Being an Apollo Eagle means a lot of things to a lot of people but to current Eagle coach Mason Head and former coach Bob Mantooth, not many exemplify that more than Apollo assistant Tony Mattingly.
Mattingly coached his last home game at AHS Monday during the Eagles win over Warren Central as a career that’s spanned 27 years at Apollo comes to an end after the season.
“I’ve grown up with Bob being there and as he left, I felt like I was part of the top of the family and I wanted to make sure everybody kept the legacy and the character going that we learned so well from him,” Mattingly said.
For Head, Mattingly was more than a coach.
“Eagle Family,” Head said when asked of what he thinks of Mattingly. “You hear it all the time. When you think ‘Always an Eagle Family’, you think of guys like Tony Mattingly.”
Mattingly played for Mantooth, the long time Eagle coach, and graduated in 1993 before going to Western Kentucky. After graduating from WKU, Mattingly found himself back in the dugout as he started his assistant coaching career in 1999.
“To me, I don’t know if you could find a better assistant,” Mantooth said. “He could have done a lot of things. His loyalty, the love of Apollo baseball and the way embraces players and helps them develop. He’s not afraid to tell a head coach maybe some things that he didn’t want to hear. He would interject at the right times. Just his dedication to the program, it was like he was made for it …
“He’s left his mark on this program, for sure, and he never wants, he’s in the background. He didn’t want any of that stuff. So dependable. Made me feel good having him around.”
After graduating from WKU, Mattingly said it felt right to return to Apollo.
“The program made me who I was as far as a person, my leadership skills, just being a family man,” he said. “I learned it from him (Manthooth). I learned how to treat people, act the right way and play baseball at the same time. When he gave me the opportunity to coach, I said I had to do that.”
Mantooth said he knew he wanted a person like Mattingly back with the program.
“We liked to get people that knew what we wanted,” he said. “It’s good to have other views too but he knew how we liked to run our program so it was great having him in.”
Mattingly coached many players during his career, including the man at the helm now in Head.
“I was a player here when he was an assistant coach,” Head said. “He’s been with Bob since the 90s. Anything you’d want in an assistant. Supporting role, he’ll listen, if you ask him what he think he’ll give you an honest opinion. He’s just a great guy.”
Head said he doesn’t think he’ll know the true impact Mattingly has had on him as a coach until he’s gone.
“There are so many things he does for me as a head coach that I don’t even realize and I won’t realize until next year,” he said. “Just an all-around great dude. I’m just really going to miss him.”
Head was even there for Mattingly during one of the biggest moments of his life.
“I was at the hospital when his son Luke was born,” Head said. “I was a senior in high school and he meant enough to me then that I wanted to be there. I was a part of his family and I think all of our guys feel that.”
Mattingly said it means a lot to have the reception he did after the game Monday and he’s glad to know he helped many former players.
He said he’s appreciative of the role he’s had for the past couple of decades.
“I feel like I’ve always been the type of person that wants to be in the background and help the person lead,” he said. “I want to be the support person and always be there for them no matter what they need me to do. That’s my job is to be a part of this program and to help the leaders lead.”
