MORGANTOWN — A new yet familiar face will roam the sidelines of the Rowdie Center as the head coach of the Morgantown High School girls’ basketball team this season. Former MHS assistant coach John Fowkes was approved by the Monongalia County Board of Education Tuesday evening.
“This opportunity means the world to me,” Fowkes said. “This program is historically one of the best programs in the state’s history. It’s incredibly humbling to be given the chance to be able to be the head coach of this team. Morgantown holds a special place in my life and it’s where I’ve always wanted to be.”
Fowkes steps into the head coach role after former coach Doug Goodwin’s resignation in June. Goodwin led MHS to a 41-14 record in his two seasons at the helm, which yielded the 2023 Class AAAA state championship and a runner-up finish last season.
John Fowkes isn’t an unfamiliar face in the area. A 1992 graduate of Morgantown High and a current teacher at the school, Fowkes says MHS is home for him and that being a head coach for his alma mater is a dream come true.
“My goal was always to eventually be a head coach at MHS wherever the opportunity presented itself,” Fowkes said. “I loved being a student there, I love being a teacher there, it’s a big school but tight-knit and has a true small community feel to it. The administration has always treated me the right way, and I’m excited to have the opportunity to represent them and the MHS community at a high level.”
Fowkes previously served as head coach of the Trinity Christian boys’ program from 2016-20, reaching consecutive Class A state semifinals in 2018 and 2019. Before arriving at Trinity Christian, he was an assistant for the MHS girls’ team during three straight state championships from 2014-16.
Before joining the girls’ program, Fowkes most recently served as an assistant under Dave Tallman for the three-time defending state champion MHS boys’ team.
Fowkes will inherit a talented roster for the always-competitive Mohigans, who will welcome back the talents of returning all-state players Sadaya Jones and Kayli Kellogg. Jones recently signed to play Division I basketball for UMBC, while Kellogg currently holds multiple offers.
“We have some talented girls here at Morgantown, and I hope to get them some exposure not only statewide but nationally as well,” Fowkes said. “I think you’ll see the same things you saw from this program in the past: a hard-nosed, defensive mentality and getting up and down the court.”
MHS will begin its season on Dec. 3 against Buckhannon-Upshur in Fowkes’ debut as head coach of the Mohigans.
