I do not think there is such a thing as "Greatest Head Coach" in high school football. Many of the coaches mentioned would struggle at particular schools but would develop boys and advance the program to the best of their ability. That might be a 5-5 team every year. Would not make them any less "great" than winning state titles year after year.

Very well said.:thumb:

Very well said.:thumb:

 

I also agree with frank. He is spot on in his analysis in my opinion. The head coach that turns around the lives of troubled youth, but has a losing record, is a great coach to me.

To me it's Dale Mueller because of this.....

 

1995 Season: 11-4

HHS 42 Leslie County 44 L

HHS 24 Campbell County 0 W

HHS 25 Covington Holmes 27 L

HHS 28 Newport Central Catholic 6 W

HHS 27 Scott 3 W

HHS 42 Conner 6 W

HHS 48 Covington Catholic 18 W

HHS 43 Dixie Heights 12 W

HHS 3 Ryle 27 L

HHS 41 Simon Kenton 14 W

HHS 40 Lawrence County 20 W

HHS 3 Covington Catholic 0 W

HHS 13 Covington Holmes 6 W

HHS 47 Leslie County 12 W

HHS 12 Bowling Green 28 L

 

Highlands started the playoffs as a #3 seed and had to travel to Lawrence Co. And then the following Sat at a traditional sloppy Wooten Field. Highlands loses their starting QB the following week in a win at home against some say the arguably best Holmes team in school history. Then proceed to dismantle Tim Couch & Leslie Co. at home before they run into a College-like freight train Bowling Green team in the finals. I knew then and there what kind of treat we were in with Dale Mueller in just his 2nd year at Highalnds. The DUDE.CAN.COACH!

Who got caught cheating?

 

1996 Class 3A State Semi-Finals. I wasn't going to revisit such a debacle but since you insisted. Lets put it this way, the chain gang started the game on the Highlands sidelines and then finished the game on Bell Co's sidelines. Lets just say they had some insider info......:lol: thus having them removed and relocated to a non-bearing point of view......

 

I always wondered if it was a coincidence why Dudley shortly after the 1996 season left Bell Co. for Bourban Co. only to return back to Bell Co a few years later. Why did he leave? Would someone care to enlighten me....:lol:

 

I surely don't think it's because he was accused of watering the field down. That was put to bed a long time ago when someone said that a "Natural" spring was coming off of "Pine Mountain" and that was why it was nicknamed the "Swamp":taz:

Who got caught cheating?

 

Hilton. Chain gang tilted the chain forward for a run, back for a pass, left, right...

Hilton. Chain gang tilted the chain forward for a run, back for a pass, left, right...

 

Really?? Wow! That's worse than Belichick.

To me it's Dale Mueller because of this.....

 

1995 Season: 11-4

HHS 42 Leslie County 44 L

HHS 24 Campbell County 0 W

HHS 25 Covington Holmes 27 L

HHS 28 Newport Central Catholic 6 W

HHS 27 Scott 3 W

HHS 42 Conner 6 W

HHS 48 Covington Catholic 18 W

HHS 43 Dixie Heights 12 W

HHS 3 Ryle 27 L

HHS 41 Simon Kenton 14 W

HHS 40 Lawrence County 20 W

HHS 3 Covington Catholic 0 W

HHS 13 Covington Holmes 6 W

HHS 47 Leslie County 12 W

HHS 12 Bowling Green 28 L

 

Highlands started the playoffs as a #3 seed and had to travel to Lawrence Co. And then the following Sat at a traditional sloppy Wooten Field. Highlands loses their starting QB the following week in a win at home against some say the arguably best Holmes team in school history. Then proceed to dismantle Tim Couch & Leslie Co. at home before they run into a College-like freight train Bowling Green team in the finals. I knew then and there what kind of treat we were in with Dale Mueller in just his 2nd year at Highalnds. The DUDE.CAN.COACH!

 

Great post!!! Dale Mueller built Highlands into the program it is today. The year before he got to Highlands, they lost in the second round of the playoffs to Conner and there were only about 30 players on the Highlands football team. The tradition was always there, but he took Highlands to a new level.

I think another thing to consider when looking at this is how many times has the coach in question has been knocked out of the playoffs by the team that did not win state?

 

quickslick, any chance you can do this for Coach Yeagle?

 

I wonder on Mueller and Beatty too?

 

Beatty....2004 - Dixie..that's it.

Hilton. Chain gang tilted the chain forward for a run, back for a pass, left, right...

 

While that is rampant cheating, it is pretty clever.

This thread reminds me of the best coach at any level of football who I met personally. He is the High School coach at the school my wife graduated from many years ago. He also has numerous players that went on to play in the NFL, the most recent is one of the NFL's best receivers in AJ Green. This coach coaches for a public school and has had 2 more schools open in the area over the last few years which depleted his number of players. Yet even with the new school openings taking players away from him he was still able to get his 600th win this past season which is the most at any level of Football.

 

Not only does he have double digit state titles but also a handful of Coach of the Year awards and I'm not talking about just local or state COY awards but National Coach of the year awards, but I do have some staggering stats to share with you all about this man. He has coached 60 years now and has averaged over 10 wins a season during that time. He has only had 2 losing seasons in that entire time frame which is what is the most amazing stat for me. He may not be a coach in KY but this thread got me thinking about the best HS coach period and he was the only one that made my list.

 

The best coach ever is John McKissick Head coach for Summerville H.S in South Carolina

Okay, what about Hillard Howard at Pikeville who won state championships in 87,88 and 89.

Okay, what about Hillard Howard at Pikeville who won state championships in 87,88 and 89.

 

Oh Stop!

I think another thing to consider when looking at this is how many times has the coach in question has been knocked out of the playoffs by the team that did not win state?

 

Dale Mueller's teams have been knocked out of the playoffs by just five different teams. Only twice (2002, 2002) did he lose to a non-state champion:

 

1994 – Lost to CovCath in second round. The Colonels won the State Championship.

1995 – State Runner-up to Bowling Green.

1997 – Lost to CovCath in the Regional Final. The Colonels won the State Championship.

2001 – Lost to CovCath in the second round. The Colonels lost in the State Semi-Final to Rockcastle County.

2002 – Lost to Rockcastle Co. in the State Semi-Finals. The Rockets lost the State Championship to Boyle County.

2003 – State Runner-up to Boyle County.

2005 – Lost to LexCath in the Regional Final. LexCath went on to defeat Rockcastle Co. and Bowling Green to win the State Championship.

2006 – Lost to CovCath in the second Round. The Colonels won the State Championship.

My pick would be Garnis Martin at Bardstown, Won in Football and basketball.

Great Man to Boot.

To me, the greatest high school coach of all-time would have to be someone with a great lasting impact on the game. Win and championships are a must, but it is more than that. Due to this statement I must go with Homer Rice.

 

I have read every book he ever wrote, by the way..... And I am in no way a Highlands fan.... Just love to study the game.