In this deeply personal and heartfelt episode, I honor my dear friend, colleague, and cohost, Coach Jim Clayton, who passed away on 09/18/2025. I reflect on meeting Jim when I was a teenager, learning from him as a young educator, and growing alongside him as a colleague, coach, and friend. From school hallways to Sports City U, and finally to the 11 episodes we recorded together, Jim’s wisdom, humility, and relentless encouragement shaped my life and the lives of countless students, athletes, and listeners. His legacy—rooted in faith, kindness, integrity, and service—continues to resonate in every story, lesson, and laugh we shared.
I share the memory of our final recording night, a moment marked by his embrace and the words “I love you,” and offer love and comfort to his cherished family: his wife Anne, his children Elizabeth and Wes (and Kayla), his granddaughters Vera and Heidi, and his loyal companion, Alfie. Jim fought the good fight, kept the faith, and lived a life that called us all to believe bigger, achieve louder, and motivate stronger. May we honor him by carrying forward the values he lived by and the lives he inspired.
00:00:04,160 –> 00:00:11,360
Randy Black: This uh this is probably the hardest recording I’ve ever had to do.
2
00:00:13,380 –> 00:00:20,340
Randy Black: Today, I want to honor and celebrate the life of a truly remarkable man.
3
00:00:20,619 –> 00:00:27,740
Randy Black: My dear friend, my colleague, my co-host, Coach Jim Clayton.
4
00:00:27,980 –> 00:00:33,660
Randy Black: Jim left us on Thursday, September 18th, 2025.
5
00:00:35,219 –> 00:00:47,300
Randy Black: While our hearts are heavy, we’re reminded from Psalm 34, verse 18, that the Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart.
6
00:00:47,320 –> 00:00:54,200
Randy Black: and save such as be of a contrite spirit.
7
00:00:54,200 –> 00:01:01,960
Randy Black: Even in our sorrow, God’s presence is near, offering comfort and strength to us.
8
00:01:03,460 –> 00:01:06,740
Randy Black: I first met Jim when I was 15 years old.
9
00:01:06,740 –> 00:01:13,220
Randy Black: I was a student at CK High School, and he came and spoke at the teen institutent event that was being held.
10
00:01:13,780 –> 00:01:25,780
Randy Black: I don’t remember the exact details of what it was he said that day, but I remember this man being the most positive person I’d ever heard speak in my life
11
00:01:26,840 –> 00:01:29,640
Randy Black: That impression stuck with me.
12
00:01:29,640 –> 00:01:39,000
Randy Black: And as I continued to grow and to navigate through life, it left a lasting mark on my own perspective.
13
00:01:40,040 –> 00:01:50,440
Randy Black: Years later, while I was completing my student teaching at Huntington High School, I had the opportunity to eat lunch with Jim Clayton every day.
14
00:01:51,540 –> 00:02:00,180
Randy Black: It’s during that time that I began to know him as a colleague, as a man, and eventually as a friend
15
00:02:01,800 –> 00:02:12,840
Randy Black: His insights and wisdom were incredibly inspiring to me as a young educator, shaping the way that I approach teaching and leadership.
16
00:02:13,940 –> 00:02:24,260
Randy Black: Several years later, I accepted a position teaching at Cavill Midland High School, the same year that Jim was transferred there.
17
00:02:25,200 –> 00:02:31,680
Randy Black: This is the place and the time where our friendship truly began to grow
18
00:02:32,620 –> 00:02:38,700
Randy Black: Watching his interactions with students and staff taught me the right way to do things.
19
00:02:38,700 –> 00:02:43,660
Randy Black: Not just as a teacher or as a coach, but as a person.
20
00:02:45,040 –> 00:02:54,000
Randy Black: The highlights of that was helping him with technology, which was not his strong suit, but it was a pleasure.
21
00:02:54,640 –> 00:03:00,720
Randy Black: Because he was always willing to learn and try new things
22
00:03:02,420 –> 00:03:12,740
Randy Black: In 2018, I had the first opportunity to sit down with Jim and record a conversation for a podcast that I was producing at that time.
23
00:03:13,640 –> 00:03:22,120
Randy Black: By this point, he had retired from teaching, and he was focused solely on his business at Sports City U.
24
00:03:22,940 –> 00:03:30,540
Randy Black: It was here that I gained an even deeper understanding of his ideas and his philosophies
25
00:03:31,960 –> 00:03:43,080
Randy Black: His ability to break things down for his students and his athletes was still present, still strong, and still deeply inspiring.
26
00:03:45,900 –> 00:03:54,940
Randy Black: In 2024, I learned of Jim’s illness with colon cancer, and I made my way to Sports City U to see him.
27
00:03:56,600 –> 00:04:06,680
Randy Black: I stood with him at center court in the gym, arms around him, and prayed with him for healing from God.
28
00:04:08,980 –> 00:04:19,380
Randy Black: Not long after that, he reached out and asked him or asked me to partner with him to start a podcast.
29
00:04:19,380 –> 00:04:20,900
Randy Black: This podcast.
30
00:04:22,800 –> 00:04:29,840
Randy Black: He wanted to share his insights on life, not just basketball, as many people might have thought he wanted to do
31
00:04:30,180 –> 00:04:37,140
Randy Black: But the lessons that had guided his own life and the lives of everyone he had the chance to influence
32
00:04:39,259 –> 00:04:43,180
Randy Black: We launched this podcast on July 1st of this year.
33
00:04:43,180 –> 00:04:48,220
Randy Black: And over the course of recording 11 episodes with Jim.
34
00:04:48,720 –> 00:04:54,800
Randy Black: I had some of the best conversations I’ve ever had in the decade I’ve been in podcasting.
35
00:04:56,080 –> 00:05:01,199
Randy Black: It was in those moments that Jim became one of my closest friends.
36
00:05:01,620 –> 00:05:06,580
Randy Black: And I’m so proud to be able to say that.
37
00:05:06,580 –> 00:05:09,940
Randy Black: The last evening we recorded together.
38
00:05:10,280 –> 00:05:13,639
Randy Black: Remains vivid in my heart and in my mind.
39
00:05:13,639 –> 00:05:18,919
Randy Black: And it’s the last memory I have of Jim in person before his passing.
40
00:05:20,980 –> 00:05:34,420
Randy Black: After we finished and were preparing to leave that night, he had just gotten his best buddy Alfie, ever present Alfie, into the car, and he turned back to me.
41
00:05:35,620 –> 00:05:40,100
Randy Black: As I did every week after we recorded, I told him, I love you, brother.
42
00:05:41,380 –> 00:05:43,300
Randy Black: This time was different.
43
00:05:44,300 –> 00:05:46,780
Randy Black: He always told me he loved me.
44
00:05:46,780 –> 00:05:50,860
Randy Black: We always fist bumped or shook hands.
45
00:05:50,860 –> 00:05:53,900
Randy Black: But this night, he grabbed me.
46
00:05:53,900 –> 00:05:56,860
Randy Black: He embraced me as he told me he loved me
47
00:05:58,900 –> 00:06:04,580
Randy Black: That was the last conversation I had with him.
48
00:06:04,580 –> 00:06:06,180
Randy Black: And it is the memory
49
00:06:06,620 –> 00:06:12,940
Randy Black: that I will hold on to forever of my friend, Jim Clayton
50
00:06:16,060 –> 00:06:19,740
Randy Black: Jim was many things to many people.
51
00:06:19,740 –> 00:06:28,620
Randy Black: He was a devoted classroom teacher, an inspiring coach, a mentor, a podcast co-host.
52
00:06:29,740 –> 00:06:38,460
Randy Black: And above all, a friend whose heart, humor, and integrity touched everyone he met.
53
00:06:39,980 –> 00:06:48,300
Randy Black: His life was marked by service, dedication, and an unwavering commitment to helping others grow
54
00:06:50,580 –> 00:06:56,740
Randy Black: As a classroom teacher, Jim inspired countless students.
55
00:06:56,740 –> 00:07:00,180
Randy Black: He didn’t just teach lessons from textbooks.
56
00:07:00,180 –> 00:07:04,180
Randy Black: He taught lessons for life.
57
00:07:04,560 –> 00:07:12,000
Randy Black: He challenged his students to think critically, to act with integrity
58
00:07:12,960 –> 00:07:19,680
Randy Black: And to develop both character and resilience.
59
00:07:19,680 –> 00:07:24,720
Randy Black: Many of his students will carry this guidance and encouragement.
60
00:07:25,180 –> 00:07:31,420
Randy Black: That he gave them forward for the rest of their lives.
61
00:07:31,420 –> 00:07:37,820
Randy Black: As a coach, Jim brought out the best in those who were under his guidance
62
00:07:38,840 –> 00:07:53,080
Randy Black: He believed deeply in teamwork, in perseverance, and in the value of encouragement, just as much as he did discipline.
63
00:07:52,740 –> 00:08:01,460
Randy Black: On the court, in the locker room, in an everyday life, his approach was always the same.
64
00:08:01,460 –> 00:08:04,740
Randy Black: Help others succeed.
65
00:08:05,640 –> 00:08:14,200
Randy Black: And to do that with heart and with humility.
66
00:08:15,180 –> 00:08:24,220
Randy Black: Jim’s life remains a reminder to us of the power of dedication.
67
00:08:24,780 –> 00:08:29,900
Randy Black: Kindness, and genuine human connection.
68
00:08:29,900 –> 00:08:34,459
Randy Black: He leaves a legacy measured not only in accomplishments,
69
00:08:35,760 –> 00:08:43,839
Randy Black: But in lives touched, lessons imparted, and hearts encouraged
70
00:08:45,620 –> 00:08:53,780
Randy Black: Second Timothy chapter four, verses seven and eight says, I have fought a good fight.
71
00:08:53,780 –> 00:08:56,420
Randy Black: I have finished my course.
72
00:08:56,420 –> 00:08:59,300
Randy Black: I have kept the faith.
73
00:08:59,060 –> 00:09:06,100
Randy Black: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.
74
00:09:06,100 –> 00:09:10,180
Randy Black: Jim fought the good fight in his own way.
75
00:09:11,140 –> 00:09:18,980
Randy Black: Leaving a life that inspires all of us.
76
00:09:18,980 –> 00:09:23,460
Randy Black: At the center of Jim’s life was his family
77
00:09:24,880 –> 00:09:31,440
Randy Black: He and his beloved wife Anne shared forty two years together.
78
00:09:31,440 –> 00:09:34,480
Randy Black: 42 incredible years together.
79
00:09:34,720 –> 00:09:41,120
Randy Black: It was a marriage built on love, on partnership, and on laughter
80
00:09:44,480 –> 00:09:50,960
Randy Black: As a devoted father to his daughter Elizabeth and his son Wes and his wife Kayla.
81
00:09:51,940 –> 00:09:58,980
Randy Black: He poured his heart into guiding, teaching, and supporting them
82
00:10:00,960 –> 00:10:09,600
Randy Black: Above all, he adored his two granddaughters, Vera and Heidi, who affectionately called him Pop Pop.
83
00:10:10,960 –> 00:10:18,240
Randy Black: And of course, by his side through it all, was his loyal companion and best buddy Alfie.
84
00:10:19,200 –> 00:10:24,720
Randy Black: Who shared in the love and the joy of Jim’s life
85
00:10:26,920 –> 00:10:38,920
Randy Black: To Anne, Elizabeth, Wes, Kayla, Vera, Heidi, I know that no words can truly ease the loss you feel
86
00:10:41,699 –> 00:10:50,980
Randy Black: Matthew chapter 5, verse 4, tells us: Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.
87
00:10:54,420 –> 00:11:02,420
Randy Black: I may not have the right words to comfort you, but I want you to know that I am here.
88
00:11:03,360 –> 00:11:13,680
Randy Black: And we all are here to walk with you, to support you, and to carry some of the weight of this loss together.
89
00:11:17,040 –> 00:11:30,000
Randy Black: Jim’s love, guidance, and example will continue to live on in all of you, shaping your lives for years to come.
90
00:11:31,760 –> 00:11:37,440
Randy Black: To the family, the friends, the students, and colleagues who remember him.
91
00:11:37,980 –> 00:11:52,380
Randy Black: Let us be sure to honor him by carrying forward the values he lived by: integrity, compassion, and service to others.
92
00:11:53,740 –> 00:12:00,940
Randy Black: Let us remember Jim not only in grief, but with gratitude.
93
00:12:01,360 –> 00:12:07,200
Randy Black: Gratitude for the privilege of knowing him.
94
00:12:10,240 –> 00:12:11,839
Randy Black: Coach Jim Clayton
95
00:12:14,180 –> 00:12:21,780
Randy Black: Thank you for your life, your guidance, and your friendship
96
00:12:23,880 –> 00:12:31,079
Randy Black: You will be deeply missed, but your spirit
97
00:12:33,380 –> 00:12:41,940
Randy Black: Your lessons and your laughter that will live on in all of us
98
00:12:46,440 –> 00:12:50,440
Randy Black: We all need to follow Jim’s model with bam
99
00:12:52,620 –> 00:13:00,860
Randy Black: We need to work to believe bigger, achieve louder, and motivate stronger
100
00:13:02,380 –> 00:13:10,620
Randy Black: Just as he did every day of his life.
101
00:13:11,580 –> 00:13:13,900
Randy Black: May you rest in peace, my friend
