High School Basketball: Sitting down with new Unioto boys' head coach Matt Combs

CHILLICOTHE − There's a new face at the head of Unioto boys basketball.

Earlier this month, Matt Combs was tabbed as the newest head coach for the Shermans. He replaces former coach Matt Hoops, who stepped down at the beginning of May after a 17-year stint at the helm.

Safe to say, Combs is no stranger to the court. He headed Vinton County's boys team from 1999-2022, during which he helped the Vikings to 12 Tri-Valley Conference-Ohio titles and three district championships. He was named the AP State Division II Co-Coach of the Year for the 2016-17 season, during which he coached Vinton County to a 27-3 record and its first regional finals appearance in program history.

That's not to mention his star-studded playing career at Unioto. Combs is the program's all-time leading scorer with 1,726 points, and he played a role in the Shermans' appearance in the state finals for the 1990-91 season. Now, Combs steps up to lead a program fresh off an 18-6 season and a Scioto Valley Conference title in tow.

The Gazette spoke with Combs about his time away from coaching, reflecting on his career at Vinton County and returning to the court for Unioto, among other things.

Gazette: You were the coach at Vinton County for from '99 to '22. You took a two-year break, and now you're right back in the saddle. How's it feel to be back in a coaching position?

Combs: It's exciting. When I stepped away from coaching a couple years ago to come to Unioto as an administrator, I really wasn't 100% sure what the future held for me as a coach. I wasn't sure if I really missed it at all, or if I'd be happy to be away from it. I'd coached every single winter since I was 20 years old in one form, fashion or another, so I think getting away from it was good for me, but I did miss it. I missed most of the relationships with the players and just being in there every day. I knew pretty quickly that if an opportunity ever arose for me to get back into it, I'd probably do that.

Gazette: Was there something you took away from those two years stepping back into more of an administrative role? What was that two-year window like for you?

Combs: It was good because it was totally different from what I'd been used to my entire adult life. I think what it caused me to do was reevaluate several things. Some X-and-O basketball stuff that, as I watched games as a general observer, I thought if I ever get back into coaching, I'm going to do a little bit differently than I used to. But also more importantly, it showed me the importance of some balance. The time with my family while I wasn't coaching was valuable, and I want to make sure that I don't just forfeit that as I get back into coaching. Sometimes it's easy to really be a workaholic and not put first things first. That was valuable, for me to be able to step back and evaluate like, 'If I ever do get back into coaching again, how do I want to handle this?'

Gazette: What's it like coming back to your alma mater?

Combs: It's definitely a full circle moment, and it's been pretty cool for me. I played here and was an assistant coach here under Ron Lovely, who coached me in high school, so I was an assistant coach when I was really young. To be able to come back here 25 or so years later after I was coaching here and 30 years or more after I played here is definitely going to be pretty cool. When I step on that court for the first time it's going to be a different feeling for sure, and I look forward to that.

Gazette: Was there something about being an assistant coach there under Coach Lovely and being a player there that has kind of stuck with you all through the years?

Combs: Playing here, I was fortunate to be a part of a really special team that went to the state finals. With that, you really have this deep team chemistry and a lot of all those guys are still friends today. We still keep in touch, and I still keep in touch with Coach Lovely. And then Coach Hoops really took that tradition and continued it, because he played here just a couple years after I did. It's really just continuing that tradition of a love for Unioto, a love for our sports programs here and our kids.

Gazette: Unioto's coming off a really strong year with an SVC title and a lot of young guys coming up that have a lot of talent. It's still early, but what do you feel like is the kind of the main key to continuing that success Unioto has had?

Combs: A lot of what has been going on here has been good. It's not my job to come in here and make a million changes, because it's not that type of situation. Coach Hoops has had a ton of success. Fortunately, I think he and I see basketball very similarly. We played in the same program, we've kind of come up through the coaching ranks together and we've bounced ideas off each other. A lot of what he did, and a lot of what I do will be similar in the sense of how practice is run, so I don't think the kids will have super major adjustments to make to that. The transition is the most important thing. We have to have a smooth transition this first year because of the timing of how everything went down. These kids haven't had a lot of time to adjust to this. They've got to get used to me, I've got to get used to them. The summer is going to be important in developing those relationships so that by the time we get to November, we feel a lot more comfortable with each other.

Gazette: What do you believe was the big takeaway from your time at Vinton County that you can carry into coaching at Unioto?

Combs: I've always felt like coaching, and leadership in general, is about relationships, and that's something I pride myself in. I want players to enjoy being in our program. I want them to have fun. That doesn't mean every day is a picnic, but I'm saying I want guys overall to have a great experience. I pride myself on having a relationship with players and other coaches that are positive. That's the number one thing, the culture of your team has to be right, otherwise no matter how smart you are or what you do, none of that'll work.

Gazette: Is there anything else you're looking forward to next season, either from a coaching standpoint or just from your own personal standpoint?

Combs: I'm looking forward to getting back into the day-to-day operations of a program. As a coach, I've always enjoyed practices and the stuff that you do on a day-to-day basis way more than even the games. I enjoy just being around the players, watching them grow not just as a basketball player but as people and all that. Those are the things that I've missed and those are the things I'm most looking forward to being involved in again.

This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: High School Basketball: Q&A with new Unioto boys' coach Matt Combs