I was at dinner with a few friends from Fort Thomas and the hot topic of discussion was Highlands football coach, Charles Johnson. Someone pulled up the screenshot below and spoke about in context. Apparently after Highlands basketball lost a nail biter to Cooper in the region, Johnson went onto his Instagram and fired a disrespectful shot at the players, coaches, and program. He basically laughed in their faces and said you lost because you didn’t pay me to train your team. They said the basketball coaches and parents were livid once it circulated and reached them. All of the players saw it because they follow Johnson and they were even more hurt and angry than the parents. It’s so ignorant considering their best wide receiver and starting quarterback both play basketball.

To be employed by a school and make that comment toward your own basketball team is the most absurd thing I’ve seen out of a coach in NKY sports. 

As you can imagine, there’s a lot of blood boiling on the basketball side now towards a football staff that attacks their kids. Pile that onto the rumor that some of the staff has allegedly already influenced several kids to stop playing basketball since they got there. I personally think Johnson should be fired. The kids will never look at him the same after getting crapped on like that. One coach can destroy the comradery between the football and basketball squads and I think Johnson just did that.

 

Not a good look.

The uniforms for both teams say “Highlands”

Welcome to BGP @saabgirl1966!

Is there a link to or picture of the Instagram post?

24 minutes ago, Randy Parker said:

Is there a link to or picture of the Instagram post?

The picture is attached to this post. 

If true he should be fired!

WOW, this is not a good look for Highlands athletic department. Has there been a statement of some sort released by anyone in the situation? If all is true, the football coach should be fired immediately! 2-sport athletes in high school normally pan out best in college, it has been proven many times. To add onto that, rooting against another sports team within your own school that you coach at is also NOT GOOD! 

What happened to Bob Sphire?

It was not that long ago that it was commonly known that football players in some programs were openly discouraged from playing basketball.

At Highlands, the culture has changed dramatically under Kevin Listerman, where he has put his own  "basketball dynasty" in place and has legitimatized it by hanging a State Championship banner in the gym.

With both programs being successful, and in some cases sharing athletes, the term "Stay in your own lane" might apply.  Listerman is not the sort of guy to take shots from anyone, either from within or outside of his program without letting his feelings be known about it.

With Highlands being big enough and proven to be able to produce successful basketball and football programs, I don't know why Coach Johnson would want to go there, other than attempting to generate additional income  by laying a guilt trip on the roundballers.

6 hours ago, saabgirl1966 said:

The picture is attached to this post. 

Thanks!

What a ridiculous thing for the coach to do. 

Since when was Charles Johnson on Highlands football staff? 

On 3/7/2023 at 7:27 AM, Hollywood23 said:

Since when was Charles Johnson on Highlands football staff? 

This past season was his first season. 

Got a great book to recommend to everybody: coaches, players, fans, fighters, writers, readers and the curious:

Nicomachean Ethics by someone you may have heard of: Aristotle.

It's his best-known work, the science of the good for human life, which is the goal or end at which all our actions aim.

It's an easy read and you can't read it and not become a better person. That book changed my life, and I was already kind of OK.

If just one person here reads that book and it works, get back to me. Thanks.

--Jonesy

 

 

On 3/7/2023 at 8:01 AM, Nitro Knows said:

This past season was his first season. 

Gotcha I had no idea . Definitely not a good look for him.