He was most recently the DC at EKU. Been a college coach for 20+ years. Larue County native and played there.

 

 

Congratulations and good luck to Coach Hatmaker. He's inheriting a good group of kids.

Quality man and quality coach. Heard there was some good interest

I can't imagine leaving college to return to LaRue County as a head coach. That is a great hire for any high school! Best of luck to coach Hatmaker!

I have known Coach Hatmaker for over 20+ years and this is a great hire. He will make a huge impact because of the understanding of what the expectations are for a winning program. Coming from EKU they expect to WIN. I am also happy for a guy that gets to come home and make a difference in his community, raise his family, and make an impact in the lives of others. Best of Luck to Coach Hatmaker.

Best of Luck to Larue! Was this in the making before Jaggers was let go?

Best of Luck to Larue! Was this in the making before Jaggers was let go?

 

I think it had to have been. Why else would the super fire a coach on his own unless he had someone else in mind that he knew would take over the job? Too risky. This appears to be a great hire and maybe a way for the super to take less heat over what a lot of people feel was a mistake. Like I said earlier Coach Hatmaker inherits a good group of players.

na Tony would have had no part of that I can assure you of that!!! Larue is getting a heck of a coach and a better man. I still don't like what they did to coach Jaggers but Tony would have told them no way if all that was going down.

Great hire. He was a good football player in the 80's at LC and went on to have a good career at Union, where he started as a GA as well. Tony had reportedly been at several LaRue games this season even though they have no current college prospects...you can read into that something or nothing, depends on your paradigm. I am always a fan of a man returning home whenever it's possible. He's certainly getting a VERY good group of young kids. Best of luck in Hawk Country.

I don't think he would have been at several because college coaches can only go to so many of the same schools game. I don't see Dean Hood who is the coach that recruits the state for EKU would let him go to several especially if they don't have any college players.

I don't think he would have been at several because college coaches can only go to so many of the same schools game. I don't see Dean Hood who is the coach that recruits the state for EKU would let him go to several especially if they don't have any college players.

 

Don't disagree at all eagle, which begs IF (and I can only go on eye witness accounts since I was not there), then that begs a question of why he would attend, unless he knew he was done after this year regardless. Which could be the case and he attended only as a fan of his former school...or the people who thought they saw him were mistaken (could certainly be the case). Or he attended knowing he was done at the college level regardless (I know there is a lot of stress and factors that could cause a guy to wanna be out of that business or to focus on his family) and the super had an interest in brining him home since Jaggers was never his top choice anyway. Just fat to chew on. Which is all needless banter anyway since he's the new leader of the program. So with that, I wish them the best of luck. Any idea on the assistant coaches he will bring with him?

I think it had to have been. Why else would the super fire a coach on his own unless he had someone else in mind that he knew would take over the job? Too risky. This appears to be a great hire and maybe a way for the super to take less heat over what a lot of people feel was a mistake. Like I said earlier Coach Hatmaker inherits a good group of players.

 

I wouldn't be to sure about that. At the end of the day I think it was Jagger's win-lose record that got him fired. I'm sure they could have found some coaches better or as good as Jagger's to apply. But it could have been rumblings that he wanted to come home and the adminstration at Larue went after him.

 

And reading his bio on the EKU football website he has a 7 and 5 year old sons. So it's a great chance to comeback home and raise his kids. It's probably close to impossible to raise a family while coaching college football.

Anybody have a link to The News Enterprise Article on the hire? I tried posting from their website, but I don't have a paid subscription. I was told, though, that the article more or less spoke highly of Hatmaker (as it should), while at the same time talking about what he was inheriting. I heard it actually named all 11-12 freshmen and sophmores that started this past year, as well as talking about the Middle School teams the last two years being large in numbers and playing in the in two consecutive conference finals and the large numbers & overall shape of the youth league program.

 

...the sounds of an interesting tone for sure.

 

A home run hire for sure for any program, but especially one like Larue County. His hometown or not.

Don't disagree at all eagle, which begs IF (and I can only go on eye witness accounts since I was not there), then that begs a question of why he would attend, unless he knew he was done after this year regardless. Which could be the case and he attended only as a fan of his former school...or the people who thought they saw him were mistaken (could certainly be the case). Or he attended knowing he was done at the college level regardless (I know there is a lot of stress and factors that could cause a guy to wanna be out of that business or to focus on his family) and the super had an interest in brining him home since Jaggers was never his top choice anyway. Just fat to chew on. Which is all needless banter anyway since he's the new leader of the program. So with that, I wish them the best of luck. Any idea on the assistant coaches he will bring with him?

 

I could see that but IF EKU had won 10 or 11 games gone deeper in the playoffs I think Dean Hood Wouldve gotten a D1 head job which would have paid the asst 4 times what they were making at EKU so I really don't think the Larue job was on his mind. They won 9 but I speculate that had they won 2 more or gone to 3rd round of playoffs it would have been big pay day for the staff at bigger school. But you are right they got a good one.

Dean Hood was the top Choice for the Vanderbilt Defensive Coordinator Spot as well as the Head Coach of Youngstown State. EKU wants to get on the big stage with the other Division I programs and may have missed their window of opportunity. At this point with a 5 and 7 year old Coach Hatmaker is doing what many do at this stage. He going somewhere where he can make a difference in a young persons life. At the college level after a while you realize that it is about winning and nothing else. He will have a huge impact.

It is about winning anywhere high school or college! If it wasn't Coach Jaggers would still have a job don't let any admin or at least most of them tell you any diff. How many great guys have you seen stay somewhere that had losing records but they were good guys. Doesn't happen.