Officials from Central School have officially named Wesley Mathews as the new coach for the school’s boys basketball team, a position previously held by Tony ‘Mac’ McDonald who coached basketball at the school for 34 years. McDonald opted to retire at the end of this year.
Mathews previously served as the assistant coach on the varsity basketball team. In addition to graduating from Central in 1995, Mathews also previously served as the school’s head basketball coach for the Lady Jaguars. From 2005 to 2010, Mathews served an assistant basketball coach for the Milton High School Lady Panthers.
“I am humbled by the opportunity that has been afforded me to follow Coach Mac as the coach here at Central,” Mathews said in a school press release. “I am an alumni of this school and a native of this community. I understand how important Jaguar basketball is to both and I take the responsibility of carrying on the great tradition that has been established here very seriously. I look forward to leading Central into the future and building on the solid foundation lain by Coach Mac.”
Mathews played basketball for McDonald from 1993 to 1995 during his high school tenure at Central.
McDonald’s coaching legacy came to a close on February 6, when the Jaguars lost to district rival Paxton School in a semi-final match in the playoffs. During his tenure as head coach, McDonald won 720 games including five basketball district championship titles.
In an previous interview with the Press Gazette, Mathews said he learned a great deal from McDonald while serving as an assistant coach.
“The biggest thing I have learned from serving under Mac is professionalism and consistency,” Mathews said. “There are countless things that go into making a top-notch, first class program and he is always one step ahead of everyone else in getting those things done.”
In the press release, Mathews looks to continue the winning tradition.
“We have an incredible opportunity in the coming season to not only compete for a district title, but to establish a standard of effort and achievement that will set the tone for the program for years to come,” Mathews said. “With seven returning seniors, we will have not only a talent(ed) group, but one that has a great deal of experience and maturity. If you mix those ingredients with a solid plan and an awful lot of hard work, then I believe you have a recipe for immediate success.”
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Central: Mathews named as new head basketball coach