Barth was the Middle School coach at Woodland before taking over at Walton Verona. That's worked out pretty well.

Good point!

I did this one time as an AD & was only due to a late resignation (summer) & the coaches availability @ that time (they were a teacher in my building @ that time) The difference between Middle School & High School was too much of a gap for this particular coach to reel everything in & he seemed like he was drowning from day 1. The total job was just overwhelming on the scale of how everything increased in the workload.

 

In no way am I saying that it can't be done, if they are highly organized, pay attention to details, can strike a balance between the program & the booster club & community supporters & be able to coordinate an increase in coaches/players/parent involvement, etc..... they can make it. Unfortunately my guy couldn't get it done & I quickly had to move on from that experiment. Hired the right guy the next time & he is still bringing the program back to a competitive level.

I couldn't agree more ! Well said ! I believe the feeder teams , and middle school teams should implement the offense that the varsity is running . The Varsity coach should have his say in what the youth is being taught under his program. This helps better prepare the kids , and they already got a grasp on things . I would love to see Woodland Middle and Scott High do this , maybe even junior level Taylormill Eagles too in Nkyfl.

 

This works until your MS team feeds multiple high schools.......then it doesnt.

Very true, but that isn't the norm across our state.

If you mean by oversee: schedule, budget, train coaches, ensure transportation, purchase equipment, and anything else a football team needs plus run his own varsity program that guy is amazing!

 

If you mean hire the right guy to do those things and be there to support as oversee that's a little more common.

 

I would hope that most guys do that.

I've seen quite a few varsity coaches on the sidelines of the Jr. High team. I've seen varsity coaches "coaching" the Jr. High coaches one on one. I know of several area varsity coaches that dictate what equipment, fundraisers, offense, defense and starting positions to the their Jr. High coaches.

 

I'm sure it's different in every school district, just some things I've observed.

So your HS coaches run your middle school programs there ?

 

It depends on the school system. In the larger counties we have junior programs so any kid from any area can sign up and play for that team. The team I coach for are the Warriors. Our junior program goes by the Junior Warriors. Our head coach runs everything for them but scheduling because the league handles that.

 

The smaller counties tend to use middle school programs and the high school coaches have a large influence over them.

A. He could be the best candidate for the job. (He could be an outstanding coach, or there is something else in his resume that you don't know about)

B. Nobody else will take the job.

C. We take HS football more seriously than the administration of that particular school does. (this happens way more than you think)

Right now Joe Gibbs is coaching his grand kids little league team. Mike Glaser is coaching youth ball in Louisville. HS coaches all over the state who have kids are helping out with their kids youth teams. Retired coaches are coaching middle schools in some places. A really good middle school coach can make a really good coach. As someone else mentioned a head middle school coach sometimes is doing scheduling, finances, boosters, practice and game planning in a way that some high school assistants have not been exposed to. Thats my take on why it doesn't have to be a red flag. I also don't trust 90% of administrators to know what they are doing and in a general sense the average MS head coach is NOT qualified to be a HS head coach.

I bet that the team name isn't the Cowboys, if Gibbs is the coach! :no:

 

Right now Joe Gibbs is coaching his grand kids little league team. Mike Glaser is coaching youth ball in Louisville. HS coaches all over the state who have kids are helping out with their kids youth teams. Retired coaches are coaching middle schools in some places. A really good middle school coach can make a really good coach. As someone else mentioned a head middle school coach sometimes is doing scheduling, finances, boosters, practice and game planning in a way that some high school assistants have not been exposed to. Thats my take on why it doesn't have to be a red flag. I also don't trust 90% of administrators to know what they are doing and in a general sense the average MS head coach is NOT qualified to be a HS head coach.

It truly depends on what their experience is...if they only coached middle school football then I would have problem with them being hired as the head football coach. I would want someone with experience on the high school level.

Very rare that this is a good deciscion. Keep an eye on programs who do this and see where it takes them, I have experience with a few in the past and its been a struggle. But there are always exceptions.

I know a current middle school coach who came in 2nd to Coach French for the Southwestern job (the "back-up plan" if you will). I only say that because it came from sources I trust who were "in the know" with the hiring committee. Knocked the interview out of the park, best of all the applicants including French I was told. You just can't turn down a GREAT coach like French. Ended up being a great hire for them. The same MS coach has had his interest gauged from two other high school programs in the area as well. One coach reached out while contemplating retirement and one AD inquired assuming his coach would take another job opportunity, all prior to the 2014 season. Both coaches ended up staying. I would say many of the elite middle school coaches are at least seriously considered for head high school coaching jobs.

 

On another note, Coach Haddix will do great at Corbin. However, I could very easily have seen Coach Jackson (current Corbin MS coach) take over that program and be just as successful. Great coach and even better guy.

Two schools in Louisville hired MS coaches over the past two seasons. I know Valley was one...can't think of the other.

 

Point is the better ms programs across the state run like a varsity program, and if I'm hiring and the best candidate is a guy who coaches at the level, but has shown he knows what's up, it's not crazy to go with him.

 

Looking for the better ones? check out KYMSFA and look at the teams that compete and win in that association consistently. Those are not people who show up in August, throw out the footballs, and say let's get it boys!

Barth was the Middle School coach at Woodland before taking over at Walton Verona. That's worked out pretty well.

Has it? I don't follow them, so I am not sure how things have been going.

It truly depends on what their experience is...if they only coached middle school football then I would have problem with them being hired as the head football coach. I would want someone with experience on the high school level.

 

True, but as far as an assistant goes, many are ready for the HS level. I know of instances where coaches went from Youth League to HS Assistants and never missed a beat. Head Coach is a totally different animal.