Former Logan County Cougars basketball coach John Tinsley was inducted into the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches Court of Honor “in recognition of your contribution to Kentucky High School Basketball.” The ceremony took place during the boys state tournament at Rupp Arena.
Tinsley forged a career record of 357-257 with 12 district championships, three regional championships, including Barren County’s only trip to Sweet 16 in 1999, the year the Trojans kept the Russellville Panthers from winning four straight regional titles. He also coached five Class A regional championships.
He was a head coach for 20 years at Hancock County, Barren County, Glasgow, Russell County and Logan County.
His Cougar teams were very successful. The 2019-20 team went 28-4, which was the highest win total in the region. The Cougars were rated third in the region behind only state contenders Warren Central and Bowling Green. Logan beat Russellville and Franklin-Simpson in the district and Cumberland County at region before falling 64-52 to BGH in the semifinals. One of the teams they beat during the season was Great Crossing, which won over Bowling Green in last week’s state championship finals.
His first Logan County team in 2017-18 won 15 of its first 17 games on the way to a 25-7 record, which was second best in the region behind only BGH. The Cougars beat Todd Central and Franklin-Simpson in the district and Metcalfe County at region before losing yo Warren Central in the semifinals.
That totals a 53-11 record with two district championships and two victories at region during his two years at the Cougar helm.
Among those with him at the state tournament and the ceremony were his wife, the former LeAnn Meguiar, an Auburn native; his sons, Ryne Tinsley and Trey Tinsley; his brother-in-law, Eric ‘Moose’ Meguiar; and cousins Lisa Chasteen Proctor and Coach Tim Riley.
Trey Tinsley was an assistant coach for the Russellville Panthers this season and is thought to be a strong possibility to succeed the retiring Coach Phil Todd.