What if I told you that he was their 2nd choice until the other candidate pulled his name out of the running?

1 minute ago, PawPrints said:

What if I told you that he was their 2nd choice until the other candidate pulled his name out of the running?

I would then respond with the obvious.....who was the first choice? 

3 minutes ago, GoBucks97 said:

I think that was the issue with it all. I'm part of the diocese as well, and the traditional diocese families hated their sons not playing enough. And In some cases not even making teams, I think they looked for any reason to get away from that regime(still don't get it). Some families are rubbed wrong by CCH now even though it's all under the same direction. I just think that with St. Henry having football and one of the best basketball coaches around. They can instantly be a power, think of several of these other big city regions that have catholic school that dominates. But then there's 1-2 other small catholic that aren't far behind. 

Totally agree, St. Henry really could be set to skyrocket in athletics and continue to grow the school. If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say they would've gone to St. Henry if they had a football team, I'd be a millionaire. Mostly meant they were going to CCH instead, but they'll take some from Beechwood and public schools as well. Don't want to get too far ahead of myself though!

2 minutes ago, BrosefStalin said:

I would then respond with the obvious.....who was the first choice? 

I was shocked when I heard the name so I’m hoping someone else heard this as well to verify.. But my source said that John Brannen applied for the job and then pulled himself from candidacy at some point during the process. Not sure the timeline on when he applied/dropped out.

4 minutes ago, PawPrints said:

I was shocked when I heard the name so I’m hoping someone else heard this as well to verify.. But my source said that John Brannen applied for the job and then pulled himself from candidacy at some point during the process. Not sure the timeline on when he applied/dropped out.

I know his name was mentioned early on when Coach Faust leaving was first mentioned.  But was that due to Grant being the principal or legit interest from John?

49 minutes ago, The Oracle said:

I can think of more than a few families that've traditionally been "CCH families" that have virtually washed their hands of the school thanks to Ruthsatz and company who would be more than happy to have their sons settle into playing for a quality basketball coach elsewhere in the diocese.

Maybe someone who knows a lot more about basketball than me can answer this, but how does Thelen compare as a coach to Sully and Ruthsatz? Is there that big of a gap in ability? I know he's a young coach, but that's the competition and comparison. If so, I can see some basketball first families going to St. Henry over CCH with this hire.

I'd be a little surprised to see any of the football first families of bigs and big skill go to St. Henry. Ex. Cov Cath has had an FBS recruit at TE basically every year the last decade. 

Regardless, this hire with the football program starting up will chip away at the depth at the very least. 

I wonder how the revered triumvirate of Boone Supt, Cooper Principal and Cooper AD REALLY are feeling today? Wonder what the level of heat they're taking internally is after this mess? 

 

From St. Henry District High School on Facebook:

St. Henry District High School announces the hiring of Mr. Tim Sullivan as the new Boys Basketball Coach.

St. Henry District High School proudly announces the appointment of Mr. Tim Sullivan as the new Varsity Head Basketball Coach.

Coach Sullivan brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record in basketball coaching to the program.  His appointment follows the retirement of Coach Dave Faust, who served with distinction for 33 years as Head Coach.

Coach Sullivan has an extensive basketball background, which includes eighteen varsity seasons as a boys' head basketball coach, mostly at Cooper High School, where he started and built the program into a perennial state power.  Coach Sullivan has a career record of 305-211.  He was the 9th Region Coach of the Year in 2017, 2018, and 2025.  Other accolades include Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference Division 1 Coach of the Year four times; Lexington Herald Leader and Louisville Courier Journal Coach of the Year in 2017; and Greater Cincinnati Basketball Hall of Fame Kentucky Coach of the Year in 2017 and 2025.  In 17 years at Cooper, Sullivan’s teams won nine 33rd District Championships and claimed the 9th Region Title in 2017 and 2025.  His 2017 team was State Runner Up, and most recently, his team this past year made it to the Elite Eight of the Boys Sweet Sixteen State Tourney.

“We are thrilled to welcome Mr. Tim Sullivan as our new Head Boys Varsity Basketball Coach, expressed Jim Demler.  “He has a fantastic reputation here in Northern Kentucky and throughout the state.  We are honored to add a coach of his stature.  Coach Sullivan is a proven winner and always gets the very best from his players.  

“I am blessed to be given the opportunity to take over a program that my great friend and mentor, Dave Faust, has built over the last 33 years.  My staff and I are grateful for the trust shown by the administration to lead the program into the future.  We are looking forward to continuing the tradition of excellence and building young men of character, integrity, tenacity, and toughness.  My family and I are extremely excited to become part of THE CRU” -  new St. Henry District High School Head Boys Basketball Coach Tim Sullivan

31 minutes ago, DukeDog said:

Totally agree, St. Henry really could be set to skyrocket in athletics and continue to grow the school. If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say they would've gone to St. Henry if they had a football team, I'd be a millionaire. Mostly meant they were going to CCH instead, but they'll take some from Beechwood and public schools as well. Don't want to get too far ahead of myself though!

It's funny, virtually all of my St. Henry friends say they have heard that tons of times too - enough so that somewhere along the line I started asking Boone County folks with kids on the Cov Cath football team if that was the case. I've literally never heard anyone say they would have gone to St. Henry instead were it not for football.

And I'm definitely not trying to say you aren't hearing it. It's just funny that on the Cov Cath side of things (in my experience, anyway) it isn't being acknowledged. The nearest I've ever heard to that was a guy in my actual graduating class who came to Cov Cath from Tichenor and said he "grew up wanting to go to Cov Cath to play football."

Great hire!

Congrats to coach Sully! I think he will obviously do great at St. Henry, and this is a perfect place for him to continue his coaching career and will have a lot of success!

3 hours ago, GoBucks97 said:

This is huge for St. Henry, any person with sports knowledge can see what is on the horizon for them. With Sully you are attracting kids from all over into the Catholic system, he is gonna have kids coming from multiple districts. Then the football program starting up is huge as well, gonna get all kinds of 2-3 sport athletes that would have never came to St. Henry before. The combination of the two I expect this program to be top 3 year in and out for the 9th region!

Going to take some time but I agree.

2 hours ago, GoBucks97 said:

Well let's see the coaching style alone is gonna get more out of the talent they already have in the system. How demanding he is, the type of structure he provides the kids in the locker room, on the court etc. Not to mention he is a defensive first coach. Playing hard and being in the right spots are what it's all built on. Yes it might take a couple years for some kids with more talent to come.  But he can win with they already have! 

Got to remember they just lost the all time winningest coach in the 9th, is there something Faust was doing wrong at the back end or just lost a little mojo?

7 minutes ago, Honey Badger said:

Got to remember they just lost the all time winningest coach in the 9th, is there something Faust was doing wrong at the back end or just lost a little mojo?

I played against Faust for years, talk to him every single time I see him. Great coach, even better guy. I think naturally as you get older and towards the end of your run, you lose some steam. Not only within your locker room and huddles. But your name doesn't hold as much weight. Tim is the clear top coach in the area with Scott and Dave being done. And now placed somewhere that won't hold him back when it comes to athletics and also getting any kid they want.

@CCHFC @Colonels_Wear_Blue I don't see the top talented football players leaving CCH for St. Henry so they can play basketball for Sully.  St. Henry may pull in some kids that were never really going to play for the Colonels very much in either sport and I am happy for all parties involved that's a win-win situation. Cov Cath sheds some fat and St. Henry gets a slightly better pool of players in. One big issue is St. Henry will NEVER compete with Beechwood in football just like majority of NKY/KY.  St. Henry's best case scenario is Beechwood at some point gets bumped up to 3A. I don't think getting 40 balled by Beechwood every year looks appealing to someone who is also considering Cov Cath. St. Henry football will gain a few better athletes than what they currently have but no bonafide football studs are going to St. Henry because Sully is the basketball coach. Again, great hire. Got to be realistic. Give it 3-5 years. Took Sully quite a bit of time at Cooper also.