BY KYLE LOVERN
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
KERMIT, W.Va. — After two successful years as head basketball coach at Kermit Middle School, Mikey Newsome announced his resignation on social media Friday.
“After much prayer and consideration, I have made the difficult decision to step down as the head basketball coach at Kermit Middle School,” Newsome stated.
Newsome said the decision was especially difficult because of the relationships he formed with his players and the Kermit community.
“This was not an easy decision because coaching these young men has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. I took this job without a kid on the team and hoping to be a blessing to them, but the boys I was privileged enough to coach were a blessing to me,” Newsome said. “I want to thank every player who trusted me, every parent who supported our program, the administration, fellow coaches, and the entire Kermit community for believing in what we were building.”
Beyond those relationships, Newsome pointed with pride to the success the Blue Devils achieved during his two seasons at the helm.
“What we built in just two years was nothing short of pure domination. We built a program that raised the bar for middle school basketball and Mingo County,” he stated.
The Blue Devils went 23-1 over the last two seasons in county competition, with the only loss coming to Williamson by one point. Kermit had 23 wins in a row in the county.
They went undefeated in Mingo County last season.
Newsome’s tenure saw Kermit win back-to-back county championships. The Blue Devils went 36-9 overall in the last two years.
Newsome was a former All-State basketball player for Tug Valley High School, helping lead the Panthers to a pair of state championships. He was a 3-sport athlete at TVHS, playing football and baseball in addition to basketball.
“Kermit Middle School will always hold a special place in my heart, and I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to serve this community,” Newsome concluded. “While this chapter is coming to an end, I’m excited to see what the future holds for these players and for the program.”