Beechwood parts ways with longtime assistant Bob Burnett

[gbballfan21]

According to my boys that played from 2016-2020 and this just isn’t accurate.  Coach B has always been on the second bus and always remained on the bus up until the team took the field for warmups. Apparently that wasn’t a secret amongst the players. 

[BirdDaddy]

18 hours ago, theguru said:

Okay everyone, I am going to have to push back against the Beechwood Authority and my post above.  This is from last month but assuming this is authentic (how do we know anymore) it does not sound like a retirement and I apologize everyone. 

This is crazy. Coach Burnett is a good dude.

[Voice of Reason]

3 hours ago, Buck2 said:

A little update, I was told he was isolated on the way down to the Mayfield game and everyone thought it was odd when he was on the cheerleader and freshman bus. Not a good look if you ask me. Even if you don’t agree or like him coaching your oline you don’t just get rid of a coach of 50 years and a loyal Beechwood person. 

 

2 hours ago, gbballfan21 said:

According to my boys that played from 2016-2020 and this just isn’t accurate.  Coach B has always been on the second bus and always remained on the bus up until the team took the field for warmups. Apparently that wasn’t a secret amongst the players. 

To gbballfan21's point above, I think this is Coach Burnett's style. Two years ago when Beechwood won the state championship, the team received their trophy and was getting that on field team picture. Coach Burnett was on the sideline watching it all. A coach ran over to him and pulled him out to the field to get him in the team picture.

[NKY KnowItAll]

They did Coach B wrong! I loved playing for that man and still love talking with him in the community when I see him out walking! I would’ve run through a brick wall for him! I know there were a few coaches who I guess didn’t like his philosophy anymore. Sad day for Beechwood Football if you ask me! How could someone only coach one year with a person and make that decision. I’m thinking he was definitely influenced!

[theguru]

7 minutes ago, NKY KnowItAll said:

They did Coach B wrong! I loved playing for that man and still love talking with him in the community when I see him out walking! I would’ve run through a brick wall for him! I know there were a few coaches who I guess didn’t like his philosophy anymore. Sad day for Beechwood Football if you ask me! How could someone only coach one year with a person and make that decision. I’m thinking he was definitely influenced!

Thanks for the additional. 

[Breds82]

For us on the outside, was there any obvious drop off in line play this year vs last that made line play so bad there was no other choice? Was this an older coach set in his ways and not wanting to adapt to a younger coaches ideas on how the line should be blocking? In my opinion, he’s been doing correctly as long as I’ve been aware of Beechwood football. Quite curious if the full reason will be made available to the public, maybe it will because of how upset this has made the Tiger faithful.

[Evvie Ediston]

Coach B has always been one of the best in the biz. I'm sure if he's interested to keep in the game Ben and Noel would be more than thrilled to have him come pitch in at Holmes. The o-line at Beechwood still be in great hands with Bob's protege Matt Mercer taking the reins.

[ChiefSmoke]

I met Coach Burnett when I was at Paris. Excellent football coach and always enjoyed talking to him. One night, he left some papers, stapled together,  on the sideline that had a bunch of blocking schemes and assignments. The predominant front he was blocking.... a 5-3... same defense the Tigers were running in those days. Everybody was running the ball like crazy back in those days!

[gbballfan21]

Did some talking yesterday ... and felt like it was worth a follow up. 
 

Coach B is one of the best human beings (and coaches) that I have ever met. I think Coach Volker's communication spoke to the fact that regardless of where things ended up -- he and the rest of the Beechwood family have the utmost respect for Coach B. If I understand things correctly -- this happened over 3 weeks ago -- and is just making it out now. I think that says something about how things were handled. 

I seriously doubt that Coach Burnett is close to being finished coaching -- I hope he keeps right on trucking. His impact on the program is at the absolute highest level -- and that won't change where ever he ends up. (He was gone for 10 years before he came back in 2016 -- I don't remember Coach Rash getting similar treatment).

With that said -- I think there are a few things to remember. Coach Volker kept every member of the coaching staff from Coach Rash's staff -- which still amazes me to this day. I haven't seen any coach do that before. To think that there has been only one change is unheard of IMO. I think to myself often -- I would have brought in at least 3 of my own guys if I was in a similar position. Coach Volker didn't clean house ... and he didn't make any changes until after a full first season. 

The talk about Coach Volker using Beechwood as a stepping stone is way out there. There is nothing that he has said or done that should warrant that line of discussion about him. People have the right to have their own opinion -- but at this point I just don't see it. When it comes to pay -- I remember a few years back Beechwood salaries were listed publicly in one of the Recorder newspapers. Seeing what Coach Rash made at the time made me wonder how in the world that he could afford to keep doing it. It was a punch in the gut. If Coach Volker is in a similar position -- I immediately understand and get it. At the same time -- it will be handled like Coach Rash ... behind the scenes and out of the public eye. 

[Cincinnati Cobra]

Bob is one of the greats. He came in as athletic director at Beechwood the same year that Coach Yeagle took over from Coach Barre. He was a head coach at Dixie for about a decade prior to that. Bob was on Coach Yeagle's staff and he and Noel Rash both applied to replace Mike. When the hiring committee decided to go with Noel, Bob willingly and humbly joined Noel's coaching staff.

While Beechwood was in the process of finding a replacement for Coach Rash, the current AD asked Coach Hergott and Coach Berger to stay on in order to provide continuity within the program. Greg was willing to stay in order to coach Clay Hayden through the end of his high school career, and Brandon agreed to stay if Greg was staying. They have both been open about their intent to step down at the end of next year's season.

Sometimes even the best of coaches just don't mesh well together, even if they would like to. From the sound of things that may well be what happened between Coach Volker and Coach Burnett. It isn't easy being a head coach and managing the desires and expectations of administrators, assistant coaches, players, parents, and fans all alike all while trying to move the program forward in a positive direction. Sometimes there isn't any escaping looking like the bad guy to some individuals even when you have the program's best interest at heart. I know that Coach Burnett understands that too. I would guess he has relatively little ill-will about their parting of ways.

[Cincinnati Cobra]

Bob lives in the house right next to the driveway at Beechwood. Does he still end up having a pile of pumpkins stacked in his yard by Beechwood students every year on Halloween?

[gbballfan21]

6 minutes ago, Cincinnati Cobra said:

Bob is one of the greats. He came in as athletic director at Beechwood the same year that Coach Yeagle took over from Coach Barre. He was a head coach at Dixie for about a decade prior to that. Bob was on Coach Yeagle's staff and he and Noel Rash both applied to replace Mike. When the hiring committee decided to go with Noel, Bob willingly and humbly joined Noel's coaching staff.

While Beechwood was in the process of finding a replacement for Coach Rash, the current AD asked Coach Hergott and Coach Berger to stay on in order to provide continuity within the program. Greg was willing to stay in order to coach Clay Hayden through the end of his high school career, and Brandon agreed to stay if Greg was staying. They have both been open about their intent to step down at the end of next year's season.

Sometimes even the best of coaches just don't mesh well together, even if they would like to. From the sound of things that may well be what happened between Coach Volker and Coach Burnett. It isn't easy being a head coach and managing the desires and expectations of administrators, assistant coaches, players, parents, and fans all alike all while trying to move the program forward in a positive direction. Sometimes there isn't any escaping looking like the bad guy to some individuals even when you have the program's best interest at heart. I know that Coach Burnett understands that too. I would guess he has relatively little ill-will about their parting of ways.

Great post ... Coach B wasn't on Coach Rash's original staff. Coach Rash's first season was 2006. Coach B didn't come back to Beechwood until 2016. 

[Cincinnati Cobra]

9 minutes ago, gbballfan21 said:

Great post ... Coach B wasn't on Coach Rash's original staff. Coach Rash's first season was 2006. Coach B didn't come back to Beechwood until 2016. 

I never realized he left the staff. Thinking out loud, did he possibly stay off of the staff until he had handed over the reins as athletic director? I know Bob and Noel have always been close friends. And Bob was the one who hired Noel as head baseball coach at Beechwood, long before Noel got the job as head football coach.

[gbballfan21]

1 minute ago, Cincinnati Cobra said:

I never realized he left the staff. Thinking out loud, did he possibly stay off of the staff until he had handed over the reins as athletic director? I know Bob and Noel have always been close friends. And Bob was the one who hired Noel as head baseball coach at Beechwood, long before Noel got the job as head football coach.

Nope ... Coach B retired from his assistant principal and AD role at the end of 2005. He coached at Lloyd for a year or so, Turpin for a few years then he was at Cooper before he came back to Beechwood in 2016 (I may have the order wrong at the beginning -- but I think I have it correct). (Darrick Brilz coached the O-Line during that period).  Ben Zimmerman took over both spots that Coach B held down at the beginning of Coach Rash's tenure. 

I am sure that Coach Rash and Coach B still spoke frequently during that time period.

[Jason Bucklen]

2 hours ago, Cincinnati Cobra said:

Bob lives in the house right next to the driveway at Beechwood. Does he still end up having a pile of pumpkins stacked in his yard by Beechwood students every year on Halloween?

Haha nope I think that ended back in 94 my senior year. We over did it that year!