Basketball, like life, often goes in circles. This coming Friday, the circle where current West Virginia University women’s basketball Coach Mike Carey first became known on a statewide basis will see Carey entre back into it.

 

Carey, a Clarksburg native who lived briefly in Bridgeport and currently coaches that nationally ranked West Virginia University Women’s basketball team, will have his high school number retired. The ceremony will take place prior to this Friday’s basketball game between Liberty and Ritchie County inside the Mountaineers’ gymnasium.

 

The game is scheduled to tip at 7:30 p.m.

 

Current Liberty boys’ coach Dave Marshall, who is a teacher at Bridgeport High School, got the ball rolling on the idea. And he had zero resistance once the idea was suggested.

 

“Even before I came back to Liberty to coach, being a graduate of Liberty High School, I kind of felt it was something that was probably overdue,” said Marshall. “I discussed with (assistant coach) Russ (Nutt) and then took it to the administration. They gave me the green light and now, weather-permitting, Coach Carey’s high school jersey will be in the rafters and retired where it belongs.”

 

The Liberty grad is happy to be coming back home to be recognized.

 

"It's a great honor to have my jersey retired at Liberty. I have a lot of fond memories there and in Clarksburg. I am forever grateful for everyone that helped me along the way and it all started at Liberty," said Carey.

 

Carey’s time at Liberty was when he became known as a force on the basketball court. The southpaw played the game with the same fiery disposition that you see on the bench coaching the Mountaineers. After graduating from Liberty in the mid-1970s, he stayed in Harrison County and was a physical force for Salem College for four years as a member of the basketball team.

 

After graduating, Carey began a seven-year run coaching at the high school level. His first stop was at Flemington, where he coached the girls in a school that was ran by the late Robert “Timbuck” Shields. After that, he returned to his high school alma mater.

 

Carey coached the girls program for five years. He then served as an assistant to Jim Cleavenger for two seasons before becoming the head coach in 1986-87. Competing in Class AAA, the Mountaineers came up just short of reaching the state tournament; losing in overtime to Parkersburg in Wood County. However, he earned the Harrison County and Big 10 Coach of the Year honors as a sign of things to come.

 

His next stop was as an assistant coach to Jim Spicer at his college alma mater Salem College. In his one year as an assistant, the team finished 8-19. When he took over the following year, 13 years of success followed – with only one losing season.

 

Incredibly, Carey’s teams got to the postseason on seven occasions (two NAIA and five NCAA Division II). The teams also won five West Virginia Conference (the now-defunct WVIAC) titles (1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, and 1999) and long with three conference tournament championships. Twice, he took the Tigers to the D-2 Elite 8 and once – in 1997 – to the D-2 Final Four. Twice, he had Salem ranked as the number one team in the country. Along the way, he was recognized on more than one occasion as the conference and East Region coach of the year.

 

Just how good was Carey? He finished his career at 288-102, including an astounding 138-20 record in his last five season. He did that while spending the bulk of his time also doubling as the school’s athletic director.

 

The chance former Athletic Director Ed Pastilong took on Carey to head up the women’s program has paid off. Not only is the program consistently ranked in the top 25 and winning seasons are the norm, Carey has become the school’s all-time winningest coach – getting career win 300 earlier this season as he competes in his 15^th year with WVU.

 

“When you look at his success and what he did here at Liberty as a player and a coach and what he’s doing now for the entire state, it just seemed like the obvious thing to do. When you see what he did to a troubled program at WVU that is now among one of the top programs every year it makes it even more obvious,” said Marshall. “His #32 jersey will be framed and put up high; exactly where it should be.”

 

Marshall is hoping for a solid turnout for the game. He said he hopes the Harrison County community will come by to pay tribute to one of its most successful sons. 

 

“It would be great and it would be worthwhile to see a big crowd,” said Marshall. “I’d love for it to be a special time for Mike and his family.”

 

Editor's Note: Photos of Mike Carey by Ben Queen of www.benqueenphotography.com.