John McCoy has always been interested in clay. At the age of seventeen, with his father's help, he built his first kickwheel, and learned to use it in the family's  garage. In  college, his major was history, but took an elective in ceramics, and never looked back. He graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor of Fine Art and continued his education  at the University of Montana where he received a Masters degree in ceramics. He now lives in Florida where for the past 36 years, he has taught at Florida Atlantic University.