Joey Couch
We have previously covered E.A. Couch, who starred in basketball at Carr Creek High School and went on to play at UK. Couch’s oldest son David was also an All State basketball player at Johnson Central and played for Army at West Point. E. A. and Jane Couch had another son, Joey, who was a multi-sport star at Paintsville High School.
On the basketball court, Joey Couch played on the great teams of the mid 1980s that also featured John Pelphrey, Mike Minix Jr, and others. In 1984-87 he was an All State Honorable Mention basketball player. As a junior, Couch averaged 15.5 points per game and 8 rebounds.
In 1987 Paintsville won 32 games and lost 5 under coach Bill Mike Runyon. They were defeated in the STate Semifinals by Ballard. Pelphrey and Couch both made the All-Tournament team. Couch won the sportsmanship award at the Beach Ball Classic at Myrtle Beach, SC as a senior, the most prestigious high school tournament in the country. Couch also played on the Kentucky All-Star basketball team against Indiana his senior year. He scored over 2000 career points.
In football, Couch was an All-State linebacker who also played tight end and fullback. Paintsville lost in his senior year to Crittenden county in the KHSAA Class A championship game, 14-6.
Couch went on to play football at the University of Kentucky.
Though he was an undersized defensive lineman, Joey had over 264 tackles and 12 sacks in his college career. He was a two-time All SEC defensive tackle.
Joey Couch’s sons also play football. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
