Larry French

[BEChargers]

Larry French has now surpassed Bob Schneider in wins and is alone at #3 on the all time Kentucky wins list at 346.  Coach French only trails Dudley Hilton at #2 and Philip Haywood at #1.  Congratulations Coach French !!

[Cheese]

Congratulations Coach French!

[Bear3]

The top three are all still active and are in their 47th, 44th, and 43rd seasons.  It's difficult to image solving problems for that long.  At their core, good men who care.    Congrats Coach French for joining Coach Haywood and Coach Hilton in the top three.  Those guys are putting up numbers this state may never see again.

[Tigerpride94]

Congrats!🎉 

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

Coach French took over a Middlesboro that had a combined 10 wins in the previous FIVE seasons, and ended up with 8 wins in his very first season there. And this year they're rolling into the start of the playoffs undefeated. Dude just wins...

Middlesboro
2014: 5-5
2015: 1-10
2016: 1-10
2017: 2-9
2018: 1-10
2019: 8-4 (Coach French 1st year)
2020: 6-1 (Coach French 2nd year)
2021: 10-0 (Coach French 3rd year)

[Rebel]

2 hours ago, Colonels_Wear_Blue said:

Coach French took over a Middlesboro that had a combined 10 wins in the previous FIVE seasons, and ended up with 8 wins in his very first season there. And this year they're rolling into the start of the playoffs undefeated. Dude just wins...

Middlesboro
2014: 5-5
2015: 1-10
2016: 1-10
2017: 2-9
2018: 1-10
2019: 8-4 (Coach French 1st year)
2020: 6-1 (Coach French 2nd year)
2021: 10-0 (Coach French 3rd year)

Boyle was 5-7 the year before Larry came.   Coach French's first season Boyle went 13-1 and lost a heart breaker at Bell County in the semi finals.  The following 2 seasons Coach French won his 2 State Championships at Boyle with 30-0 record. 43-1 for his first 3 seasons was very impressive.   Huge for Boyle County as It was Boyle's first title without Chuck Smith as coach.  

 

[InsideTrap]

Who was the coach  that followed Smith?  

[RimRacker]

Congrats to Coach French. Always a class act everywhere he has been. Proven Winner.

 

[Hat Trick]

A hearty congratulations to Coach French!  
Best of luck to you and the Jackets in the playoffs! 

[ChiefSmoke]

Way to go Coach!

 

He is also now the head of the Foreign Language Department at Middlesboro HS.... according to the text he sent us yesterday. 🙂

[BlueRaider]

Before the Boyle Job, the Silver Fox took Lincoln County to as good as they've ever been in recent memory. Coach French was also the one who built Southwestern back into a competitive, Top 10, 5A team after the program had been run into the ground. He also might have one of the most successful Coaching Trees in the State. Kentucky football as a whole could truly never thank him enough. 

[LethalPG]

Great Coach, but better person.  He simplifies the game for young people to understand, and is a great defensive mind.  He is someone that will always help his former players when given the opportunity.

[Rebel]

Who where some of today's coaches that got their start while under Coach French?  I am not 100% on this but didn't Chuck Smith start his coaching under French?  

[ChiefSmoke]

8 minutes ago, Rebel said:

Who where some of today's coaches that got their start while under Coach French?  I am not 100% on this but didn't Chuck Smith start his coaching under French?  

A few... I am aware of .... Jean Rollins, Larry Mofield, Chuck Smith, Clay Clevenger, Brad Hood, myself (David Buchanan), Jack Robertson

My Dad(John Buchanan) hired Ed Rall at Boyle and Larry French at Mercer.... both guys right out of college. He also hired Morris Allen Stewart right out of college (Boyle) who was not only an outstanding football coach, but had  a very successful coaching career in baseball and basketball. My Dad was always very proud of all three of those guys. 

[Rebel]

14 minutes ago, ChiefSmoke said:

A few... I am aware of .... Jean Rollins, Larry Mofield, Chuck Smith, Clay Clevenger, Brad Hood, myself (David Buchanan), Jack Robertson

My Dad(John Buchanan) hired Ed Rall at Boyle and Larry French at Mercer.... both guys right out of college. He also hired Morris Allen Stewart right out of college (Boyle) who was not only an outstanding football coach, but had  a very successful coaching career in baseball and basketball. My Dad was always very proud of all three of those guys. 

Those are 3 greats in my mind.  Ed Rall was my coach and I would run through a brick wall if he told me too.  I can't thank Coach Rall enough for making me the man I am today!