18 minutes ago, RedHawk said:

How does this coaching shake up effect Athens looking elsewere?  Does he now stay or still look across the river?

 

Is He looking?  I was told by several folks this weekend Athens is definitively not looking right now and they were aware of no plans for Him to start.

20 minutes ago, Cov_Cath_Hwy said:

Is He looking?  I was told by several folks this weekend Athens is definitively not looking right now and they were aware of no plans for Him to start.

I had just read he was. I have no personal contacts to him or his family.

Hope that's the case as he's a very fun player to watch!

27 minutes ago, RedHawk said:

I had just read he was. I have no personal contacts to him or his family.

Hope that's the case as he's a very fun player to watch!

Other than on this thread I have not heard it and I have been asking around and talking to folks and no one has said He is.  I hope not as well as He will be thrilling to watch if He stays especially if we get either of those 2 coaches.

10 hours ago, Cov_Cath_Hwy said:

Well what I can say I am hearing is it only down to 2 candidates:

Jake Thelen - current UC Basketball Director of Player Development and former Georgia Bulldog Asst. Coach and  most importantly Colonel Hoopster Alumni and far and above the runaway first choice for the job.

Tim “Sully” Sullivan - current Cooper Jags Head Ball Coach and 2nd on the short list of only these 2 candidates.

Hearing that basically it is Thelen’s job at this point if He wants it as they want an Alum back in the building and to get Sully, as previously mentioned, there would absolutely need to be a buyout or bonus to cover the loss of His retirement and no one involved is happy or quick to want to go down that road and I agree completely.  As said earlier this is High School and not a power 5 college.

This would only go to a National Search should those 2 not get/take the job as there is no one else local to NKY they want.  Both have already interviewed and I am told both most certainly want this job.  

No timetable but I am being told, but they are working on this at light speed and want it all wrapped up right now.

I've been hearing that there are discussions taking place with Jake Thelen. He has a heck of a resume, as well as being a Cov Cath hoops alum, and a third generation Colonel. I'd love to see that hire happen, and I think that would honestly be the best case scenario for the hire from a program and community standpoint, both, no doubt.

Definitely seems like money would be the big challenge to make that happen. But if the money is hypothetically there to work out the retirement debacle for Sullivan, then I would imagine the money is there to figure out things with Thelen.

Just now, Colonels_Wear_Blue said:

I've been hearing that there are discussions taking place with Jake Thelen. He has a heck of a resume, as well as being a Cov Cath hoops alum, and a third generation Colonel. I'd love to see that hire happen, and I think that would honestly be the best case scenario for the hire from a program and community standpoint, both, no doubt.

Definitely seems like money would be the big challenge to make that happen. But if the money is hypothetically there to work out the retirement debacle for Sullivan, then I would imagine the money is there to figure out things with Thelen.

I have nothing new to update except to say that every Colonel should want the Thelen hire to happen.  This would be 10 grand slams rolled into one.  

Are we sure these guys really applied?

Looking specifically at Thelen's resume, outside of him being an alum, why would he want this job? Would be quite a step back from his current role. He also is not a teacher from what I can tell, does that factor in?

Others have pointed out that Sully would have to leave a pension and probably take a pay cut. That's not realistic either, IMO. 

16 hours ago, Colonels_Wear_Blue said:

I've been hearing that there are discussions taking place with Jake Thelen. He has a heck of a resume, as well as being a Cov Cath hoops alum, and a third generation Colonel. I'd love to see that hire happen, and I think that would honestly be the best case scenario for the hire from a program and community standpoint, both, no doubt.

Definitely seems like money would be the big challenge to make that happen. But if the money is hypothetically there to work out the retirement debacle for Sullivan, then I would imagine the money is there to figure out things with Thelen.

I don't know Jake, but I know his dad and his aunts and uncles.  I think this would be a great hire from all aspects as a fan, player or anyone affiliated with the school, but I just don't see this happening.  Jake is a young guy with a very promising career path and think this would be a step back for him.  His upward mobility is far greater where he is then coming to coach a high school basketball team.  I honestly think Sullivan would be a much more likely hire than Thelen and even that is not likely.   

Such a fun thread! ?

Did Jake Thelen play basketball at Bellarmine?

39 minutes ago, tcjkbt said:

Did Jake Thelen play basketball at Bellarmine?

Yes, that's him.

1 hour ago, tcjkbt said:

Did Jake Thelen play basketball at Bellarmine?

⚔️ Yes sir, he did. Senior year bio ~

"2014-15: Selected as a first-team All-American by 'Basketball Times ..."

athletics.bellarmine.edu/sports/mens-basketball/roster/jake-thelen 

His current CV at Cincinnati ~ 

"... one season pro overseas ... assistant at St. Xavier (KY)" ... college staffs at IU, UGA, UC ...

gobearcats.com/staff-directory/jake-thelen 

As others have stated, Jake checks all the boxes for the position. Seems a stretch hire from his recent trajectory, but who knows. Hasn't been an HC at any level yet, and here's an opportunity to stay local.

1 hour ago, colonel-fan said:

Such a fun thread! ?

One week, 17k ?. 

? David R. Lutman, to the C-J.

On 6/3/2024 at 7:28 AM, BiggestFan said:

 

My bad- when I re-read this- I meant to say "Let Sullivan continue  teaching  in the public school system until he can retire.

And that might not be the precedent that CCHS would readily embrace; but, it sure is an easy-clean solution if they want Sully.  Followed Jake closely during his four years at Bellarmine and candidly loved him as a player that gave every ounce of effort from tip-off to final horn.  A model player right out of the CCHS and then the Scotty Davenport mold.  His future might be pretty bright at the college level.

1 hour ago, Oldercoach said:

And that might not be the precedent that CCHS would readily embrace; but, it sure is an easy-clean solution if they want Sully.  Followed Jake closely during his four years at Bellarmine and candidly loved him as a player that gave every ounce of effort from tip-off to final horn.  A model player right out of the CCHS and then the Scotty Davenport mold.  His future might be pretty bright at the college level.

A teaching job in the school was the only reason Coach Sullivan is not currently the head coach at Dixie. From all reports, Sullivan was going hard for the Dixie job, but they didn't have a teaching position available for him. He could have remained teaching at Cooper and coached at Dixie.

For the record, I still don't believe Sullivan has interviewed at Cov Cath.

Although he could hypothetically remain teaching at Cooper to continue to work towards his KTRS retirement while coaching at Cov Cath, I don't see that happening. First and foremost, I don't think Cov Cath wants to set a precedent of having the head coach of one of their marquee athletic programs working in another school. And then after that, just logistically it's a 25 minute commute from Cov Cath to Cooper when there isn't any traffic on I-75 (which we all know is a rarity anymore). So if Coach Sullivan were to get the Cov Cath coaching job while teaching at Cooper, that makes morning practices a pretty major difficulty, and then you run into the same thing again in terms of him getting there for practice to start right after school.

Looks like there are two very good candidates.  One who is an alum, great college career and now spending time on the sidelines (very similar to Ricardo Johnson becoming a HC).  The second in a proven coach who most, if not all, teams in the State of KY would absolutely love to have on their sidelines and is more than likely worthy of some out of the box thinking to secure said coach.

I am sure wherever this lands, CCH will be in good hands but will certainly have to work to climb back to the level that they are accustomed to with teams like Newport and Cooper closing and/or passing that gap. I, for one, hope Sully stays at Cooper and things get smoothed out with the administration as I think there is something special about being the schools' only head coach.  Additionally, Cooper will be in a position to compete for the region again with the pieces they have returning not to mention when Cooper vs. CCH take the floor it is box office material.

Best of luck to all making this tough decision.

15 minutes ago, Colonels_Wear_Blue said:

A teaching job in the school was the only reason Coach Sullivan is not currently the head coach at Dixie. From all reports, Sullivan was going hard for the Dixie job, but they didn't have a teaching position available for him. He could have remained teaching at Cooper and coached at Dixie.

For the record, I still don't believe Sullivan has interviewed at Cov Cath.

Although he could hypothetically remain teaching at Cooper to continue to work towards his KTRS retirement while coaching at Cov Cath, I don't see that happening. First and foremost, I don't think Cov Cath wants to set a precedent of having the head coach of one of their marquee athletic programs working in another school. And then after that, just logistically it's a 25 minute commute from Cov Cath to Cooper when there isn't any traffic on I-75 (which we all know is a rarity anymore). So if Coach Sullivan were to get the Cov Cath coaching job while teaching at Cooper, that makes morning practices a pretty major difficulty, and then you run into the same thing again in terms of him getting there for practice to start right after school.

Teaching at one school and coaching at another is not in coach Sully's persona IMO.  He most definitely is a coach that likes to be in the school, around his players as much as possible.  Driving distance has nothing to do with the job.  For what it's worth, Sully does not live near Cooper now and has a 15-20 minute commute now so that is not the issue, being in the school is. 

Truly don't think he would consider the job if there wasn't a teaching position in school.