LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- He's coached state champions in tennis, but Rick Cotton said some of his fondest memories come from teaching kids who didn't play all year round. They've all kept him coming back for 50 years of coaching the game.
Cotton began coaching right out of college, starting the boys program at Central High School in 1974 without much talent with which to work.
"Four boys from the ROTC ping pong team said 'Oh, we can play ping pong, we sure can play tennis,'" he said about that first team.
When asked if that turned out to be true, Cotton said, "Learning curve, learning curve."
After 12 years there, 11 coaching the boys and girls teams, he went to Eastern High School and coached both teams until just a couple of years ago.
"I built the program and I always said I wanted to give it up but I never could find somebody to take over," he said.
Tim McCollum took over the boys program and then talked Cotton into staying on with the girls program. So the last three years or so have been his "last years."
"I told my wife the other day, you know this is my last year," said Cotton. "And my daughter happened to be home visiting and she said 'Sure, yeah, whatever you say.'"
"He loves the girls," said Sacred Heart head coach Whitney Thompson. "He really cares about them, gets excited for them. He always really loves if they're the underdog and he's been making a difference in the lives of so many young athletes."
'It's the kids," said Cotton. "The interaction with the kids. They make you young I guess."
He's a retired math teacher, although he still substitute teaches at Eastern a couple of days a week. He'll be 72 in August, but still plays tennis three or four times at week and is not completely ruling out a 51st year on the sidelines.
He said his wife is mostly OK with the idea.
"She's been a tennis widow for 50 years," said Cotton with a shrug. "You know, it gets me out of the house right?"
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