(30:04):
To have enough, I took the onesthat wanted to come out for
basketball and didn't cut anyoneIf anyone wanted to quit.
You know they quit.
But I had a rule, like I did inhigh school, and I'll tell you
about that maybe, if I canremember, in a second.
And we started there.
Okay, what I tried to do is toteach the fundamentals.
(30:27):
You know how to dribble a ballwithout batting it like a paddle
, but to shove it down, you know, and it'll come back up and so
forth.
And then, after a few sessionsof that, then I divided the team
, the boys, into two teams andMr Merton Wilson, which was
(30:48):
Merton Lynn Wilson's father,agreed to coach one team and I
coached the other referee and wetried to start with there.
And I can remember the firsttime that we went out there new
experience for me that it wasjust like a bunch of hounds
chasing a fox.
Everybody was after the ball.
(31:09):
You know, I didn't hardly knowwhat to do, but we got through
that day.
And so for the next time thatwe did it, I put tape on the
floor and said when your teamgets the ball, you run right
there and if you're guardingthat man you go to, you go with
him and you guard him down there.
And that way it separated thema little while and we sort of
(31:31):
got started.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
Hey, well, this has been fun, coach.
I could talk to you probablyall night.
You've been around a bit.
Is there anything you wouldtell people on how to live a
good life?
Besides, don't take a vacation.
What would you tell some youngperson?
Speaker 2 (31:52):
well, not taking a vacation might be all right if
you handle it mentally, and itdidn't bother me mentally at all
.
Well, if I was talking to ayounger person, I'd certainly
tell them to uh, when you'regoing to school, get as much out
of it as you can, get as mucheducation as you can, so as to
(32:13):
say and be sure that you takecare of your body.
That would be the big thingsthat I would say, and certainly
I would want you to be a personthat your children were proud of
.
Speaker 1 (32:29):
I know your kids are proud of you and probably
everybody that had you in schoolhas great memories of their
time with you.
Thank you for tuning in to Danthe Road Trip Guy.
I hope you enjoyed our journeytoday and the stories that were
shared.
If you have any thoughts orquestions or stories of your own
, I'd love to hear from you.
Feel free to reach out to meanytime.
(32:50):
Don't forget to share thispodcast with your friends and
family and help us to spread thejoy of road trips and great
conversations.
Until next time, keep driving,keep exploring and keep having
those amazing conversations.
Safe travels and remember youcan find me on the internet at
dantheroadtripguycom.
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