Coachman Credits Success To Lessons Learned In McPherson

Coachman Credits Success To Lessons Learned In McPherson

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Jonathan Coachman gave credit to the lessons he learned during the time he attended McPherson High School and McPherson College for his success today during the keynote address at Saturday's McPherson Chamber of Commerce annual meeting.

Coachman, an executive assistant for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), said his success can be traced to his parents' guidance and the self-confidence he developed from everyone he met in McPherson.

“If I could do my job and live in McPherson, I''d do it in a heartbeat,” he said. “I had no idea McPherson would become a significant part of my life. I never thought I'd be where I'm at today. But a lot of you people are the reason I'm able to do the job that I do.”

Coachman moved to McPherson from Ohio when he was 16 and played on two state high school basketball champions for coach Mike Henson and a state American Legion baseball contender. He worked at such local businesses as Sirloin Stockade, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Food Jubilee.

People are often asked who that one influential person was who may have helped guide them to success.

“For me, it wasn't one person, it was a town -- it was this town,” Coachman said. “Everyone in town always treated me with respect. That's the way I lead my life. I'm respectful of everyone I meet. I'm one of those people who moved out of the city, but have always remembered what I learned here.”

Coachman said it was an emotional experience when he finally forced himself to leave town to pursue a career in television. He turned back to McPherson and started thinking when he left town.

“It was sad. It was emotional,” he said. “I knew someday I'd be back. I just didn't know when.”

He left town without a job, but luckily was hired at KAKE-TV in Wichita despite no television experience.

He also worked in Kansas City, Mo., before an opportunity to work with WWE opened.

Coachman is well known on wrestling shows produced by WWE since he's been a broadcaster who often steps into the ring. Coachman also has signed contracts with Fox Sports Radio, CBS and CSTV, the cable outlet for CBS Sports.

“There's always been that love of sports and this is all I ever wanted to do,” Coachman said. “I've been asked what would I do if I wasn't doing what I was doing and I don't have an answer for that. I don't know what else I'd do.”

Coachman said his wrestling experience the past eight years has allowed him to visit more than 20 countries in a never-ending worldwide tour. He's traveling somewhere more than 50 weeks a year.

He's announced and wrestled before as many as 80,000 people and WWE is carried in more than 140 countries.

“I've made a lot of sacrifices in my life,” he said. “But this is like having a dream and realizing it.”

He's made a commitment to help others and has enjoyed doing what he can to be a part of Make-A-Wish Foundation. He recalled being part of a youngster getting to meet some wrestlers just days before he died. Another time a group visited a little-known, little-seen territory in the Middle East. They didn't know exactly where they were, but the U.S. soldiers were thankful.

“One of the soldiers thanked us for remembering us because no one visited there,” Coachman said.

When he scheduled a recent visit to Kansas, the idea occurred to let him be the keynote speaker for the Chamber's annual meeting. McPherson's adopted son had done good and he was invited to return. He got emotional again when he realized everyone he'd met had never forgot about him.

“Thanks for remembering me,” he said. “This has been pretty cool for me.”

Source: http://www.mcphersonsentinel.com/art...news/news2.txt