SweetwaterNOW congratulates the Class of 2019 Rock Springs High School Hall of Fame inductees. We will feature each inductee throughout the week leading up the banquet on Saturday, September 7. Profile features are made possible by Tanner Family Dentistry.
Gerald Mattinson – Outstanding Athlete
Gerald Mattinson enjoyed one of the most decorated athletic careers in Rock Springs High School history. He attended RSHS from 1974 to 1977 and was a member of the last Tiger basketball team to win a state title.
Rock Springs defeated Cheyenne East in the title game 52-50 in 1976, and Gerald played an integral role in the success of those Tiger teams in the 1970s.
During his playing days at RSHS he was a three-time letter winner in both football and basketball. Gerald’s athletic prowess on the field and court earned him a trophy-case full of postseason accolades:
Football
3-year letter winner
1975 – All-State selection – Tight End
1976 – All–State selection – Defensive Tackle
Basketball
3-year letter winner
1976 – All–Region & All State selection (State Championship team)
1977 – All-Region & All State selection (Undefeated Regular season)
1977 – High School All-American
1977 – Selected to play in Wyomin –Montana All-Star game.
At the end of his senior year in 1977, Gerald was named the Millward Simpson Award winner as the top male athlete in the state of Wyoming.
Thunderbird Soaring
Following high school, Gerald signed a letter of intent to play basketball at Casper College. In his one season in Casper, the Thunderbirds finished with a 36 – 4 record and placed fifth overall in the NJCAA tournament. He was an All-Region selection, a NJCAA All-Tournament selection, and a First-Team All-American.
Gerald’s impressive season at Casper College quickly caught the eye of Weber State coach Neil McCarthy, and soon he was reunited with his former Tiger teammate and 2017 RSHS Hall of Fame inductee Bruce Collins in Odgen, Utah.
Teammates Reunited
Gerald spend three seasons with the Wildcats, including the 1979-80 team that finished 26-3 and is widely considered the greatest WSU team of all time. He was a two-year starter, his teams won back-to-back Big Sky Conference titles and earned two consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament.
Gerald didn’t just excel on the basketball court either. He was also a two-time Academic All-American for the Wildcats. His career totals at WSU including averaging 6.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per game while playing over 800 minutes.
Gerald was reunited with former Tiger teammate Bruce Collins in 1979. 
He was a two-time Academic All-American while at Weber State.
Return of the Tiger
Following his college career, Gerald returned to Rock Springs when he was named the head boys’ basketball coach in 1982. He coached the Tigers until 1987, winning four regional titles and finishing second at the state tournament one time.
He then moved on to become first an assistant and later head coach at Western Wyoming Community College from 1987-1998. Gerald was twice named WCCAC & Central Sub Region Coach of the Year in 1994 and 1998.
Similar to his playing days, he demanded the best of his student-athletes in the classroom as well. Gerald coached 14 Academic All-Region players, one Academic All-American, and one Distinguished Academic All-American. On the court, he led seven players to All-Conference status, four All-Region selections and one All-American.
Coaching the Cowgirls
In 2003, Gerald was hired by Hall of Fame Inductee Joe Legerski to become an assistant and associate head coach at the University of Wyoming. He was part of 314 wins in 16 seasons, and helped coach the Cowgirls to nine postseason tournament berths.
His teams played in eight WNIT tournaments, winning the title in 2007, and one NCAA tournament. Gerald is also a 2017 University of Wyoming Hall of Fame inductee with 2007 WNIT championship team.
At the end of last season, Gerald was named to succeed his mentor and friend, Joe Legerski, as the head women’s basketball coach at the University of Wyoming.
