MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Matt Sauvage has stepped down after a highly-successful tenure leading the James Monroe boys basketball program. Sauvage made the announcement Tuesday evening. Assistant Coach Corey Miller is also stepping down.
“JM Basketball has made a huge impact on my life, and I pray that I was able to make a difference in the players that came through during my time,” Sauvage said in a statement. “I cannot say thank you enough for all the support we received from: Monroe County, administrators at JM, faculty, students, parents, former players and many more. Also a big thank you to the players, coaches, off-season coaches, book keepers, clock keepers, video people, janitors and so many more that make this program what it is.”
Sauvage guided the Mavericks to back-to-back Class A state championships in 2022 and 2023. In 2023, JMHS posted a 25-2 record. They closed the season on an 18-game winning streak and they were unbeaten against Class A opponents. The Mavericks won each of their five postseason games by at least 29 points. Eli Allen won the Bill Evans Award as the state’s top player.
In 2022, James Monroe posted a perfect record at 28-0 with Matt’s son Shad leading the Mavericks to the state title.
The Mavericks advanced to the state tournament in 2024, ending the season with a 20-5 record.
In eight seasons, Sauvage collected 141 victories.