Guy Strong Was Priceless In Many Ways

Guy Strong was a former UK basketball player and successful college and high school coach. (Kentucky Today Photo)

Guy Strong was already retired when I began working at the Winchester Sun in November of 2001.

The only previous interaction was when the George Rogers Clark Cardinals played the Madison Central Indians. Even though I was not covering his Cardinals at the time, he was always cordial and open to a young sports writer covering the opposing team.

One of my first assignments as a sports editor at the Sun was writing a feature story once a month reserved for the front page. It was around that time, Kentucky was honoring its 1951 NCAA championship team. Guy played on that squad and it was only fitting the first of many stories I had written while in Winchester was about coach Guy Strong.

After making contact with Guy, he invited me to his home to do the interview. He showed me his collection of memorabilia from his playing days at Kentucky to his coaching stints at Kentucky Wesleyan, Eastern Kentucky University, Oklahoma State University and George Rogers Clark High School, where he served two stints as the school’s head boys basketball coach.

As I began talking to Guy, he remembered games, names and teams. He was proud of each and every one of them. He loved to tell basketball stories and always had a sharp mind. His late wife, Aleen, made a homemade lemon pie, and to this day, it is the best I have ever eaten.

I was saddened to hear of Guy’s passing on Sunday at the age of 93. The last time I spoke to him was 2020 at the 10th Region Tournament in Winchester. He remembered my name and we always talked about the Kentucky Wildcats. 

He was at most home games at George Rogers Clark High School and one of the nicest people I ever met. He never failed to speak and could talk about basketball for hours. He led Wesleyan to its first national title in 1966 and later coached EKU to an Ohio Valley Conference title in 1972. He compiled a 541-355 record in 34 years as a coach in college and high school combined.

“He was a tough, old-school disciplined person and that showed in the way his teams played,” said Doug Sallee, who served as Strong’s top assistant coach at George Rogers Clark from 1984-90. “He cared for his players and once they learned that, the players respected and played hard for him.”

Sallee said Strong “had a great basketball mind and knew how to motivate. He was a legend for sure.”

In retirement, Strong picked up golf and was remarkable at that too. He recorded nine holes-in-one and made a name for himself following a stellar career at Irvine High School in Estill County. 

Even into his 90s, Strong was active on Facebook and often commented on posts, especially when it came to the Wildcats. While I was sports editor in Winchester, Guy wrote a weekly column called “Strong Points.” He always sent it in all caps but the insights gleaned were invaluable.

In addition to his wisdom, he was a fine person and a true gentleman. After writing that story in 2003, he sent a “Thank You” card, which I still have, and it included a check from the “Union Thank and Trust Company.”

He wrote out a check for a “million” thanks for the “outstanding article on me.” It was a kind gesture, but to know a man like Guy Strong was priceless in a million other ways.