Chris was an assistant under Nancy Winstel at NKU and and former head coach at Seton and St. Ursula in Cincinnati. He also served as a coach at many grade school levels and AAU teams in the area. Welcome Chris to Fort Mitchell and best of luck with the Lady Tigers.

Great coach, great hire

Chris is an outstanding basketball coach. He was one of the best coaches in Cincinnati years ago. He was the victim of some dirty political moves at one of the high schools several years back, but Chris took the high road and never said a negative thing about the school. Beechwood is fortunate to have him as their coach. If the players are willing to listen, Chris will make them a contender in the 9th Region.

I remember watching ICN6 in the '90's and at times Don Weber, Tom Gamble, Richard Skinner and I believe a guy named Chris Gramke appeared on a show call "The Press Box". Would this be the same gentleman?

I remember watching ICN6 in the '90's and at times Don Weber, Tom Gamble, Richard Skinner and I believe a guy named Chris Gramke appeared on a show call "The Press Box". Would this be the same gentleman?

 

Yes, it's the same Chris Gramke. At that time, Chris was the sports editor of the Recorder Newspaper and he appeared with Tom Gamble and Don Weber on The Press Box. Chris left the Recorder Newspaper to become Nancy Winstel's top assistant coach at NKU. What many might not remember is Chris, Don Weber and Tom Gamble pointed out the flaws and political agendas that were driving the push for NKU football on The Press Box and informed viewers of all the wrongdoings of NKU interim president Jack Moreland and Bill Erpenbeck. As we know, NKU football and Moreland were punted, and Erpenbeck is in prison. People in N. Ky. were lucky to have three reporters like Chris Gramke, Tom Gamble, Don Weber all exposing the wrongs of the push for NKU football.

I remember watching ICN6 in the '90's and at times Don Weber, Tom Gamble, Richard Skinner and I believe a guy named Chris Gramke appeared on a show call "The Press Box". Would this be the same gentleman?

 

Chris was also Nancy Winstel's assistant coach for NKU's 2000 national championship team in Division II. While Chris was an assistant at NKU, they won several Great Lakes titles and went to the elite eight a few times.

I think it's a great hire. But I think the real question still exists...will they have enough to have a varsity program? As I would qualify everything I'm hearing as rumors, I still keep hearing they may not have enough kids interested to field a team. I've heard all kinds of scenarios, but when I talk to some that I feel may be in the know, there is still some hesitancy they will have enough.

 

I don't say this in a negative tone. I am just really curious. They have some really nice players and I would hate to see them lose out because the stuck with it and then aren't able to have a season.

I think it's a great hire. But I think the real question still exists...will they have enough to have a varsity program? As I would qualify everything I'm hearing as rumors, I still keep hearing they may not have enough kids interested to field a team. I've heard all kinds of scenarios, but when I talk to some that I feel may be in the know, there is still some hesitancy they will have enough.

 

I don't say this in a negative tone. I am just really curious. They have some really nice players and I would hate to see them lose out because the stuck with it and then aren't able to have a season.

 

That's why Chris Gramke was a great hire. He has already reached out to a number of the players and potential players. Chris will have more than enough players as far as numbers. The parents and boosters were thrilled with the choice as coach. His experience and basketball Xs and Os will make Beechwood competitive in a hurry.

That's why Chris Gramke was a great hire. He has already reached out to a number of the players and potential players. Chris will have more than enough players as far as numbers. The parents and boosters were thrilled with the choice as coach. His experience and basketball Xs and Os will make Beechwood competitive in a hurry.

 

Define "competitive" and give a timeframe.

Define "competitive" and give a timeframe.

 

Competitive means Chris Gramke will instill a system that makes Beechwood play to its full potential and with great intensity, regardless of the opponent. Chris will not stand pat and watch Beechwood lose 10 of its last 12 games, something the Tigers did this past season. The wins will take care of themselves because there are a number of poorly coached teams in the 9th Region who have talent. Beechwood was winless against district opponents last season. That could change in a hurry once Chris implements his system and the players adapt to the style of play.

arguably a Top 5 player in the region, some youngsters, and some lazy from what I remember seeing.

Competitive means Chris Gramke will instill a system that makes Beechwood play to its full potential and with great intensity, regardless of the opponent. Chris will not stand pat and watch Beechwood lose 10 of its last 12 games, something the Tigers did this past season. The wins will take care of themselves because there are a number of poorly coached teams in the 9th Region who have talent. Beechwood was winless against district opponents last season. That could change in a hurry once Chris implements his system and the players adapt to the style of play.

 

I'm sure he's an outstanding coach. But they have 4 returning players. And you're putting a lot of pressure on a guy that is coaching at a small school that is not traditionally loaded with Bball talent. Yes, they have a specatuilar player in Johnson and I would consider the region a little down next year, but when you have to go asking kids to play (regardless what the situation was last year) you are not pulling kids out of the stands that have a ton of talent or obviously have the passion for Bball. If they did, they would have been on the roster last year. You might be able to pull in a couple athletes, but I'm not sure how that puts them over the top that fast. Calipari has a system, but he's playing that system with d2 talent, he ain't winning anything. Not comparing beechwoods 4 returners to that because I think they are nice players. But the others will be a little suspect for the fact that they took a whole year off. And my guess if you didn't play high school, you weren't in a gym or playing AAU while you were out.

 

All I'm saying is, it sounds like your expectations may be a little too high a little too soon.

All I'm saying is, it sounds like your expectations may be a little too high a little too soon.

 

I didn't say Beechwood was going to win the 9th Region, I said they will be competitive. A Gramke-coached team will play hard, be fundamentally sound and well-prepared. With some decent talent thrown in at Beechwood, and given how poorly some of the teams in the 9th Region are coached, Chris will make an impact sooner than later.

 

Gramke is also a person who doesn't back down from a challenge. As I mentioned in an earlier post above, Chris, Tom Gamble, and Don Weber literally smashed the proposed NKU football program to pieces years ago on the TV show The Press Box. Chris called out Bill Erpenbeck on one of the shows and said something like "Erpenbeck's construction company will get the right to build the NKU football field" to expose the travesty that was being pushed. Many of the NKU people were extremely pleased with Chris, so much they hired him as an assistant basketball coach despite the protests of some of the "football crowd" at NKU. He never backed down from those people, football got the boot from incoming NKU prez Jim Votruba, and nobody ever heard from them again. What I'm saying is, Chris Gramke is a remarkable person who wins at everything he does. Beechwood is getting a great coach.

I'm sure he's an outstanding coach. But they have 4 returning players.

 

I can assure you Chris Gramke will have a full squad when practice begins. I'm a Holmes graduate and have no (Bull)dog in the Beechwood fight, but I would not want to play Beechwood in an elimination game at district time once Gramke gets his system implemented. Check out his record at both Seton and St. Ursula and you will understand why.

I can assure you Chris Gramke will have a full squad when practice begins. I'm a Holmes graduate and have no (Bull)dog in the Beechwood fight, but I would not want to play Beechwood in an elimination game at district time once Gramke gets his system implemented. Check out his record at both Seton and St. Ursula and you will understand why.

 

 

I get it. But beechwood is not Seton and st Ursala. They just don't get the number of athletes as they do at those schools. Beechwood could hire Calipari and its still gonna be tough. Will they get better, sure! Is he a great coach? Sure! But any system needs the athletes to support it. I'm not trying to hound Beechwood at all. It's an outstanding school. But it's a small school that isn't known for girls Basketball. You can't just make kids play that have no interest and you can't always turn athletes into Bball players. They just don't have a lot of kids to choose from. So it's not like the other schools you mentioned that have athletes bursting at the seams. If you are a decent coach and have several athletes to choose from, you should be successful at a large private school that has outstanding support. That doesn't mean it translates to beechwood. Heck, they only have 4 players!! Not four returning starters, 4 returning players!! I'm sure he'll turn them around, but unless kids are going to transfer in there after years of success, it's still a small school that must compete against much larger schools and Bball is not their tradition right now. Maybe he can change that, but I think it will take more time than you think. And after this year they lose Johnson who is really the reason they are as good S they are now. Without defenses focusing on her, they would put a lot of pressure on kids to perform that have benefited from Johnson being on the court. That's not easy to do. Johnson has to score for Beechwood, but she's really a kid that loves to distribute and get the entire team involved. But it requires your entire defense to know where she is at all times. When she's gone, that's focus goes elsewhere and I just don't see Bball talent pouring into beechwood. Again, not trying to bang on them, it is what it is. Maybe he can change that over time. I always want to see a good coach and a great team succeed. Just feels like you're a little overzealous.