Soot-covered coal miner goes viral for taking family to basketball game straight after shift

‘From what I’ve been told, after his shift, he raced to be with his son and watch our team’

A coal mine worker in Kentucky has gone viral on social media after photos emerged of him attending a University of Kentucky Wildcats practice game with his son, straight in his work uniform.

In the photo, Michael McGuire can be seen sitting with his son in the stands at Saturday’s Blue-White game that was played in Pikeville in eastern Kentucky, reported CNN.

He can be seen wearing his uniform while he appears to be covered in coal dust.

The photo was shared by coach John Calipari, who also expressed his admiration for Mr McGuire’s love for his son.

“My family’s American dream started in a Clarksburg, WV coal mine, so this picture hits home,” he said in a tweet.

“From what I’ve been told, after his shift, he raced to be with his son and watch our team. Don’t know who this is, but I have tickets for him and his family at Rupp to be treated as VIPs!!”

The photo was subsequently shared on several Wildcats pages on Facebook to help connect the coach with Mr McGuire.

Mr McGuire said he was working in a mine when the photo went viral.

“When I got out and got service on my way home, it went crazy. I couldn’t believe that it was real,” he was quoted as saying to WKYT.

He said that on Saturday, he had very little time to get to the basketball game to be with his son.

“It was either go straight there or miss half the game to go home and take a shower and everything,” he said.

He added that his son Easton was looking forward to his first Kentucky basketball game and was happy that they could watch it together.

“He had a blast. He was dancing, and every time they would do a slam dunk, he would go crazy.”

He added that he spoke to Mr Calipari on Monday evening.

“It’s mind-blowing that everybody came together like that,” he said.