No one said coaches aren't entitled to make money. But to say a few thousand dollars in extra pay is the be all end all is incorrect. I know Jep and he does get paid handsomely in Georgia. But those jobs don't exist everywhere like everyone seems to think. And I do know a little bit about the retirement systems. Alabama and Georgia retirement starts off much cheaper than Kentucky for the same number of years worked. If you get to be a head coach it can balance out but not everyone falls in to those jobs so easily.

 

If you extrapolate teaching pay over what everyone else works that doesn't teach, we teachers are paid fairly well. No one is complaining about that. If a coach wants to do something to make more money by all means. But teaching and coaching in Kentucky is not as bad as some people are trying to make it out to be. You have to find where you are going to be happy and that should matter most of all.

 

Those jobs are all over the place. And numerous head coaches make over $100,000+ which is pretty dang good money for a teacher. Heck, I'm just a lowly Linebackers coach and I get more than the head coaches stipend in Louisville. As far as cost of living, unless you live inside the 285 perimeter it's pretty close plus I can get a lot more house for my dollar down here. And as far as retirement, we have one of the best in the nation.

 

But to each his own. I prefer coaching in Georgia but my heart belongs in Kentucky.

You might want to check on that retirement being one of the best in the nation. You get paid 10% less than Kentucky teachers for the same amount of time worked in retirement.

Great thread with several great points. Coach Prince will be missed at OHS and in the community in general. And YES, Owensboro did give their kids a month off during the summer. I remember when we had him in studio, we talked about how it was important to let kids be kids in the summer and not burn them out. I liked the idea of it for Owensboro but it may not fit every schools needs. I dont think that needs to be forced upon other schools in the state.

You might want to check on that retirement being one of the best in the nation. You get paid 10% less than Kentucky teachers for the same amount of time worked in retirement.

 

If you make 20% more or more down south then it works out. To be honest it's better to have the money while you're working so you can raise your kids than when you retire and all you spend your money on in Dairy Queen coffee and cart fees.

I will say this I am for KY football. I think we get a bad rap of not having football players in our state because so much is put on hoops. And yes the rules are made for Hoops here and our young men that play high school football know it. This is why a lot of young coaches go south where they can be somewhere where their sport is loved. In the south the boosters give xmas bonuses to the coaches but the supplements are all paid by the school district and they are excellent at most of the schools. I know a coach that interviewed at a school in Alabama several years ago and while he was interviewing he ask them some ?. How many coaches do I have? Answer 14! How many are in the school? Answer ALL OF THEM! How many coaches can I bring with me? Answer 14. What is the budget? Answer I don't understand the ?. Well how much money do I have to spend? Answer You get whatever you need to get! So you mean I can get a 7 man sled if I need it? Answer Coach you get whatever you need to win!!! What is the head coaches salary? Answer (This interview was in 2004) Coach you would make 95,000 with a truck and cell phone from the booster club!!! NOW down south the head ball coach(and that is football for some of you hoops fans) gets paid more than the other sports because they know his sport makes the most money for the school and the coaches put in far more time than the other sports. NOW WILL THIS EVER HAPPEN IN KY? I have no doubt that it WILL NOT, BUT money in this state can and should get better to get and keep more young coaches in our state. If you are going to have a sport then you should want to be the best at it and there are far to many school systems in our state that have it just to have it. And football is always the sport that gets screwed because it cost the most(but it also in most districts pays for the none rev sports)!

If you make 20% more or more down south then it works out. To be honest it's better to have the money while you're working so you can raise your kids than when you retire and all you spend your money on in Dairy Queen coffee and cart fees.

 

That's the point. You don't make 20% more. I looked it up this morning and my assistant coaching pay in Kentucky is higher than the assistant coaching pay in Gwinett, Fulton, and Cobb counties (the 3 largest school systems in GA I believe). Is there teacher pay higher, yes. Does that trump everything, no. Realize that Georgia is a much bigger state and has more money to go around. Coaching pay isn't changing in Ky. The red book isn't going away. We actually paying the price with the red book because of what some districts were doing with their basketball state tournament tickets. Kentucky coaches can get bonuses from boosters if they want to write the check.

 

Football is a higher priority in the south. That isn't changing. If the money issue is such a big deal for some of you then stop complaining and move! Let the rest of us poor folk work with our kids when we want and how we want instead of legislating and restricting our time. Stop focusing on issues that are controlled in Frankfort or at the district level that we have no control of. If you want to help young coaches, start a regional mentioning program so people have somewhere to go and get honest opinions of what the profession is like. Build relationships between young coaches and veteran coaches so the young guys can learn the ropes. Do something positive instead of whining and crying about how much better other people have it.

That is what we are talking about here! No one is crying but just stating facts. Joe was talking about coaches pay and that is what I am talking about and if you sit and don't have conversation about this it will never change. Rosa Parks sat up front on the bus did she not. Well had she kept going to the back what change would have taken place? I am just stating facts here, and the fact is that several young coaches that are from KY have gone south because they do love the game and the pay is better. And if you are getting paid more than those school districts you are most def in minority in KY. But the big money in GA isn't in the metro Atlanta area, it is in the rural areas. I know a coach in south Ga that is a DC that makes 85,000 with 2 weight lifting classes and never leaves the field house. His head coach makes 115,000 and has no classes. Most of those schools in GA give their coaches playoff bonuses. So yes we need to try and pay better to keep guys in our state and sitting on our hands will not gt it done. I think that is what Joe is talking about trying to get things changed. Will it change? Who knows but head coaches need to fight for it to.

Sports fan I agree that whining won't get it, but expectation versus investment has to be looked at as far as coaches' compensation goes. Especially when 40+ coaches are getting the axe every year.

 

You are suggesting a little of the "like it or lump it" attitude. Coaches can't do that or they will continuously be shoved even lower down the totem pole while people run around screaming why isn't football in Kentucky better? It follows the education mold. Criticize the people on the frontlines (teachers) and try to run them off hoping there are better people out there who are more qualified, but there isn't...well possibly but they sure as heck ain't coming to work for that little salary you offer.

 

oh yeah young guys don't listen. They believe they can do it better. This thread is about what 30 year coach says as he leaves the game and several of us have disputed what he is saying.

Oh man, is this kind of talk going to force me to join a coaches union? If so, I'm going to be the first to get out of the pick it line.

Oh man, is this kind of talk going to force me to join a coaches union? If so, I'm going to be the first to get out of the pick it line.

 

There isn't coaches Union ?

I'm not disagreeing with you too. I'm just saying coaching pay is out of our control. There is a lot more low hanging fruit (learning how to better run our programs, take care of and train our players, be smart with what we do in the summer, etc.) that will make things better and are much easier to achieve.

 

I agree the coaching turnover is high and a lot of that comes when districts don't care about football. But know that turnover also comes with raised expectations as well. At least 56 head coaching openings in GA (out of 437 schools, 13%) and 60 in AL (out of 378 schools, 16%). I know kentucky's numbers are higher percentage wise, but there is a lot of turnover no matter where you coach. I think Kentucky is around 19%.

I'm not disagreeing with you too. I'm just saying coaching pay is out of our control. There is a lot more low hanging fruit (learning how to better run our programs, take care of and train our players, be smart with what we do in the summer, etc.) that will make things better and are much easier to achieve.

 

I agree the coaching turnover is high and a lot of that comes when districts don't care about football. But know that turnover also comes with raised expectations as well. At least 56 head coaching openings in GA (out of 437 schools, 13%) and 60 in AL (out of 378 schools, 16%). I know kentucky's numbers are higher percentage wise, but there is a lot of turnover no matter where you coach. I think Kentucky is around 19%.

 

Coach Prince said some of those things and initially we don't like to read them, but I bet Haywood and others would tell you some of the same things.

 

High expectation less compensation and more chance of getting fired

I'm not disagreeing with you too. I'm just saying coaching pay is out of our control. There is a lot more low hanging fruit (learning how to better run our programs, take care of and train our players, be smart with what we do in the summer, etc.) that will make things better and are much easier to achieve.

 

I agree the coaching turnover is high and a lot of that comes when districts don't care about football. But know that turnover also comes with raised expectations as well. At least 56 head coaching openings in GA (out of 437 schools, 13%) and 60 in AL (out of 378 schools, 16%). I know kentucky's numbers are higher percentage wise, but there is a lot of turnover no matter where you coach. I think Kentucky is around 19%.

 

I don't disagree with everything you say but I do know that in those states you mention they give the head ball coach everything or at least everything he needs to win. And if they get fired after they have the things they need well they cant really complain. But in KY most coaches don't get everything they need to win and that is what I think coaches in this state need to fight for.

Football is the only sports that doesn't play year round! Baseball and hoops is year round, football has 1 month of 7 on 7 and 10 spring practices days.

Yep. (Less then one month of 7 on 7, only a few weeks really)

 

Nothing agains Coach Prince, but why is it that you never hear of baseball and basketball coaches/fans wanting their season shortened?

 

Here comes the inevitable, "Football is rough" comment. But, we are talking more about non-contact stuff here.

Yep. (Less then one month of 7 on 7, only a few weeks really)

 

Nothing agains Coach Prince, but why is it that you never hear of baseball and basketball coaches/fans wanting their season shortened?

 

Here comes the inevitable, "Football is rough" comment. But, we are talking more about non-contact stuff here.

 

Yes sir. Football doesn't even come close to the time demands that bball and baseball put on kids.