Name
Matt Chandler

School
Franklin County High School

Position
Offensive Line/Run Game Coordinator

Can you kick this off by telling the readers where you have coached and the positions you have held?
I’ve coached at multiple schools in Kentucky, but before coming to Franklin County, I was at Danville High School. I have been an offensive coordinator at two different schools and a head coach for one year at a small school in Eastern Kentucky.

Could you let the readers know some of the coaches you have learned the most from and which schools they coached at?
I think all of the head coaches I have worked under have been great mentors, and I have picked something up from all of them along the way. I’ve been really fortunate to coach under guys who have been in the game for a long time and have had success at different levels of football. It's hard to put any one of those guys in front of the others, but Clay Clevinger at Danville was someone from whom I learned a lot both on and off the field. Just a great man and a great coach.

Heading into the 2022 season, what were your biggest concerns?
I think our biggest concern was just finding out what pieces went where and how we could gel together as a team. We play a really challenging schedule, so it's always a matter of seeing how we will grow on both sides of the ball to get ready for a playoff run. For me as a position coach, I had to replace four starters on the offensive line, and the four new guys had very limited game experience, so that was a huge concern!

After spring ball and then two A days were completed, which player stuck out to you the most and why?
We had a few guys who we knew pretty early could be big-time contributors and do some really good things. For my position group, it was our center, Carson Greenwell. He was a senior, so we knew we would get big things out of him after starting the year before, but he was coming off of a great offseason and looked even more impressive than he did in 2021.

Franklin County went 8-6 last season. What were the high and low points of the season?
The low point was probably the Ballard game. We had lost the week before to Corbin and then had to go to Ballard, who would end up in the 6A semifinals. We weren’t competitive in that game and had two major injuries. Really felt like a make-or-break point in our season. The high point was definitely winning a region title at Warren East. We had come so far as a team and battled through a ton of adversity to get to hold that trophy again by beating a really talented team on the road.

Who, in your opinion, was the best team Franklin County faced last season, and what made them so tough?
Ballard was very good and very well coached, but I would say it’s a tossup between them and Corbin. Corbin was so solid at every position, and being led by a super talented quarterback, they were just on a whole other level compared to most of our schedule. Louisville Central was another fantastic team we played, and they brought almost all of their key players back.

Looking back at the 2022 season, which road stadium had the best overall atmosphere?
Without question, it was Corbin. To get to play there in the state semifinals on Thanksgiving weekend was one of the more fun experiences I’ve had in my coaching career. Just a great football town and a great older stadium. Very special place.

Which team in 2022 was the toughest to prepare for? Why?
As far as just a preparation standpoint, I would say Louisville Central. They just play so fast on defense that it’s tough to get a good look in practice that is anywhere close to it. Especially when you have some inexperience like we did up front.

What did you learn most about your players during the 2022 season?
Probably how resilient a lot of them are. Like I said, we play a tough schedule, and they did a great job of understanding that we were building for November. We had to reinvent ourselves a couple of times along the way, but they showed up every day ready to work. My favorite moment of the year was the Sunday after the Ballard game, when we were in the coaches office and looked up and realized we were a couple of minutes away from starting the varsity workout. We walk out, and the kids are already stretching, completely on their own. They just wouldn’t quit. Always showed up to work every day.

I have been told a coach never stops learning. So, with that in mind, what was the one lesson you learned from the 2022 season that will help make you a better coach in 2023?
To be patient and trust that the work you are putting in every day is building towards better things. It’s easy to not see the growth your kids are making when you’re in the middle of a stretch of really tough opponents and you’re banged up. You just have to keep pushing through and working to be better today than you were yesterday.

Enjoyed this one.  Thanks.

I always have Franklin County as a contender in 4A because of coaches like this. It doesn’t matter what their record is during the season, they bring it in the playoffs. That’s a testament to the coaching staffs preparation. 

10 hours ago, BEChargers said:

Enjoyed this one.  Thanks.

You are welcome. All props goes to the coaches who give me the time.