Family on the fairways
Cain brothers bond through rival golf programs
Campbell County and Clinton high schools’ golf coaches, Michael and Matt Cain, enjoy competiton, but family ties keep them bonded together.
Matt, the younger sibling, leads the Dragons’ golf program.
Michael, five years older, coaches the Cougars.
For years, their teams battled as district rivals. That changed when Clinton moved from Class AA to Class A under TSSAA reclassification, ending the postseason showdowns the brothers cherished.
Before the season, Matt said that he wasn’t happy about not seeing Michael and his team in the postseason.
“My brother is the coach of Campbell County and we used to be in the same district and we’re not anymore,” Matt said before the start of the 2025 season. “I don’t like that we’re not going to play in the district tournament.”
For the Cains, the district golf championships were always special, even though it could be a long and grueling day.
“We always looked forward to playing in the district tournament,” Michael said. “Matt’s wife would always cook us breakfast and then we would head to the golf course, play, and then, if we could, we would go to dinner and talk about the day.”
The two brothers have a sibling rivalry. More often than not, however, they find themselves pulling for each other.
“It’s a rivalry and you’re competitive and you want to win,” Matt said. “But we pull for each other, too.
“The biggest thing for us is that our (players) played against each other and they’ve gotten to know each other and they’ve become friends.”
For Matt and Michael, golf is, and has always been, a family affair.
“We took family vacations to the beach and our dad used to take us and play golf,” Matt said. “And we really had some good times.
“Those times were really special.”
Matt and Michael’s father passed away a decade ago, and he has been sorely missed by his sons.
“Dad has been gone 10 years now and in a lot of ways that’s gotten harder for me,” Matt said. “It’s harder now, but Michael and I have really learned to lean on each other.”
The two wives also play a role in Michael and Matt’s lives on and off the course.
“When we get together after our matches, our wives usually come and always want to know how the kids did,” Michael said. “Matt’s wife has always been like my little sister, and we’re all good friends.”
Both Michael and Matt also have a background in math.
Michael, 46, graduated from Campbell County High School where he now teaches statistics.
“It’s tough but I enjoy it because most of my students are seniors,” he said. “Those kids are usually more focused because they’re really getting ready to go out into the world.”
Matt is an academic coach and mentor teacher in Anderson County Schools.
“I have a background in math,” said Matt, a graduate of J. Frank White Academy.
Matt always was near Michael in the world of sports.
Both played golf and basketball.
“He was always following me around,” Michael said. “It was always fun.”
That was obviously exciting for Matt.
“When we played basketball, I would get to go into the locker room and get to know the guys on the team,” Matt said.
Michael said he was the better basketball player, but also acknowledged that Matt was the better golfer.
“I remember the first time he beat me in basketball,” Michael said.
“I was 16, and he was like 11 or 12, and you would’ve thought that he won the NBA Finals.
“He usually beats me at golf, and when I do beat him, it’s like I won the Masters.”
