Obituary of Johnny Daniel Wike

Johnny Daniel Wike of Cullowhee, N.C. passed away in the presence of his family on September 3, 2016 at C.J. Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva, N.C. Visitation will be held at Appalachian Funeral Home located at 165 Skyland Dr, Sylva, NC 28779 on Monday, September 5th at 5:30 pm. A private family service will be held afterward. In lieu of flowers or gifts, the family requests contributions be made to the Coach Johnny Wike Family Endowed Athletic Scholarship at WCU. Donations can be made to the WCU Foundation with reference to Coach Wike's scholarship and sent to 92 Catamount Rd, Cullowhee, NC 28723. For additional information on how to honor Coach Wike's legacy, please contact WCU at 828-227-3047. Comments and memories of Coach Wike can be viewed and shared online at never-gone.com Coach Johnny Wike was born August 12, 1934 in Catawba County, N.C. to Shuford and Brita Wike. He graduated from Mt. Holly High School where he was a standout football and baseball player for the Hawks. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1954-1956. He is a graduate of Wingate (Junior) College and East Carolina University where he received his undergraduate (1960) and graduate degrees (1963). He was a National Junior College Football All-America selection as a lineman at Wingate in 1957 and was a two-way starter on East Carolina's offensive and defensive lines in 1958 and 1959. He also lettered in golf at both schools and is a member of Wingate College's Sports Hall of Fame. At Wingate, Wike was a two-year starter, helped Wingate reach the Pine Bowl (1957) and two-time co-captain (1956-57), as well as being named all-conference (1957) and all-region (1957). Wike, Western Carolina's first paid assistant coach, started with the football program in 1964 under the direction of Dan Robinson. One year after helping Elon to a conference championship, Wike ended his four-year run as assistant coach with that program to come to Cullowhee. His first season at Western, the Cats improved from a 2-6-1 record in 1963 to a 5-4 scoresheet in `64. Western built on that success the following year to post a 7-2 record and rank among the nation's top defenses. Wike spent over 30 years of his life in service to Western Carolina as an assistant football coach and the head men's and women's golf coach. Twenty-one of his 30-plus years were spent as an assistant football coach where he served under four different head coaches. Wike recruited six football All-Americans (Don Dalton, Steve Williams, Mark Ferguson, Jerry Gaines, Todd Harkins and Kerry Hayes) as well as Wayne Tolleson, who went on to be the Southern Conference Athlete of the Year as a dual sport star in football and baseball. He also played a vital role in recruiting Willie Williams, Tony Jones and David Patten - each of whom went on to play in the NFL and advance to the Super Bowl. Also, Wike helped bring Keith Elliott to Western as the first African-American to receive a football scholarship at a predominately white school in the South. Elliott, who had a solid career, in turn was a mentor to Williams, who ended up playing in the NFL for the Baltimore Colts. In addition to Williams, Wike recruited and coached Don Turner, who went on to play in the NFL as well. When Bob Waters arrived at Western in 1969 as the head football coach, he decided the athletics department needed to reinstate its dormant men's golf program. Wike was called up and held his dual role as assistant football coach and head golf coach from 1971-73, when he left Cullowhee to become head football coach at Carson-Newman in February of 1974. After his stint at Carson-Newman (1974-77), Wike returned to the area to become head coach at Cullowhee High School for six seasons. In February of 1984, Wike returned to the football staff as defensive coordinator, reprising his role as Coach Waters' chief recruiter. Wike, who retired from the WCU football staff in 1995 after 21 seasons as an assistant coach, also reprised his role as head golf coach in 1991. In 1995, Wike was asked to take on an additional responsibility by starting the women's golf program, relinquishing the duties as head women's golf coach in 1998. As the men's head coach, he recruited men's golf All-America selection, Matt Cook, to WCU, while also recording two runner-up finishes at the SoCon Championship. Wike was inducted into the WCU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009. He is also a member of the Mt. Holly HS and Wingate College Halls of Fame. Coach Johnny Wike is survived by his wife of 60 years Carolyn Alligood Wike of Cullowhee, N.C.; his two sons: Eric and wife Angela of Seneca, S.C. and Matt and wife Rachel of Sylva, N.C. and his four grandchildren: Tanner, Hayden, Kendall, and Lawson.