Prep Sports Notebook: Former basketball coach restarts career after seven-year layoff | NKyTribune

Ray Kues is returning to coaching after a seven-year layoff to take charge of the Boone County girls’ basketball program.

Kues, 58, left coaching after the 2008-09 season, but he still ranks among the top 20 in career wins in Kentucky girls’ high school basketball with a 450-231 record in 25 years at three schools.

Ray Kues

He’ll be resuming his career with a Boone County program that has a long history of success. The Rebels have been a perennial contender in the 9th Region playoffs, claiming 12 championship and seven runner-up trophies over the last 34 years.

“People have been asking me ever since I stopped coaching, ‘Would you go back to it,’ and I said it would have to be the perfect fit for me, beginning with support of the (school) administration,” Kues said.

Boone County school officials chose a seasoned veteran for the head coaching job this time after hiring a first-year head coach last year. Jessica Wendeln resigned after just one season with the Rebels, who posted an 11-16 record and lost in the first round of the 33rd District playoffs last February.

Kues scheduled a meeting with the returning Boone County basketball players on Friday to give them in idea of what lies ahead.

“I’ll tell them I’m still passionate about the sport and excited to be coaching again and that I’ll give it 100 percent,” he said. “I’m not going to be talking about wins or losses or anything about the season. We’re just going to love to play basketball.”

Kues started his head coaching career at St. Henry in 1984. He went to Bishop Brossart in 1991 and coached teams that won the Kentucky All “A” Classic small-school championship in 1991 and the 10th Region post-season tournament in 2001.

After stepping down as Brossart’s head coach, Kues took charge of the Silver Grove girls’ basketball program and got it back to competing on the varsity level.

Kues, who now works for a company that makes brackets for jet engines, has been inducted into the Greater Cincinnati Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame and he’s a member of the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches Court of Honor. The only Northern Kentucky girls’ basketball coaches who have more career wins than him are Bill Goller of Holy Cross and Nell Fookes of Boone County.

The gym floor at Boone County High School was named in honor of Fookes, who retired after the 2014-15 season with a 686-255 record in 30 years with the Rebels. She ranks third in career wins in Kentucky girls’ high school basketball.

“I’m not looking to fill Nell Fookes shoes because I can’t do that, but I think my own coaching style will speak for itself,” Kues said. “I have no question about my ability to coach.”

Kues said two former Boone County players will be on his coaching staff. Molly Hug will be the varsity assistant and Angel Miller will coach the junior varsity team next season.

I met coach Kues about 8 years ago. Seemed. Like a nice guy who knew a lot about the game. I hope he does well.

This should be interesting. Good luck to Coach Kues

A very short tenure for Coach Kues at Boone Cty.

A very short tenure for Coach Kues at Boone Cty.

 

 

Out?

So what exactly is the issue here?

That's what I read in the Boone Cty/Cooper thread Clyde unless I misunderstood. Correct me if I'm wrong.

That's what I read in the Boone Cty/Cooper thread Clyde unless I misunderstood. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

 

Wow. Just saw that. Seems pretty clear.

Not listed on the school's website or with the state's website yet, but with three people all seeming to confirm the story, it sounds hard to refute. @Budman @Dirty Dave @N2thepaint have any of you heard anything further?

@justsayin, do you have any insight?

The girls were only told he would not be at the game. I'm not sure of exactly what happened but he wasn't there for the district game and I am now hearing he will not be back.

Perhaps after being out of coaching for several years, Coach Kues got a culture shock when confronted with all the demands of being a HC, and, the increased time required to do the job. That makes two HCs in a row that could not last a year.

Thats a shame if it's true I thought givin some time Ray could have had done a good job there.

I got wind of this in January. Not whole day of game thing, but that he would not be back.

 

I wish him the best. I think he is a pretty good coach.

I've gone ahead and started a thread for discussion of the open job at Boone:

 

Open Job: Boone County