Michael Matthews is currently retired from a career of educating and
coaching. Matthews graduated from Baker High school in Baker City
Oregon, went on to earn a degree in biology and pre-med from Seattle Pacific
University, his teaching cert was through University of Alaska Fairbanks and
his masters degree in Educational Administration from National University in
La Jolla, California. Math and science disciplines were the primary teaching
assignments but employment in rural Alaska requires flexibility so he taught
nearly every subject inside and outside of the curriculum. Cooking classes
to budgeting, Eastern hemisphere to trigonometry, anatomy and physiology
to pre-calculus, almost everything under the sun. The coaching career that
Matthews was involved in focused on the basketball realm, but included native
youth Olympics as well as track and field.

Matthews is a servant and follower of Jesus Christ whom coach Matthews seeks to glorify God in everything he does. Mike is a blessed husband to the incredible love of his life Beth Valentine. They will be celebrating 36 years of marriage this coming September. Matthews is a thankful father of four amazing adult children Teslin 32, Paxson 31, Dawson 26 and Ruby 24. He was able to experience raising them all in Talkeetna where he had the opportunity to teach them in high school, math and science classes, as well as coach them in their basketball careers at Susitna Valley. The boys are engineers, both civil and biomedical and the girls are involved with business and social work. Matthews and his bride, Beth, continue to reside in Talkeetna, Alaska. Since retiring they’ve been blessed to be able to incorporate a great deal of travel
experiences. Most recently they have kept warm this winter during the 40 below temperatures by being in Mexico, and on the coast of the Sea of Cortez. This April they will be traveling together to Africa where Mike will be pursuing
a few of his passions including experiences in nature and the creation. The safari adventure will include hunting both Cape Buffalo and leopard in the country of Zimbabwe.

Mike’s career recap includes 30 years as a math and science middle and high school teacher, coaching
middle school and high school basketball for 30 years. Those years began with coaching the boys basketball team
in Sandpoint, Alaska. It led into moving to the Talkeetna area where he coached girls and boys middle school
basketball team. The progression led him into head coach for the boys JV and varsity at Su Valley Jr/Sr High School.
He has countless blessings of his career, but the richest rewards were building lifelong relationships with teaching
and coaching colleagues and being involved in young people’s lives to mentor and encourage them into becoming
loving, healthy, thankful, hardworking and and productive men and women.

Highlights:

• 1990-present 33 years as the head coach in Petersburg

• 2007 3A state championship
• 2008 3A/4A crossover championship over Juneau Douglas
• 2017 2A state championship
• 9 Region V conferences championships

Rick Brock has been a head basketball coach in Alaska for the past 33 years. Rick’s impact can
most certainly be felt in the town of Petersburg, where many of those who played for Rick still
reside and chosen to make a life. However, Rick is the rare coach who has left a lasting impact
on those who love the game of basketball, throughout Alaska. Rick’s teams can always be
counted on to play hard, and with great respect for their opponent and the game of basketball.
Rick is known as not just a dedicated coach and basketball mind, but perhaps more importantly,
as someone who can always be trusted to do what is right. His strong ethics and moral
character have been evident to anyone who has been blessed to grace the sideline during a
game, or simply talk to Rick during a summer camp. Rick’s impact as coach will be felt long
after he stops coaching through the high standards and expectations he maintained, providing
a road map to integrity for generations to come.
While Petersburg, Alaska has been directly impacted by Rick and his leadership, all of Alaska
owes Rick a debt of gratitude for the impact he has had on the game we love. When Rick steps
down, he will do so knowing he left basketball in Alaska better than he found it.

Awards 

• 2007 3A Coach of the Year

• 2017 2A Coach of the Year

• 2021 2A Coach of the Year

• 2023 Roger Steinbrecher Integrity Award Winner