Dr. Rex Chaney, who was associated with Morehead State from 1953 until his retirement in 2014, has been selected for the prestigious Ohio Valley Conference Hall of Fame. He will be formally inducted at the annual OVC Honors Brunch on May 29 in downtown Nashville.
"The OVC Hall of Fame is undoubtedly better with Coach Chaney as part of it," Director of Athletics Brian Hutchinson said. "He selflessly devoted his entire career to our cause at Morehead State and is deserving of the recognition the conference is placing on him. MSU is proud of our association with him, and we are equally excited that others recognize his importance to our school and league."
Chaney served as head men's golf coach at Morehead State from 1976-2014. He was tabbed as the OVC Coach of the Year after MSU captured league championships in 1977, 1981, 1993 and 1999. He also directed the Eagles to six other top-three finishes at the annual conference tournament.
In men's golf, Chaney coached 20 All-OVC selections, six All-OVC Tournament honorees, six conference-tournament runners-up, three league-tournament medalists and two OVC Players of the Year. The group includes current Professional Golf Association Tour member Josh Teater.
"I am incredibly humbled and honored to be part of this group," Chaney said. "I had a countless number of wonderful experiences at Morehead State. I had opportunities over the years to leave, but always felt like MSU is where I belonged. The relationships I built with our students, student-athletes, coaches and administrators made my career very enjoyable. I can't thank those people enough."
Chaney led the Eagles to a 111-56 (.665) record as head baseball coach from 1961-67. The OVC's 1963 Baseball Coach of the Year guided MSU to at least a share of the league's east division crown each year from 1961-64. He also served four seasons as an assistant men's basketball coach.
Chaney was inducted into the prestigious Morehead State Athletic Hall of Fame in 2000. The mentor holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Morehead State, in addition to a doctorate from Indiana University. He joined MSU's Health, Physical Education and Recreation faculty in 1961.
A native of Perry County, Ky., Chaney is married to the former Sarah Kidwell. He has one daughter (Jennifer), one son (Lee) and two grandchildren (Eric and Olivia).
The OVC Hall of Fame was organized in 1977. It was created to honor coaches, administrators, faculty and staff who have been associated with the league for at least five years and provided extensive and outstanding service to the conference.
Chaney is joined in this year's Hall of Fame class by former Eastern Kentucky President Dr. Doug Whitlock and former Jacksonville State Associate AD for Sports Medicine Jim Skidmore. The addition of these three puts the membership at 76.
