24 minutes ago, TylerDurden said:

So who would your top choices be?

Have to see who applied.  Both Bathiany and Volker were passed on last time.  

Unless Volker wanted more of a challenge, he’s not going anywhere. 

4 hours ago, Breds82 said:

No way Sphire is leaving unless it's on his terms. If Wolfe was interested and the Birds job was open, why are you a no go? I know he is a Highlands guy but that is all I know.

Coach Wolfe is going to be our podcast guest on Thursday, 12/4 !  We will release the link at 7:30 pm that evening. 

Thanksgiving is Brian Weinrich.

Bert Bathiany was on earlier.  

Bluebird Alums are starring on the podcast these days. 

We have also had Dale Mueller & Bob Sphire. 

Highlands football packs a big punch, and that is not going away any time soon.

 

5 hours ago, Jack of all Trades said:

Not Bathiany or bust.  Prefer that they hire someone who has not been around the block several times.  

Genuinely curious here, but because of his climb up the ladder to get to where he is now?

8 hours ago, Calico Jack said:

Genuinely curious here, but because of his climb up the ladder to get to where he is now?

More the way he treated the approach to the job the last go round.  IMO Bob Sphire is not going anywhere.

2 hours ago, Jack of all Trades said:

More the way he treated the approach to the job the last go round.  IMO Bob Sphire is not going anywhere.

I agree. This conversation is a year premature IMO. Are there valid reasons to have the discussion? Sure. But there will be no “conversation” if this happens again next year. It’ll be an easy firing and into the next era of Highlands football. 

My questions heading into 2026 are more so for OC Sphire. Who will play QB, how will you get Lorenzen the ball, and can you keep all of the mouths fed? Lorenzen, Kremer, Armstrong, Williams.. It’s a great problem to have but you better deliver this time around or you’ll be cleaning out the coaches office with Dad before the clocks hit 0:00. 

3 hours ago, PawPrints said:

I agree. This conversation is a year premature IMO. Are there valid reasons to have the discussion? Sure. But there will be no “conversation” if this happens again next year. It’ll be an easy firing and into the next era of Highlands football. 

My questions heading into 2026 are more so for OC Sphire. Who will play QB, how will you get Lorenzen the ball, and can you keep all of the mouths fed? Lorenzen, Kremer, Armstrong, Williams.. It’s a great problem to have but you better deliver this time around or you’ll be cleaning out the coaches office with Dad before the clocks hit 0:00. 

Who really dreams these things up? LOL

21 hours ago, Breds82 said:

Unless Volker wanted more of a challenge, he’s not going anywhere. 

Been rumors every off-season he wants to go back across the river. 

9 hours ago, BLUEHOUND said:

Who really dreams these things up? LOL

Enlighten me. 

4 hours ago, Buck2 said:

Been rumors every off-season he wants to go back across the river. 

Ok. Are we talking the Licking or Ohio river? 

On 11/25/2025 at 7:44 PM, Jack of all Trades said:

Have to see who applied.  Both Bathiany and Volker were passed on last time.  

On 11/25/2025 at 9:33 PM, Breds82 said:

Unless Volker wanted more of a challenge, he’s not going anywhere. 

4 hours ago, Buck2 said:

Been rumors every off-season he wants to go back across the river. 

20 minutes ago, Breds82 said:

Ok. Are we talking the Licking or Ohio river? 

Jay Volker is an Elder guy. I have a decent handful of contacts in Cincinnati coaching circles and several have told me that Volker has been consistent during the last two off-seasons with asking around concerning what jobs are likely to come open across the river in Cincinnati. General consensus is that he wants the job at Elder once Doug Ramsey retires. Ramsey is in his late 50s, so after 29 seasons at Elder he could potentially be looking at retiring any time, and at the same time he could also be hoping for another decade with the Panthers. But from what I've been hearing Volker is trying to weigh whether or not his college coaching career plus a short but highly successful head coaching career at Beechwood is enough to get him the job at Elder (whenever that comes available), or if he needs to build his resume further with an Ohio job before he would be a viable candidate at Elder.

Personally I really like Volker at Beechwood. I think he's obviously doing a great job, and I support any coach who improves the status of football programs in Kentucky and especially in northern Kentucky. That said, I kinda feel like we may see him make the move back to his homeland in Cincinnati sooner rather than later, but that's just conjecture at this point.

10 hours ago, Colonels_Wear_Blue said:

Jay Volker is an Elder guy. I have a decent handful of contacts in Cincinnati coaching circles and several have told me that Volker has been consistent during the last two off-seasons with asking around concerning what jobs are likely to come open across the river in Cincinnati. General consensus is that he wants the job at Elder once Doug Ramsey retires. Ramsey is in his late 50s, so after 29 seasons at Elder he could potentially be looking at retiring any time, and at the same time he could also be hoping for another decade with the Panthers. But from what I've been hearing Volker is trying to weigh whether or not his college coaching career plus a short but highly successful head coaching career at Beechwood is enough to get him the job at Elder (whenever that comes available), or if he needs to build his resume further with an Ohio job before he would be a viable candidate at Elder.

Personally I really like Volker at Beechwood. I think he's obviously doing a great job, and I support any coach who improves the status of football programs in Kentucky and especially in northern Kentucky. That said, I kinda feel like we may see him make the move back to his homeland in Cincinnati sooner rather than later, but that's just conjecture at this point.

Not sure Elder is his top choice.  Private versus public.

Interesting. 

I think the HC at Franklin County who back pedaled would have been interesting for the Birds. Franklin has been a perennial title contender the last several years.

They are in that state title game this year. Someone please remind me why he backed out? I understand a change of heart but was there more at play? 

1 hour ago, BlueBloodedColonel said:

I think the HC at Franklin County who back pedaled would have been interesting for the Birds. Franklin has been a perennial title contender the last several years.

They are in that state title game this year. Someone please remind me why he backed out? I understand a change of heart but was there more at play? 

Eddie James was afraid of the Highlands job.