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CHILLICOTHE — To this day, Matt Combs still holds Unioto’s all-time scoring record of 1,726 points.
From 1989-92, Combs and the Shermans were electric, winning three sectional titles and the school’s only regional championship in 1990-91.
So, needless to say, when the district approved the hire of Combs as its newest head basketball coach, it was a full circle moment.
Combs, who led Vinton County’s basketball program from 1999-2022, will replace Matt Hoops.
“It’s exciting because it’s a full circle thing for me,” Combs said. “I played here and started my coaching career as an assistant coach back in the mid-1990s. This is where I wanted to end up, eventually. Obviously, I loved my time in Vinton County. I wouldn’t be here now without that district and those people giving me a chance. But it’s also tough for me to see a guy like coach Hoops step away. What he’s accomplished is unbelievable and it’ll be hard for anyone to live up to what he did. It’s a big pair of shoes to fill.”
More often than not, when coaches take over programs, they walk into situations where they can expect growing pains.
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Combs is not in that situation.
Instead, the minute he walks in the door, he’ll be expected to defend an SVC championship.
“Expectations have never bothered me,” Combs said. “I think I have higher expectations for myself and my program than any that anyone else could put on me. This is a program that expects to win because it’s done that for a long time. Hopefully, I can help continue that. We do have a target on our backs and we have to respect that. I’m looking forward to the challenge. There’s a lot of work to be done.”
At Vinton County, Combs led the Vikings to over 300 victories, 12 Tri-Valley Conference championships and three district crowns. He was the Division II State Coach of the Year in 2016-17 and has been elected into both Vinton County and Unioto’s Athletic Hall of Fames.
But what’s done is done. That’s all in the past. Combs is looking towards the future.
“When you think about it, it really doesn’t matter what I’ve accomplished up to this point,” Combs said. “Coaching is a ‘today’ thing. People at Unioto expect success and rightfully so. I’ve got to try and live up to that.”
Combs’ Shermans are coming off a year where they finished 18-6 overall and 13-1 in league play.
While Unioto lost four seniors to graduation, it also brings back a ton of firepower.
Combs will bring a fresh face to the program but not necessarily a fresh mindset. But that, in this case, is a good thing. There’s no need for an overhaul after winning 18 games.
Instead, Combs is simply hoping a few minor differences between two like-minded basketball coaches will shine through the cracks and keep Unioto on the right track.
“I think that coach Hoops has done a lot of great things with this program,” Combs said. “He and I played for the same high school coach. I helped coach [Hoops] when he played here at Unioto. So our viewpoints are very similar. I don’t know that you’ll see a lot of differences on the floor. So I think that’ll make the transition easier. But every coach is a little different. I hope to bring whatever those are to the table and continue the success this program has had.”
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