On 11/24/2025 at 1:35 PM, JuanHenry1997 said:

Gotta think too how many of the kids they are losing are going to school where they think they have a better shot of getting exposure from colleges. 

This is such an antiquated viewpoint.  If you are good enough, colleges will find you.  Period.  Nobody is getting more college exposure for playing for Team A vs Team B.  

18 minutes ago, New Colonel said:

This is such an antiquated viewpoint.  If you are good enough, colleges will find you.  Period.  Nobody is getting more college exposure for playing for Team A vs Team B.  

I disagree.  If you go to camps and look great, but your regular season numbers look bad, it opens the door for questions.  

On 11/15/2025 at 8:43 AM, 9068 said:

In Brian's defense everyone in NKY new Highlands would be down for a while talent wise. His team did win a state championship. He took over a struggling Newport program and Campbell has a history of having some good teams but never a great program year in and out. As I always say, right time, right place, right people. Good luck to Coach Weinrich on what ever his path may be. Our son was his teammate on the '89 state championship so I would believe he is more than able to retire from Kentucky public education.

That's not good enough.  He didn't adjust w/ his talent at Highlands.  He coached under Dale who was the master of adapting his teams to their strengths, not force them into a specific system.  He may not have had a Collinsworth or Hamblen type talent or a Smith/Kunhein on the line, but he had a lot of talent.  For example, the underutilization of Brycen Huddleston will forever be one of the most grievous coaching blunders in Highlands history.   I say this as a fan of him as a teacher, as my kids loved him.  

On 11/17/2025 at 2:54 PM, futurecoach said:

Deaton would be a great hire for sure. Also Rick Honaker would be someone I would go after if I was Campbell. He just completed his first year as a head coach at Gallatin County. He has lots of experience at bigger schools, as through the years he has been an OC and DC at Ryle, and also coached at a big school down in Georgia and was a coordinator down there. Record wise may not have shown it, but he has created a lot of excitement down in Gallatin County in his first year. 

I believe he would be the perfect hire for them, if he is interested. He would work well with the youth and middle school programs. He has lots of energy, and I believe would help keep players in the district. Plus with him being a Campbell alum, you know he would be there for a long time and would help rebuild it. 

Completely agree with this. He understands the struggle of getting the county kids to buy in.

17 minutes ago, Three Blind Mice said:

I disagree.  If you go to camps and look great, but your regular season numbers look bad, it opens the door for questions.  

Your regular season numbers don't really impact much for recruiting.  And playing for one school over another doesn't impact those numbers that much.

Every year there are 4 and 5 star ranked guys that when you actually watch play in a game, you leave less than impressed.  They still sign with big schools, because their measurables at camps were that much better than everyone esle's.  It's about definitive measurables that you can produce at camps, getting yourself to said camps, not who you play for.  

13 minutes ago, New Colonel said:

Your regular season numbers don't really impact much for recruiting.  And playing for one school over another doesn't impact those numbers that much.

Every year there are 4 and 5 star ranked guys that when you actually watch play in a game, you leave less than impressed.  They still sign with big schools, because their measurables at camps were that much better than everyone esle's.  It's about definitive measurables that you can produce at camps, getting yourself to said camps, not who you play for.  

I thought we were talking about 50/50 guys.  Of course, if you are a guy like Zeke Pike, you are going to get looks regardless of where you are throwing at.  

Statistical numbers really do not have any impact on recruiting. They just don't.   In 20 years of coaching & 10 as a HC? Been fortunate to have kids sign and play (or currently playing) at every single level....NAIA, NCAA D3, D2, FBS, G5 and P4 (all as a HC) & I say that, not as a 'look at me' or even a "low key" one as the kids say now...instead, I say that having met with numerous coaches (some that I've built friendships with outside of recruiting or not). This  was at a place that, ABSOLUTELY proved the "If you're good enough, they'll find you."

...and, NOT ONE of them....I mean, NOT ONCE...has any of their statistical numbers came up. Be it those numbers on the high end or on the "low". If they are on the low end? These guys are smart enough to know & do realize that 'What's good for the GOOSE, may not actually be good for the GANDER' (ie: QB position & supporting cast).

Conversely? If they are on  the HIGH end? Which if they are that? They want to see their FULL games vs the best of the competition....to which even then? Sometimes isn't fully "good enough".

So, what's that leave? Camps. Being seen in person as @New Colonel said.  These camps are more important than ever, because while Hudl and other digital film routes make creating highlight films + getting them out to the masses is good for the player? These college coaches, individually at that, all  get ABSOLUTELY FLOODED with them daily (I'm talking HUNDREDS...per day...at EVERY LEVEL).

So, as you can imagine? There is absolutely NO WAY they can view all of them.

Thus, enters the CAMP CIRCUIT. It's a "beauty pageant", "Keeneland Spring Horse Sale".

I'm not saying it's right...I'm not saying it's wrong.

The things they look for on tape, aren't in a stat book....ie: How hard do they play, their body language, for RB's/WR's do they block and go hard without the ball (especially true for TE types. "Ok, so you can catch it and are a physical mismatch for people? Good...get in line. Now, will you get after somebody's tail and embrace that as much as being a target against Elmer Fudd.", etc. 

But, I am saying (through my own personal experiences) + what I've been told....."That's just the way it is."

2 hours ago, New Colonel said:

This is such an antiquated viewpoint.  If you are good enough, colleges will find you.  Period.  Nobody is getting more college exposure for playing for Team A vs Team B.  

I agree with you. In our eyes, if you’re good enough teams will find you. But these parents on the other hand are not thinking like we are. They’re thinking I’ll send my kids to a school like Highlands and I’ll get more exposure that way and the D1 will come calling. 

4 hours ago, Calico Jack said:

Statistical numbers really do not have any impact on recruiting. They just don't.   In 20 years of coaching & 10 as a HC? Been fortunate to have kids sign and play (or currently playing) at every single level....NAIA, NCAA D3, D2, FBS, G5 and P4 (all as a HC) & I say that, not as a 'look at me' or even a "low key" one as the kids say now...instead, I say that having met with numerous coaches (some that I've built friendships with outside of recruiting or not). This  was at a place that, ABSOLUTELY proved the "If you're good enough, they'll find you."

...and, NOT ONE of them....I mean, NOT ONCE...has any of their statistical numbers came up. Be it those numbers on the high end or on the "low". If they are on the low end? These guys are smart enough to know & do realize that 'What's good for the GOOSE, may not actually be good for the GANDER' (ie: QB position & supporting cast).

Conversely? If they are on  the HIGH end? Which if they are that? They want to see their FULL games vs the best of the competition....to which even then? Sometimes isn't fully "good enough".

So, what's that leave? Camps. Being seen in person as @New Colonel said.  These camps are more important than ever, because while Hudl and other digital film routes make creating highlight films + getting them out to the masses is good for the player? These college coaches, individually at that, all  get ABSOLUTELY FLOODED with them daily (I'm talking HUNDREDS...per day...at EVERY LEVEL).

So, as you can imagine? There is absolutely NO WAY they can view all of them.

Thus, enters the CAMP CIRCUIT. It's a "beauty pageant", "Keeneland Spring Horse Sale".

I'm not saying it's right...I'm not saying it's wrong.

The things they look for on tape, aren't in a stat book....ie: How hard do they play, their body language, for RB's/WR's do they block and go hard without the ball (especially true for TE types. "Ok, so you can catch it and are a physical mismatch for people? Good...get in line. Now, will you get after somebody's tail and embrace that as much as being a target against Elmer Fudd.", etc. 

But, I am saying (through my own personal experiences) + what I've been told....."That's just the way it is."

This right here.  You hit the nail on the head on this one.  I've heard this story over and over again from high school and college coaches alike.  

5 hours ago, Three Blind Mice said:

I thought we were talking about 50/50 guys.  Of course, if you are a guy like Zeke Pike, you are going to get looks regardless of where you are throwing at.  

Any college guys, even the 50/50 guys.  Camps are exponentially more important than who you play for.  There are plenty of D3 camps around to get exposure to those 50/50 guys.  

1 hour ago, New Colonel said:

Any college guys, even the 50/50 guys.  Camps are exponentially more important than who you play for.  There are plenty of D3 camps around to get exposure to those 50/50 guys.  

Got that right.....PLENTY of  "MEGA" Camps (I know you know all of this) around with numerous schools across all NCAA levels & then on the state level? UK, UL, WKU, Murray St, EKU when they have theirs? All of our state NAIA schools + D2 (KWC) and D3 (Centre & Thomas More- I can't keep up with TM, seems like they've gone back and forth, back and forth D3 and NAIA).

13 hours ago, Calico Jack said:

Thomas More- I can't keep up with TM, seems like they've gone back and forth, back and forth D3 and NAIA).

Thomas More is actually D2 now, and struggling to be competitive at that level to say the least.

28 minutes ago, New Colonel said:

Thomas More is actually D2 now, and struggling to be competitive at that level to say the least.

For another topic, obviously, but I had a conversation with somebody that has become a friend of mine over the years who...well, let's just say was a highly prominent figure of the TM Athletic program for years & I asked him "Why can't TM ever get anything going in football?" (obvious reason's, namely their location/recruiting base, talent within it, etc.)

His response? "Money/Not important enough to them."

 

On 12/17/2025 at 11:22 AM, New Colonel said:

This is such an antiquated viewpoint.  If you are good enough, colleges will find you.  Period.  Nobody is getting more college exposure for playing for Team A vs Team B.  

Agree w/ you on this. I played on a couple bad HS teams. Played good competition (6A), had good film, went to camps and performed well, and got a full ride D1. 

On 11/17/2025 at 2:54 PM, futurecoach said:

Deaton would be a great hire for sure. Also Rick Honaker would be someone I would go after if I was Campbell. He just completed his first year as a head coach at Gallatin County. He has lots of experience at bigger schools, as through the years he has been an OC and DC at Ryle, and also coached at a big school down in Georgia and was a coordinator down there. Record wise may not have shown it, but he has created a lot of excitement down in Gallatin County in his first year. 

I believe he would be the perfect hire for them, if he is interested. He would work well with the youth and middle school programs. He has lots of energy, and I believe would help keep players in the district. Plus with him being a Campbell alum, you know he would be there for a long time and would help rebuild it. 

I just had someone tell me that Coach Honaker is a finalist for the Campbell job.

Anyone?