WATCH: Viral Kentucky coal miner meets John Calipari, visits locker room
Before the start of the 2022-23 season, the Kentucky basketball fan base was captivated by a coal miner. Micheal McGuire attended the Wildcats’ Blue-White scrimmage in Pikeville on Oct. 22 still in his work clothes and his face stained with soot from his shift.
He didn’t have time to go home and shower. If he wanted to make the start of the game with his three-year-old son, Easton, he had to leave straight from the coal mine.
McGuire made it right on time, and a photo of him and Easton sitting together went viral on Twitter. The McGuire family received an outpouring of support from many who were touched by Micheal’s dedication to providing for his family. That included Kentucky coach John Calipari, who invited the family to a game against Duquesne on Nov. 11.
The SEC Network ran a recent feature story on McGuire, which you can watch below.
In the story, Calipari revealed his initial reaction upon seeing the picture of McGuire and his son.
“The next morning I’m at coffee and this picture comes to my phone,” he said. “I’m like, ‘Wait a minute. My family, the American dream started in Clarksburg, West Virginia, in the coal mines.’
“But the other piece of that was that man, that father would walk into an arena looking like that because it was more important to him that he’s with his son than what anybody thinks of him. Are you kidding me? We put the picture out and said, ‘If anybody knows this guy and his son, let us know his name. We want to invite him to a game.'”
Calipari quickly got in touch with the McGuire family and sent them tickets. Not only that, but he invited them back to the locker room to meet the team and gave McGuire the opportunity to participate in a UK tradition.
During a timeout in the second half, the coal miner was brought onto the court to serve as a special guest to spell out the Y in Kentucky. The love from the crowd was felt as he walked out to a chorus of cheers.
“It was awesome,” he said later. “Around big crowds I get a little nervous, and I thought I was gonna pass out. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
The viral photo not only led to that experience in Rupp Arena, but also landed the family an appearance on NBC’s “Today” show. Calipari even told KSR that a number of hotels, restaurants and even car dealerships reached out to the McGuires ahead of their trip to Lexington.
McGuire’s wife, Mollie, told the SEC Network that her husband isn’t typically one to seek out attention, but the gesture from Calipari and the Kentucky fan base helped shine light on the value of his hard work and love for his family.
“Micheal is such a humble person,” she said. “He doesn’t give himself credit for things. So when he realized how many people appreciated coal mining, how many people said, ‘Thanks for what you do. Thanks for supporting your family. Thanks for keeping the lights on.’ All of that appreciation made him realize that his job matters. For me, that was the most humbling thing is for him to see that it’s not just us.”