Do John Hardin and North Hardin need new coaches?

[KyPreps1965]

I know this is his first season with the bulldogs, but if I did my research right...this is the lowest win total (with a 5-5 record) JH has had since their first season in 2001 - when they had 3. They can't be that down can they? I've heard rumblings of some discord amongst the program over there. Also, the head coach didn't hire the young alumni, Jeremy Harness (former Murray State standout), who had to take his coaching talent to Central Hardin...just doesn't seem quite right to run off an alum.

 

NH's coach has ran the show since 2012, so he has a larger sample size than the JH coach. In 6 seasons, he has an average record of 3-8 with a 29% win percentage. Something just isn't adding up here. NH looked had a pretty solid record against a solid schedule last year, but that was this coach's peak thus far. So what say you? Will the JH coach get things right? Will the NH coach finally push the right buttons next season or has he used his grace?

 

What are Coach Brown at Etown and the coach at CH doing well, that JH and NH could take notes on?

[Hardin County Preps]

In reference to John Hardin, I believe that you need to give a new coach at least 3 years to implement his philosophy and style of play. With being said, the John Hardin freshman team was not one of the more talented teams to come through John and struggled mightily this year, Bluegrass middle school barely had 15 kids to start summer practices and only added a handful after that in a season which they struggled too. In addition, the re-disticting several years ago has really stripped John of some talented players. If you have been around this program for a while you get the feeling that John Hardin might fall off of the edge of the cliff in the next few years and really have some lean years ahead. I hope not but things don't look bright for the forseeable future. Being around some of the parents of players this year, I am told that some players that haven't been getting playing time this year have quit leaving only about 30 for the trip to Knox Central. Lets see what a new coaching staff can do to keep John Hardin afloat before asking for their heads.

North Hardin- Can't figure this program out? J.T. Alton produces some good athletes that move on to North as well as North middle. They have size and speed but seem to be lacking some leadership on this years team and lack an identity. A change is something that might need to me evaluated in the off season. They have made the playoffs the last few years but have failed to beat Central Hardin since 2008 and haven't won a district crown in even longer.

I know that lack of discipline in these 2 programs has been a problem over the last few years. I can honestly say that strict discipline and a zero tolerance policy as well as an aggresive off season weightlifting program at Central Hardin are starting to pay off for this program.

[plantmanky]

You are going after the wrong people IMO. Need to look at the administration at central office and in the buildings at both the HS and MS level. These HS programs are going to continue to get worse due to them, specifically the MS administrations. Check out their MS teams, talent is leaving the Hardin Co schools as fast as it possibly can (ask Etown, Larue and Meade Co.)

[Hardin County Preps]

While the decision to redistrict Hardin County schools has definitely played a part in this, solid coaching at the middle and high school levels will always be the deciding factor. Characteristics of a successful coach, I believe, include 2 crucial areas that the coaches should be able to clearly communicate, "the practice and training culture" ( Does practice start the same way everyday, is there a schedule to follow. I believe that the coach should have a detailed and structured idea of how practice should be run). And the biggest thing, " expectations for player behavior" ( from requiring players to address coaches as " coach, or Sir, to locker room protocol, to what happens before practices and games; the less a coach leaves to question, the better players understand what's expected of them, the more accountable they are for their own actions. Included in this should be specific consequences that occur when a player's behavior does not meet the set expectations). Being tough but fair, being involved in players personal lives and being a student of the technical aspects of the Xs and Os of the game play more of a role at this level of football than any other time in a players career and ultimately determine success (wins).

[DragonFire]

Never fire a coach for on-field product after one season IMO. Look at Warren Central - it worked out gangbusters for them.

[bulldog6408]

John Hardin will be just fine, we’re having a down year it happens to everyone including John Hardin (2006, 2014 just to name a few).. coach E will be just fine... hopefully Fort Knox will get some armor units back and that will help John Hardin a lot as far as numbers. If the county don’t redistrict John Hardin will be 3a in the next alignment.... I agree some changes need to be made at central office though. They have limited middle school football to where teams can’t play anyone outside the conference and also banned the schools from participating in the middle school state playoffs..

[KyPreps1965]

In reference to John Hardin, I believe that you need to give a new coach at least 3 years to implement his philosophy and style of play. With being said, the John Hardin freshman team was not one of the more talented teams to come through John and struggled mightily this year, Bluegrass middle school barely had 15 kids to start summer practices and only added a handful after that in a season which they struggled too. In addition, the re-disticting several years ago has really stripped John of some talented players. If you have been around this program for a while you get the feeling that John Hardin might fall off of the edge of the cliff in the next few years and really have some lean years ahead. I hope not but things don't look bright for the forseeable future. Being around some of the parents of players this year, I am told that some players that haven't been getting playing time this year have quit leaving only about 30 for the trip to Knox Central. Lets see what a new coaching staff can do to keep John Hardin afloat before asking for their heads.

North Hardin- Can't figure this program out? J.T. Alton produces some good athletes that move on to North as well as North middle. They have size and speed but seem to be lacking some leadership on this years team and lack an identity. A change is something that might need to me evaluated in the off season. They have made the playoffs the last few years but have failed to beat Central Hardin since 2008 and haven't won a district crown in even longer.

I know that lack of discipline in these 2 programs has been a problem over the last few years. I can honestly say that strict discipline and a zero tolerance policy as well as an aggressive off season weightlifting program at Central Hardin are starting to pay off for this program.

 

But John hasn't been this bad with their record, ever. They had more wins their first year as a football program than they did this year. Just seems odd with the way I've heard some things go down over there. Does anyone know the story with the redistricting situation? A while ago, JH and NH were similar in size...why the shift from the district? I really hope JH can get things turned around. They had a solid run...playing some good old school football!

 

As for NH, all I can think about is this 29% win percentage since the current HC took over. I've heard there's been a lot of turnover on the coaching staff over the years there as well, and not for good reason. I do agree that a more strict discipline and better weightlifting would probably do both of these programs some good. Some coaches these days have gotten away from the old school discipline and toughness.

[KyPreps1965]

You are going after the wrong people IMO. Need to look at the administration at central office and in the buildings at both the HS and MS level. These HS programs are going to continue to get worse due to them, specifically the MS administrations. Check out their MS teams, talent is leaving the Hardin Co schools as fast as it possibly can (ask Etown, Larue and Meade Co.)

 

What about the administrations, plantman?

[KyPreps1965]

While the decision to redistrict Hardin County schools has definitely played a part in this, solid coaching at the middle and high school levels will always be the deciding factor. Characteristics of a successful coach, I believe, include 2 crucial areas that the coaches should be able to clearly communicate, "the practice and training culture" ( Does practice start the same way everyday, is there a schedule to follow. I believe that the coach should have a detailed and structured idea of how practice should be run). And the biggest thing, " expectations for player behavior" ( from requiring players to address coaches as " coach, or Sir, to locker room protocol, to what happens before practices and games; the less a coach leaves to question, the better players understand what's expected of them, the more accountable they are for their own actions. Included in this should be specific consequences that occur when a player's behavior does not meet the set expectations). Being tough but fair, being involved in players personal lives and being a student of the technical aspects of the Xs and Os of the game play more of a role at this level of football than any other time in a players career and ultimately determine success (wins).

 

I like this HCP...we think alike!

[KyPreps1965]

Never fire a coach for on-field product after one season IMO. Look at Warren Central - it worked out gangbusters for them.

 

What happened to Coach Rogers?

[KyPreps1965]

John Hardin will be just fine, we’re having a down year it happens to everyone including John Hardin (2006, 2014 just to name a few).. coach E will be just fine... hopefully Fort Knox will get some armor units back and that will help John Hardin a lot as far as numbers. If the county don’t redistrict John Hardin will be 3a in the next alignment.... I agree some changes need to be made at central office though. They have limited middle school football to where teams can’t play anyone outside the conference and also banned the schools from participating in the middle school state playoffs..

 

Wow Dawgs...hadn't caught up to those new bans? When did they forbid that? Do you know why? Do you know why they are shrinking JH?

[Nathaniel Bryan]

I have yet to see a valid reason as to why the size of John Hardin keeps shrinking, but:

 

1) You have neighborhoods which used to be in John's district that are now in North's district or now in Central's district.

 

2) You have classrooms at John not even being used.

 

3) You have teachers at North and Central who have to go "carting" because they do not have their own rooms.

 

John Hardin's district has been gerrymandered, plain and simple. When it was built, it was supposed to alleviate issues at North and CH. Instead of redistricting BACK to JH -- which has space aplenty -- the school district renovated NH and has teachers carting at CH and has kids/parents/buses driving through what should be their home district to get to another school.

 

And all of that has NOTHING to do with the coaching/administration/parental support at the individual schools themselves.

[DragonFire]

What happened to Coach Rogers?

 

He left after the 2013 season to take the HC position at Paducah. He had been at Warren Central five years. He’s at Murray State now on their staff.

 

Warren Central fired his replacement Howard Feggins after a 6-5 season in January 2015. Admittedly that 6-5 campaign was disappointing given expectations, but still, it was a winning record and Feggins did a lot of things that none of the coaches before or since had done, like make serious inroads in reaching out to alumni and garnering their support. There were some political and idealogical problems behind the scenes, but I’ve never gotten a very clear picture of just what went down. It wasn’t smart in my opinion.

 

His replacement, Clay Stephens was fired after a single season as well in May of 2016. That was the move that put Central where they are now. It caused a mass departure of seniors - of which they did not have many - and ruined what would have at least been a competitive year. They haven’t won since.

 

Point being that Central, while they already had challenges, drastically accelerated their decline with rapid firings and made it impossible for them to arrest their fall. It’s a bad, bad idea for programs in decline to destabilize the HC position.

[KyPreps1965]

I have yet to see a valid reason as to why the size of John Hardin keeps shrinking, but:

 

1) You have neighborhoods which used to be in John's district that are now in North's district or now in Central's district.

 

2) You have classrooms at John not even being used.

 

3) You have teachers at North and Central who have to go "carting" because they do not have their own rooms.

 

John Hardin's district has been gerrymandered, plain and simple. When it was built, it was supposed to alleviate issues at North and CH. Instead of redistricting BACK to JH -- which has space aplenty -- the school district renovated NH and has teachers carting at CH and has kids/parents/buses driving through what should be their home district to get to another school.

 

And all of that has NOTHING to do with the coaching/administration/parental support at the individual schools themselves.

 

Very interesting..

[KyPreps1965]

He left after the 2013 season to take the HC position at Paducah. He had been at Warren Central five years. He’s at Murray State now on their staff.

 

Warren Central fired his replacement Howard Feggins after a 6-5 season in January 2015. Admittedly that 6-5 campaign was disappointing given expectations, but still, it was a winning record and Feggins did a lot of things that none of the coaches before or since had done, like make serious inroads in reaching out to alumni and garnering their support. There were some political and idealogical problems behind the scenes, but I’ve never gotten a very clear picture of just what went down. It wasn’t smart in my opinion.

 

His replacement, Clay Stephens was fired after a single season as well in May of 2016. That was the move that put Central where they are now. It caused a mass departure of seniors - of which they did not have many - and ruined what would have at least been a competitive year. They haven’t won since.

 

Point being that Central, while they already had challenges, drastically accelerated their decline with rapid firings and made it impossible for them to arrest their fall. It’s a bad, bad idea for programs in decline to destabilize the HC position.

 

Seems like they got greedy with Roger's, huh? Feggins had a decent record, that's pretty wild. There had to be more to it being the scenes, like you said.