Open Job: Highlands

[Sweeperboy]

4 hours ago, theguru said:

I like reading your take on things @gbballfan21.

So the last 5 years were forward thinking? 
I think the whole Ginger Webb thingy may have already taken place and now it’s time for Highlands to move forward as the mirror is crystal clear. 

[Sweeperboy]

1 minute ago, Sweeperboy said:

So the last 5 years were forward thinking? 
I think the whole Ginger Webb thingy may have already taken place and now it’s time for Highlands to move forward as the mirror is crystal clear. 

That is meant for the other guy. 

[Sweeperboy]

8 hours ago, Colonels_Wear_Blue said:

Job was posted to the district's job listing page on December 7th. That means January 6th with be 30 days.

With that said, Don Owen of the NKY Tribune reported that Highlands AD Wes Caldwell stated that his intent is to have the position filled by Christmas.

Is that going to be a Monday or Tuesday?

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

11 hours ago, Sweeperboy said:

Is that going to be a Monday or Tuesday?

January 6th is a Wednesday.

[Rattler]

So when I think of Highlands I think of football, that’s it. I went to a game once that was being broadcast on ESPN and I got the fall sports program I found a picture of the soccer team and asked some of the Highland Faithful if that was all the kids that didn’t make the football team. So my question is if you know someone is a sports killer, then why does the school hire that person? It doesn’t make sense to me. If every where a person goes the athletics die, then if you are a school that prioritizes athletics don’t hire that person. I remember an interview once where they asked the coach some questions about his teaching and he replied look I’m here to coach football. Second Point being the coach that just got let go taught 6 periods a day, and that’s great if you are anywhere else besides Ft. Thomas. Whoever they hire football needs to be a priority and they need to free them up to do that job. 
Third I think they need someone from the outside there is probably some offensive guru out there that would be a good fit. When Bear Bryant left Bama anyone that knew the Bear was hired to coach so they could rekindle the magic when he was there, and it took them basically until they got Saban to be at the top of the food chain again.

[9068]

2 hours ago, Rattler said:

So when I think of Highlands I think of football, that’s it. I went to a game once that was being broadcast on ESPN and I got the fall sports program I found a picture of the soccer team and asked some of the Highland Faithful if that was all the kids that didn’t make the football team. So my question is if you know someone is a sports killer, then why does the school hire that person? It doesn’t make sense to me. If every where a person goes the athletics die, then if you are a school that prioritizes athletics don’t hire that person. I remember an interview once where they asked the coach some questions about his teaching and he replied look I’m here to coach football. Second Point being the coach that just got let go taught 6 periods a day, and that’s great if you are anywhere else besides Ft. Thomas. Whoever they hire football needs to be a priority and they need to free them up to do that job. 
Third I think they need someone from the outside there is probably some offensive guru out there that would be a good fit. When Bear Bryant left Bama anyone that knew the Bear was hired to coach so they could rekindle the magic when he was there, and it took them basically until they got Saban to be at the top of the food chain again.

Highlands has had a long tradition of good teams in all sports for a long time....and I'm not a Highlands grad. Men's and women's programs are very competitive in all sports. Check it out. In today's education MOST coaches have other duties that probably account for 85 percent of their total salary and in some cases more, others less. Some are ADs, some administrators, but most classroom teachers. If a Kentucky High School coach " only gets paid to coach " he or she needs to stay where they are if their salary is that good.

[gbballfan21]

17 hours ago, Sweeperboy said:

So the last 5 years were forward thinking? 
I think the whole Ginger Webb thingy may have already taken place and now it’s time for Highlands to move forward as the mirror is crystal clear. 

You are proving my point -- wasn't addressed with honesty then -- so I struggle to see how a great coach is going to want to move forward now. 

For the last 5 years -- the Fort Thomas Mafia is convinced that there was plenty of talent to win and that the blame should fall on someone elses shoulders. I just don't think that they figured out who the right person to blame is. I absolutely agree that it is time to move forward. But until you address the problems of the past -- the same thing could happen all over again. I hope it doesn't. But its real hard to be hopeful from the outside -- knowing what happened and the complete unwillingness to address it. 

[observerbynature]

34 minutes ago, gbballfan21 said:

You are proving my point -- wasn't addressed with honesty then -- so I struggle to see how a great coach is going to want to move forward now. 

For the last 5 years -- the Fort Thomas Mafia is convinced that there was plenty of talent to win and that the blame should fall on someone elses shoulders. I just don't think that they figured out who the right person to blame is. I absolutely agree that it is time to move forward. But until you address the problems of the past -- the same thing could happen all over again. I hope it doesn't. But its real hard to be hopeful from the outside -- knowing what happened and the complete unwillingness to address it. 

So much of this predates my knowledge base, and I don't expect you or anyone to do my homework for me, but I don't fully understand what you think would be the proper way to address the issue?   Do you still think this is an issue?    I'm just curious.  

And also, for the record, is Mafia always bad in sports terms?  The Bills Mafia seems to get a lot of love.  

[Jack of all Trades]

Just now, observerbynature said:

So much of this predates my knowledge base, and I don't expect you or anyone to do my homework for me, but I don't fully understand what you think would be the proper way to address the issue?   Do you still think this is an issue?    I'm just curious.  

And also, for the record, is Mafia always bad in sports terms?  The Bills Mafia seems to get a lot of love.  

I have been around and I don’t know what he is talking about. 

[Jack of all Trades]

46 minutes ago, gbballfan21 said:

You are proving my point -- wasn't addressed with honesty then -- so I struggle to see how a great coach is going to want to move forward now. 

For the last 5 years -- the Fort Thomas Mafia is convinced that there was plenty of talent to win and that the blame should fall on someone elses shoulders. I just don't think that they figured out who the right person to blame is. I absolutely agree that it is time to move forward. But until you address the problems of the past -- the same thing could happen all over again. I hope it doesn't. But its real hard to be hopeful from the outside -- knowing what happened and the complete unwillingness to address it. 

What is this whole “great coach” thing?  Was anyone hired in the past a “great coach” before Highlands hired them?

So Hergott left HHS for Beechwood, Geisler left for CovCath, DuPont left for NCC.  Did that happen because of Ginger Webb?

[Jason Bucklen]

23 hours ago, gbballfan21 said:

My first thought here ... Highlands to Beechwood isn't an apples to apples comparison at this time. If Coach Rash leaves--and there is a 4 to 6 year downturn in the program at Beechwood I would venture to say that there is a high likelihood that you would be correct. We truly don't know--and won't know until Coach Rash leaves. Hopefully that won't happen for a few more years at least!

At the same time--the Beechwood faithful seemed to pick up on the impact of Ginger Webb much, much, much quicker than what the Highlands faithful did. (Which is really interesting -- because it directly impacted the players that both programs were taking in -- and then no longer taking in). Beechwood seemed to eventually figure that out -- then went to work fixing it (not as quickly as people would have liked). You still have Highlands people who don't have a clue of what really happened. Then you compound that with the fact that the "Fort Thomas Mafia" is apparently absolutely convinced that they have had enough talent to be just as good as they used to be since all this happened -- makes me think that any new, informed coach coming into Highlands better double check and make sure that there are no more Ginger Webb's waiting in the wing--simply because you have a component of the population who isn't seeing the forest through the trees.  Nothing against the homegrown talent--but it is abundantly clear that you need a few kids from outside of your city limits to push you over the limits. (I don't think anyone from Beechwood would disagree with that -- after Ginger left--but there were probably quite a few who may have felt that way before she completely choked out athletics in general -- and not just football at Beechwood). 

If my Ginger Webb diatribe doesn't make sense -- here it is in a nutshell -- Ginger closed off the pipeline of great players coming from out of district. I think the faithful liked that a little too much -- and it was/is significantly easier to blame that on the previous coach/staff by saying "the talent is there" -- Ha, ha! Malarkey! (I think there is a great base of talent there--but the ones who put things over the top are no longer coming--and when they do--they leave--Pretty QUICKLY!)  I think Dale saw the writing on the wall and realized with Aunt Ginger involved -- that things were not going to be manageable for him either. So he left--and left in a pretty interesting way (not questioning the family motives--but I think the timing is something he probably would have worked around differently a few years earlier). If you can prove me wrong--fire at will. 

Whether it is Beechwood, Highlands or Po Dunk U -- Coaches have more options today than they used to. If you are good--you have a little more power to set your own course. I simply don't think that is possible at Highlands right now. And I don't think it is possible until the "faithful" takes a long look in the mirror and admits that they need to go backward before they go forward. If they make that commitment upfront to a great coach--they have a chance to get someone of top caliber. If they continue to walk around without acknowledging reality --- I think it will be tough sledding. 

Where is Ginger Now? I know the Beechwood faithful wasn’t to fond of her. I know a few teachers who didn’t like her either. 
 

Once Glenn Miller took over Beechwood back in the late 90’s he wasn’t very fond of Coach Yeagle what I was told. I know stopped the caliber of players coming in as well. 

[Jack of all Trades]

1 hour ago, Jason Bucklen said:

Where is Ginger Now? I know the Beechwood faithful wasn’t to fond of her. I know a few teachers who didn’t like her either. 
 

Once Glenn Miller took over Beechwood back in the late 90’s he wasn’t very fond of Coach Yeagle what I was told. I know stopped the caliber of players coming in as well. 

Ginger is at NKU.  What was her position at Beechwood?

[barrel]

16 hours ago, Jack of all Trades said:

What is this whole “great coach” thing?  Was anyone hired in the past a “great coach” before Highlands hired them?

So Hergott left HHS for Beechwood, Geisler left for CovCath, DuPont left for NCC.  Did that happen because of Ginger Webb?

From the thread it appears HHS wants an established coach with a proven record. I don’t believe they want a good coach they want a great one. I don’t know the history of the HHS coaches through the years. Of course there was Muller and Duffy but I don’t know names past that. So we’re all the coaches that came before that won titles just good coaches? We’re they just good coaches until they came to HHS and won and then became great coaches? Did HHS win state titles with just good coaches and not great coaches? 
 

There are some great coaches out there that don’t put up great win totals or ever sniff a state title due to circumstance. They might be great coaches but they’ll never get a look by many places due to what it looks like on paper. 
 

So what is a great coach? What does the resume have to look like for HHS to consider or be happy with? From just some statements in this thread the new HC needs to do things offensively that are viewed as preparing players for the next level. 

[observerbynature]

13 minutes ago, barrel said:

So what is a great coach? What does the resume have to look like for HHS to consider or be happy with? From just some statements in this thread the new HC needs to do things offensively that are viewed as preparing players for the next level. 

I think this is a really interesting question.  I was just talking to someone a couple nights ago and asked the question specifically about Dale Mueller.  What was there in his previous head coaching roles across the river at Withrow and Sycamore (aside from the ability to coach at two very different high schools) that indicated the success he was about to have?  He did pretty well at Withrow for sure, but the three years at Sycamore prior to taking the Highlands job were all losing seasons.   I mean, in all honesty, I'm just trying to picture that situation in the current climate.   There are Highlands guys out there with much better records today that I don't think are really even in serious contention, and I don't know, could that be a mistake?    Obviously, I think there are a couple "home run" types, but it's that next level that they could end up having to take a shot on, and I don't know how the science to getting that right works.   

[Jack of all Trades]

You learn a lot about someone as a coach when you interview them.  Use of the word “great” is way overused in today’s world.  The admin just needs to let the process play out and make what they feel is the best hire.  Remember the last time Highlands was in this situation Dale told them they were crazy if they didn’t hire Brian Weinrich.