[16BBall Fan]

This is from past ADI sports editor Mark Maynard. 
 
Longtime loyal Raider Michael “Nuns” Nunley also passed away recently. He enjoyed life and especially East Carter football, said Garry McPeek, who coached the Raiders from 1989-1994. That’s where Garry came to know and love Nunley, who overcame a lot in his life.

“If you ever feel sorry for yourself, stop and take a look at how ‘Nuns’ lived. He was dealt a big bag of sour lemon and he just kept making lemonade! He loved everyone he came in contact with except (West Carter) Comets … and he really liked them, he just wouldn’t admit it,” McPeek said.

Tim Champlin, the head coach at East Carter, had glowing remarks about Nunley, too.

“To know him was a blessing. Nunley taught us all hard work, dedication and loyalty. He didn’t ever want a hand out, he wanted to earn everything he had, no matter what it meant he had to do. He was dedicated to whatever he was involved with and would defend you to anyone. Mike was as loyal a person as I’ve ever met.”

Champlin called having Nunley on the sidelines “a joy and a comfort. I like to say he was East Carter’s luck charm.”

East Carter’s head coach said he met Nunley at Fairview and when he came to East, it worked out that Nunley was able to join the team on the sidelines.

Nunley had a passion for area sports, McPeek said, and loved it when the ADI’s football preview came out every August. He had an ongoing ranking of the worst team photo in the preview, including last year, and share the choices with McPeek.

Even after McPeek’s stint at East Carter ended, Nunley made the rest of McPeek’s coaching stops Hazard, Greenup County, Lawrence County, Boyd County and Fairview and “lived with me most of the time,” McPeek said.


McPeek called him his “Radio” from 1989 to 2014, a reference to James Kennedy, who was known for his association with the T.L. Hanna High School football team in Anderson, S.C., and became famous for the movie by the same name. He gained that nickname because of always having a small radio with him.

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[16BBall Fan]

Mike was a one of a kind guy that loved high school football and especially his East Carter Raiders. I remember how much it meant to him in 2019 when Coach McPeek got him a sideline pass to be on the Frederick Douglass sideline and take care of the footballs in the Broncos State Championship game vs. Covington Catholic. It made is year I remember him telling me that "I never expected to ever be on this sideline for a state championship. This is awesome!"

RIP Mike!

[16BBall Fan]

Here is a picture of 4 of the 9 football coaches in the history of East Carter Football.