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WHEELING - Wheeling Central's golf program has been one of the most successful in the Ohio Valley and state of West Virginia.
A big reason for that success is head coach Jim Mortakis. The owner of three state and eight OVAC championships, Mortakis has added another accolade.
Recently the West Virginia Secondary Schools Activities Commission named Mortakis as the 2024 Coach of the Year for golf. By being named, it makes Mortakis a candidate for the national coach of the year award, which will be announced at a later date.
"I had no idea (the coach of the year award) was coming," Mortakis said. "I was definitely surprised and very honored and grateful for the award."
Mortakis has been at the helm of the Maroon Knights program since 2013 and his ascension to the role happened basically by accident.
"Tom Burgoyne was the (Ohio County) sheriff at the time and we ran into each other and he told me, 'we don't have a golf coach (at Central),'" Mortakis recalled. "I knew I loved golf and coaching kids, but I wouldn't guarantee doing it for more than one year."
A planned one-year stay has led to state titles in 2018, 2022 and 2023. The Knights won their only regional title under Mortakis' watch in 2018. They claimed the OVAC title in 2014, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 2021 and 22. The Knights will compete for another OVAC title Thursday at Belmont Hills Country Club in the Class 3A event.
"I've been fortunate," Mortakis said. "The kids have been great to work with and it's really meant a lot to me to be able to affect young kids' lives. I've simply tried to set a good example and show them there is a right way to do things."
Mortakis has coached plenty of players who earned All-State or All-OVAC, but some of his proudest moments stemmed from when he saw players simply improve.
"Some of the kids who we've had come through the program were good, but some started out as mediocre and ended up being good golfers," Mortakis said.