I don't argue he is a very good coach, but couldn't it be argued that a lot of other coaches could have possible had similar success at Trinity?

 

You could argue it, but you'd be wrong.

Dale .....Oh you mean active?

Stefan LeFors should be in the discussion IMO

Stefan LeFors should be in the discussion IMO

 

He likely will be when all is said and done, but it will take some time to get into the discussion with the names mentioned above. While he has made CAL a consistent 2A power, it takes more than 1 title to get into this group.

 

I would be shocked if he doesn't do more in time though. He is good.

The best coaches are the ones who consistently fields teams that play hard and compete to win vs anyone on their schedule each year regardless of talent level. They may or may not have a ring but they have the die hard loyalty of the young men who played for him. Give me those guys. Chief Smoke Buchanan. Johnny Poynter. Ray Graham. Those are a few names that come to mind.

I think if you start with Beatty and Haywood you can't go wrong.

 

I have heard people say "well Beatty had a Porsche". I say well he Made it a Bugatti.

I know a lot of guys that would of totaled the Porsche.

 

Very well stated

I'd throw someone else in the discussion. Haywood is obviously a great man and coach, but he stood on the shoulders of giants before him. Jim Matney took a program on the verge of collapsing, made it relevant, then made it a powerhouse, then won a state title. Before that, he pioneered a program with no history into a perennial contender year in and out at Sheldon Clark. The man can coach football, and he isn't finished yet.

 

People may have their judgments on Matney and even some of his antics make me grit my teeth, but if I were starting a program from scratch I am not sure there is a coach in Kentucky that could build it into a perennial Top 5 program faster than Matney.

 

For all the detractors of Matney it stands on itself that the man knows how to win football games and his players would run through a brick wall for him.

 

I am not sure he has earned the privilege of being on the short list of Hall of Fame Coaches, but he is definitely and unquestionably a Top 10 active coach

Not taking away these guys. I think the loyalty is great. But UNFORTUNATELY, that's not what the question nor do we measure the success of a coach.

 

1. Wins

2. Titles

 

Are what they are measured by. I don't like it either, but that's the way it is.

But when one looks at which Coach has done the most with the least...Who's the Best Coach in KY? Poynter is a very good pick. Beatty, Mueller, Morris (dad and son) the guys from Russell and Belfry...yep. GREAT picks. I'm sticking with Coach Smart at Grayson County.

But when one looks at which Coach has done the most with the least...Who's the Best Coach in KY? Poynter is a very good pick. Beatty, Mueller, Morris (dad and son) the guys from Russell and Belfry...yep. GREAT picks. I'm sticking with Coach Smart at Grayson County.

 

Not arguing because I really know nothing about him. Please tell us why you think he's the best coach.

But when one looks at which Coach has done the most with the least...Who's the Best Coach in KY? Poynter is a very good pick. Beatty, Mueller, Morris (dad and son) the guys from Russell and Belfry...yep. GREAT picks. I'm sticking with Coach Smart at Grayson County.

 

I am sure Poynter is a great coach as he is surely respected by his peers, but I cannot put him in the same breathe as Beatty, Haywood, Wallace, Matney, etc

 

Poynter has bounced around from different schools but I am not sure I recall seeing one of his teams reach a Semi-Finals.

 

Poynter is a good coach at rebuilding a program and making them competitive. He got the ball rolling at Bourbon County before Hodge took them the next step. He got the ball rolling at Pike Central before Chris McNamee took them a step further. Now he is helping Bath County get off the mat.

 

With that said, you have to have some sustained post-season success IMHO to be considered among the best.

 

Just looking at Poynter's stops:

Pike Central from 2002 thru 2004, no playoff wins

Trimble County 2005 thru 2008, one playoff win

Bourbon County from 2009 thru 2011, one playoff win

Bellevue 2013 and 2014, two playoff wins (one per year)

Bath County 2015 to Present, no playoff wins

 

So excluding 2012 that is 14 seasons and 4 playoff wins. Those are all tough jobs he took on and should be commended for achieving what he did, but let's agree that a coach needs at least a couple Semi-Finals appearances for us to proper consider them amongst the "best".

Not arguing because I really know nothing about him. Please tell us why you think he's the best coach.

 

Jerome Smart has been at Grayson County since 2011

 

2011: 5-6

2012: 9-3

2013: 5-7

2014: 9-3

2015: 2-9

2016: 1-10

 

31-38

3-6 record in playoff games

 

Yeah I am going to need to know more about him before I can consider him in this discussion.... those 9-3 years were very impressive but the past two years leave a lot to be desired. I couldn't see Mark Dixon at Hazard or Shawn Thompson at Wayne County ever going 3-19 over a two year stretch let alone some of these Hall of Fame guys.

 

Would love to know more about Smart... fill in the gaps?

If I had to assign tiers (only active coaches).. I am sure I will miss someone ut here it goes.. in alphabetical order of school

 

 

 

 

Elite/ Certain Hall of Fame:

Haywood- Belfry

Hilton- Bell County

Wallace- Bowling Green

Smith- Boyle County

Morris- Mayfield

McKee- Scott County

Beatty- Trinity

 

Top Tier/ Possible Hall of Fame:

Rash- Beechwood

Brown- Etown

Dixon- Hazard

Matney- Johnson Central

 

Proven Excellence:

Clevenger- Danville

Davis- DeSales

Hines- Pulaski County

Perry- LexCath

Wolfe- Male

Edge- OCath

MacNamee- Pikeville

Marksberry- Simon Kenton

Thompson- Wayne County

 

Solid Over Many Years:

Lucas- Collins

Borchers- Cooper

Preston- Franklin-Simpson

Simpson- Henry Clay

Scenters- Madison Central

Buchanan- Mercer County

Larkey- Perry Central (His Rockcastle days cant be ignored)

Derossett- Pburg (Losing luster in twilight but very strong for many years)

Maynard- Russell

Myers- Russellville

French- Southwestern

 

Top Young Coaches:

Kuehn- Bullitt Central

Haddix- Corbin

LeFors- CAL

Eviston- CovCath

Abell- Fern Creek

Billing- North Bullitt

Larkey- North Laurel

Chirico- Paintsville (once again young as Head Coach, not as age)

Engler- Ryle (Same thing..long time assistant, new as Head Coach)

Reed- South Oldham

Smith- South Warren

 

 

Underrated But Solid:

Stonebreaker- Casey County

Mattingly- Central Hardin

Mofield- Meade County

Lovelace- Christian County

Barth- Walton-Verona

Herron- Williamsburg

Jerome Smart has been at Grayson County since 2011

 

2011: 5-6

2012: 9-3

2013: 5-7

2014: 9-3

2015: 2-9

2016: 1-10

 

31-38

3-6 record in playoff games

 

Yeah I am going to need to know more about him before I can consider him in this discussion.... those 9-3 years were very impressive but the past two years leave a lot to be desired. I couldn't see Mark Dixon at Hazard or Shawn Thompson at Wayne County ever going 3-19 over a two year stretch let alone some of these Hall of Fame guys.

 

Would love to know more about Smart... fill in the gaps?

 

The only thing I know about Grayson County is that they lost to Ohio County last year. Ohio County was a very well coached team but I think they only dressed about 20 players.

If I had to assign tiers (only active coaches).. I am sure I will miss someone ut here it goes.. in alphabetical order of school

 

 

 

 

Elite/ Certain Hall of Fame:

Haywood- Belfry

Hilton- Bell County

Wallace- Bowling Green

Smith- Boyle County

Morris- Mayfield

McKee- Scott County

Beatty- Trinity

 

Top Tier/ Possible Hall of Fame:

Rash- Beechwood

Brown- Etown

Dixon- Hazard

Matney- Johnson Central

 

Proven Excellence:

Clevenger- Danville

Davis- DeSales

Hines- Pulaski County

Perry- LexCath

Wolfe- Male

Edge- OCath

MacNamee- Pikeville

Marksberry- Simon Kenton

Thompson- Wayne County

 

Solid Over Many Years:

Lucas- Collins

Borchers- Cooper

Preston- Franklin-Simpson

Simpson- Henry Clay

Scenters- Madison Central

Buchanan- Mercer County

Larkey- Perry Central (His Rockcastle days cant be ignored)

Derossett- Pburg (Losing luster in twilight but very strong for many years)

Maynard- Russell

Myers- Russellville

French- Southwestern

 

Top Young Coaches:

Kuehn- Bullitt Central

Haddix- Corbin

LeFors- CAL

Eviston- CovCath

Abell- Fern Creek

Billing- North Bullitt

Larkey- North Laurel

Chirico- Paintsville (once again young as Head Coach, not as age)

Engler- Ryle (Same thing..long time assistant, new as Head Coach)

Reed- South Oldham

Smith- South Warren

 

 

Underrated But Solid:

Stonebreaker- Casey County

Mattingly- Central Hardin

Mofield- Meade County

Lovelace- Christian County

Barth- Walton-Verona

Herron- Williamsburg

 

Have always valued your opinion but I think you have French a little low. Three different teams to the finals !!!! Two crowns. 300 game winner. Subjective I know but seems low.