Hall of Fame
A multi-sport standout at West Liberty, Burdell "Jimmy" Carey coached a number of West Virginia state championship teams during his time as a high school basketball and football coach in the local area.
After graduating from West Liberty, Carey began his coaching and teaching career at nearby Follansbee (W.Va.) High School just before World War II but exploded onto the Mountain State scene in 1956 when he took the reins at Weir (W.Va.) High School.
Carey hit the ground running with the Red Riders, leading them to three West Virginia Class AAA state titles (1957, 1960, 1961) and a dazzling 52-11 mark in his first six seasons. He was honored as West Virginia's High School Coach of the Year in 1958. He was just as successful on the hardwood, guiding the Weir High team to a 67-8 record and three straight state titles (1962, 1963, 1964) with future NBA star Ron "Fritz" Williams leading the way.
The West Liberty alum also coached the 1959 Weir High baseball team to a state championship, making him one of the few coaches in Mountain State history to win state championships in three separate sports. Carey is a member of the West Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, the Upper Ohio Valley Dapper Dan Hall of Fame and the OVAC Hall of Fame.
