What happened with Whitaker that made him leave Corbin in the 1st place? If you live in Eastern Ky. that is one of the best places to coach?

Has there been talk of Whitaker being pushed out at CC? He has been a bit of an underachiever at CC. Why would he want to take this huge down grade in jobs? To go from a good 4A program to an awlful 2A program just doesn't make sense to me.

What was Christian County's record in the five years immediately before Whitaker took the job?

What was Christian County's record in the five years immediately before Whitaker took the job?

 

Whitaker has been at Christian 6 years, so if you go back 6 years prior to Whitakers arrival here are the results. Dan Gobel's last 6 years (95-2000) record was 21-42 with no winning seasons, won no playoff games, and was 3-17 his last 2 seasons. Whitakers record in his 6 years at Christian is 47-25, won 6 playoff games and has made it to the region final twice. A lot of people say he has underachieved and maybe with a couple of teams his teams he has. But a case could be made that he has overachieved considering what the program achieved the 6 years prior to his arrival.

Good point Chicks, the last couple of years under Goble's run was ruff. They had a couple of good teams during those last years had Nelson County beat in the first round but lost the big lead late in the game. In 93 they lost to ST.X in the semis in a driving snow storm. Netherless, Whitaker has done a decent job but still he has not won two 4A State Titles like Goble did.

I really don't see Christian County as all that underachieving under Whitaker's tenure. As far as I'm concerned, they were a little overrated last season. The first-round loss to Graves County was an upset, but the Eagles have a recent history of stepping up their game a notch in the playoffs.

 

The Colonels haven't been the best team in the region since Whitaker has been there. They've been in the hunt, and that's where they finished. Like him or not, he took over a program that was vastly underachieving and made significant improvement.

 

Frankly, there are far bigger underachievers in western Kentucky ... Madisonville comes to mind.

It seems like Whitaker went 12-1 his first year at Corbin and then was snake bit with injuries. He also had some great success at Leslie including a regional championship over Dudley. His numbers sound like he was not an underachiever at Christian as was portrayed. I don't know if he can turn Powell around but he sounds like a good hire if they can get him.

Whitaker wore his welcome out at Corbin according to my sources. Nothing to do with his coaching duties. It was best for all involved that he move onto to another school. The guy can coach the game of football.

Coach Whitaker is a great coach and even better guy. I always thought the world of him during his time in Corbin. His first year at Corbin was the 94/95 season and it was viewed as more of a rebuilding year for the Hounds. I think they wound up 4-7. His second year was a different story! Since Tim Couch graduated the previous year, #1 target Ricky Hensley transferred to Corbin for his last season. That Corbin team was absolutely loaded and without my red tinted shades on. I can honestly say that was the best team in the state regardless of class. They had a huge line anchored by UK starting center Nolan Devaughn. The scary part was that he may not have even been the best on the team. The line averaged about 6'3" 280 and the backfield was deadly too.

 

That Corbin team went on to end the regular season 10-0 only two be upset in the second round of the playoffs by Madison Southern (a team Corbin beat 3 weeks prior 49-26). This was the only game I questioned his coaching but that happens once or twice to the best of coaches. The biggest thing in my opinion was that Corbin was looking ahead to defending champ and eventual champ Breathitt in the region title game. If that game came to be, there is no doubt, Corbin would have wiped the field with em.

 

I will not get into the whole situation because it need not be brought onto a public forum. The root of his demise at Corbin came from the insiders not being happy with him bringing in an opened up offense (balanced is more like it because Corbin rarely passed more than 25 times a game). Once people were upset about him not being smashmouthed, they started making up lies..the rest is history. I hated to see him go because he was a great person, coach, teacher, and guy to talk to when something was on you needed someone to listen. It was better that he left because he was too good to be treated the way he was treated at Corbin just because he wasn't part of the good ol boy network like you have at an Alabama or something.

Another gripe I have with the way Coach Whitaker is viewed is a petty one but still legit. The Dixie is a restaurant here in Corbin. It's a little cafe where the die hards go drink their coffee, eat lunch, talk football, and all the stuff you'd see in a movie. The walls are covered with Corbin football pictures, jerseys, and other stuff. Basically it is a shrine to Corbin football. On the way is a large frame with Corbin coaches of the past and present. Who's missing? Yep, Mike Whitaker?

 

It just irks me that he gets no respect and is treated like he was never a part of Corbin football. I'll tell you one thing, if not for Coach Whitaker, we may not be seeing this revived success in Corbin's long proud tradition. All Coach Whitaker did was come in and take a program on the downslide back to prominance and leave a solid foundation for the staff we have right now (which is very good i might add). At the time Coach Whitaker took the job, Soccer was beginning to get popular and many players were opting to play that instead of football. He made football fun and kept the kids turned on to it. That's just a small example of some of the good.

Corbin has thrown quite a bit the last couple of years with Cashen. How does the smash mouth crowd react to that? Is it more accepted now?

Corbin has thrown quite a bit the last couple of years with Cashen. How does the smash mouth crowd react to that? Is it more accepted now?

 

Some still think they throw too much, but Corbin does not have any backs like Matt Bargo, etc who went through the system during that time. The Madison Southern playoff loss was the beginning of the end for Coach Whitaker, a game that he probably "out-thought" himself and it resulted in a bitter loss for a very talented team. I have no idea if the rumors regarding Whitaker had any basis or not, but they played into his leaving.

 

One thing that must be pointed out was that during the Whitaker era Corbin had to face off against the district that included Danville, Boyle Co., Lexington Catholic, Madison Southern & Bourbon Co. in the playoffs and had teams such as Rockcastle Co. and Somerset in their district.

Here is an interesting fact that I bet a lot of people would not know. Coach Whitaker's last year here at Corbin, Quarterback Floyd Whitaker's highest passing attempts in a single game was 19. Compare that to 57 attempts that Cashen passed for against Middlesboro this past season. Again, I think people used the style of play which was more balanced than anything as an excuse to get him gone because he didn't come from the Redhound bloodline. Corbin passed up applications of Chuck Smith and Marty Jaggers (twice, Jaggers applied when Cotton Adams left) to Hire coach Jewell. Luckily, Coach Jewell turned out to be a very good and fitting Coach for the Hounds or we may have been looking at a crucial mistake for getting rid of Whitaker.

My sources maybe off target, but from those I trust it was best he left. No doubt Powell Co will be better if they can get him to come there. Whitaker was not a good fit at Corbin, for whatever the reasons. I think all have survived and moved on from the lies or whatever. Coach Jewell is the Hound leader for now and seems to be working harder than ever with AM workouts and PM weights.....sounds like he might be watching the Junction Boys movie as of late. I just hope the boys do not get wore out before the season starts.

Here is an interesting fact that I bet a lot of people would not know. Coach Whitaker's last year here at Corbin, Quarterback Floyd Whitaker's highest passing attempts in a single game was 19. Compare that to 57 attempts that Cashen passed for against Middlesboro this past season. Again, I think people used the style of play which was more balanced than anything as an excuse to get him gone because he didn't come from the Redhound bloodline. Corbin passed up applications of Chuck Smith and Marty Jaggers (twice, Jaggers applied when Cotton Adams left) to Hire coach Jewell. Luckily, Coach Jewell turned out to be a very good and fitting Coach for the Hounds or we may have been looking at a crucial mistake for getting rid of Whitaker.

 

Floyd Whitaker was the QB for Leslie Co.

Floyd Whitaker was the QB for Leslie Co.

 

Not his junior year. He transfered in halfway through our sophomore year and then went back when Mike left to Florida to coach South Lakes. Floyd still lives in Corbin and his parents stayed but I reckon he went back to be with friends and such.