David Matherne has been a high school literature teacher for thirty years. Although starting his teaching career in an Atlanta school for two years, he came to Cartersville for cross-country and track. He has coached cross-country for the past twenty-eight years. 

Coach Matherne is retiring because he wants to spend more time with his family, as well as devote time and attention to his new company,  Wire-to-Wire. 

Wire-to-Wire is a running company designed to host races and generate community involvement in running. Besides focusing on the company, Anna — Coach Matherne’s youngest child of two — is graduating from Cartersville High this year, so he feels it is the ideal time to begin a new chapter.

Coach Matherne’s favorite part about teaching was always the kids he had in his classroom. One of his most memorable students was a boy who related everything he said to bees, often going out of his way to connect the topic back to the flying insects. Matherne’s favorite memory from teaching is when, while reading Gulliver’s Travels,  he had students tie him loosely to a couple desks with army men at the end of the ropes. The next class would then walk in and see the reference to the book. 

Matherne will return as a cross-country community coach because he loves the kids and the school too much too just give it up all at once. He also just plain loves to run and he loves to see student athletes improve.

Although growing up and starting his teaching career in Atlanta, Cartersville has become much more of a home to Coach Matherne than Atlanta ever was. This is where he met his wife, raised his kids, and spent the majority of his career. 

Even after retirement, Cartersville and its high school, will play an active role in Coach Matherne’s life for a long while to come.