Per Evan Dennison of Link NKY. Article here. 

“I’m in a position right now where I have family and personal things I need to take care of and be present with,” Elsbernd said.

What a tough blow for Holmes. Just when they seemed to be gaining some momentum. Hope all is well with Coach Elsbernd's family. 

Link NKY's article highlights Sam Elsbernd, by the numbers I will spare that post. I am sure this was a tough decision for Coach Elsbernd considering how rooted he is into all things Covington. If history is any indicator, I would say he will be back on the sidelines at just a matter of when not if. As for Holmes, it feels like anytime this job has come open in the past decade Ricardo Johnson's name has buzzed around it. I would think he will be their first phone call and possibly there only phone call. After that I have no clue who would be the likely successor. 

17 minutes ago, Herbie22 said:

Link NKY's article highlights Sam Elsbernd, by the numbers I will spare that post. I am sure this was a tough decision for Coach Elsbernd considering how rooted he is into all things Covington. If history is any indicator, I would say he will be back on the sidelines at just a matter of when not if. As for Holmes, it feels like anytime this job has come open in the past decade Ricardo Johnson's name has buzzed around it. I would think he will be their first phone call and possibly there only phone call. After that I have no clue who would be the likely successor. 

I agree with you on Johnson, but I don't see him leaving HC.

Holmes is losing a good one. Prayers for Coach Elsbernd and his family. 

12 minutes ago, 4 Quarters said:

I agree with you on Johnson, but I don't see him leaving HC.

If Johnson keeps telling his assistant coaches that their entire purpose on gameday is to shut up and bring out stools during timeouts then I don't know how long he's going to have a staff at Holy Cross. And based on the nickname most of his players use to refer to him outside of practice it doesn't seem like he is notably beloved by his players. There was a time during early February where a couple of faculty members stepped in and helped convince some of the seniors on the team to finish out the season instead of quitting.

I feel like Ricardo leaving Holy Cross would be a step in a better direction for Holy Cross basketball. I don't necessarily see where he would willingly leave to take over the program at Holmes, though, based on the current state of things at Holmes.

If I’m Ricardo, I’m not touching Holmes with a 10 foot pole. He wanted to go there a few years ago and they turned him down. 

Calls that Ken Ellis should make today:

1. Tim Sullivan 

2. Ricardo Johnson 

3. Rod Snapp

4. Mike Walker

Go down the line until that person says they're interested.

17 minutes ago, HSBballfan1212 said:

Calls that Ken Ellis should make today:

1. Tim Sullivan 

2. Ricardo Johnson 

3. Rod Snapp

4. Mike Walker

Go down the line until that person says they're interested.

All of those guys would say "No."

 

They may have a shot at Eric Goetz though.

14 minutes ago, PP1 said:

All of those guys would say "No."

 

They may have a shot at Eric Goetz though.

The point is you make them say no.  

My 2nd tier of guys would be still be ones with head coaching experience.  This is not a job for someone getting their first head coaching gig.  

Go after maybe a Cincinnati coach.

Aric Russell?

A sad day at Holmes once again. What's new? Two years ago Tracy Pope applied for this job and was rumored to have interviewed for it. I wonder if he would still be interested. He teaches at Holmes and has a heart for the city of Covington with head coaching experience. Ricardo Johnson would be great as well. Darian Witherspoon and Eric Pouncy would be fantastic for this job too. Another call Holmes should make is to Todd Humphrey. Another former player and coach at Holmes who's currently the head boys coach at Boone county. Bottomline, Holmes needs a coach that can relate to their kids beyond Basketball.

14 minutes ago, sideline skipper said:

A sad day at Holmes once again. What's new? Two years ago Tracy Pope applied for this job and was rumored to have interviewed for it. I wonder if he would still be interested. He teaches at Holmes and has a heart for the city of Covington with head coaching experience. Ricardo Johnson would be great as well. Darian Witherspoon and Eric Pouncy would be fantastic for this job too. Another call Holmes should make is to Todd Humphrey. Another former player and coach at Holmes who's currently the head boys coach at Boone county. Bottomline, Holmes needs a coach that can relate to their kids beyond Basketball.

Tracy Pope teaches at Walton-Verona now, but would be a good hire if he wanted to go back. 

Someone that I believe would be a very good hire and was already on the staff, and does currently teach at Holmes and that is Dan Penick. He has been an assistant coach at Ludlow under Dan Sullivan, and Aaron Stamm. Then has been an assistant on Sam's staff at Holmes. He already teaches there, can relate and build relationships with players, and would continue building off the positive momentum of the last two years.

I have no idea if he is interested in becoming a head coach or not. If so, then I think he would be a great hire for Holmes. 

Didn't realize Tracy Pope got out of Covington must've been a tough decision. 

Dan Penick is a great guy with a lot of experience as an assistant coach. However, Holmes has never hired a coach that doesn't have head coaching experience. I don't see them making that decision. Being a head coach is a responsibility that you don't understand and aren't prepared for until you become a head coach. Even then, there's a lot to learn and adjust to. While Dan is a great guy and I believe would be a great head coach, I just don't believe Holmes is the place for him to begin as a head coach. Ricardo Johnson, Todd Humphrey, Tracy Pope, Eric Pouncy, Darian Witherspoon each have head coaching experience and all of them besides Tracy Pope are currently head coaches. Ricardo, Eric, Todd, and Tracy have all even coached at Holmes before.

Just now, sideline skipper said:

Didn't realize Tracy Pope got out of Covington must've been a tough decision. 

Dan Penick is a great guy with a lot of experience as an assistant coach. However, Holmes has never hired a coach that doesn't have head coaching experience. I don't see them making that decision. Being a head coach is a responsibility that you don't understand and aren't prepared for until you become a head coach. Even then, there's a lot to learn and adjust to. While Dan is a great guy and I believe would be a great head coach, I just don't believe Holmes is the place for him to begin as a head coach. Ricardo Johnson, Todd Humphrey, Tracy Pope, Eric Pouncy, Darian Witherspoon each have head coaching experience and all of them besides Tracy Pope are currently head coaches. Ricardo, Eric, Todd, and Tracy have all even coached at Holmes before.

While I understand that type of thinking, and a lot of admin think just like that about wanting someone with head coaching experience. I also believe that is where a lot of schools also mess up, and then miss out on guys, because they didn't want to be the first to give that coach his first head coach experience. 

Which take Holmes for example. While Holmes has a great history of basketball success, the key word there is history. As sadly that is not what Holmes currently is and hasn't been in awhile. Gone are the days where many proven head coaches probably would leave their current program to get the opportunity to go coach there, as it isn't exactly a desirable job at the moment. Which maybe they could get a Ricardo Johnson, Tracy Pope or someone like that to come back because of those ties to the program and would be good hires. However, take Ricardo for instance. Why should he want to come back, if he had applied before and Holmes wasn't willing to give him that first chance, but yet Holy Cross was willing to do that and he has done a good job there. So unless there is something to that post earlier in this thread, about people maybe wanting Johnson out at Holy cross. He literally wouldn't have much reason to go back to Holmes unless he is no longer wanted at Holy Cross.

I definitely get the attraction to hiring someone with head coaching experience. I feel like a lot of programs are also tying their own hands behind their back, and sometimes letting good coaches end up elsewhere because of that need to get someone with experience. So yeah Holmes could decide to continue to only hire guys with head coach experience, but then put them in a spot where that coach they passed up on, doesn't come back after now getting that experience. To me you hire the best coach you can for that program, and that doesn't always mean the guy with head coaching experience is better than someone without it. 

53 minutes ago, futurecoach said:

While I understand that type of thinking, and a lot of admin think just like that about wanting someone with head coaching experience. I also believe that is where a lot of schools also mess up, and then miss out on guys, because they didn't want to be the first to give that coach his first head coach experience. 

Which take Holmes for example. While Holmes has a great history of basketball success, the key word there is history. As sadly that is not what Holmes currently is and hasn't been in awhile. Gone are the days where many proven head coaches probably would leave their current program to get the opportunity to go coach there, as it isn't exactly a desirable job at the moment. Which maybe they could get a Ricardo Johnson, Tracy Pope or someone like that to come back because of those ties to the program and would be good hires. However, take Ricardo for instance. Why should he want to come back, if he had applied before and Holmes wasn't willing to give him that first chance, but yet Holy Cross was willing to do that and he has done a good job there. So unless there is something to that post earlier in this thread, about people maybe wanting Johnson out at Holy cross. He literally wouldn't have much reason to go back to Holmes unless he is no longer wanted at Holy Cross.

I definitely get the attraction to hiring someone with head coaching experience. I feel like a lot of programs are also tying their own hands behind their back, and sometimes letting good coaches end up elsewhere because of that need to get someone with experience. So yeah Holmes could decide to continue to only hire guys with head coach experience, but then put them in a spot where that coach they passed up on, doesn't come back after now getting that experience. To me you hire the best coach you can for that program, and that doesn't always mean the guy with head coaching experience is better than someone without it. 

Great points! I agree with everything you said. Holmes has undoubtedly created a lot of ill will towards younger coaches that have passed through there and would have been great in the head coach role there. Perhaps, Holmes wouldn't be in their current state if they did hire Ricardo, Todd or Tracy when they had the opportunity to. I wonder how much of that will deter other coaches or even those guys from considering Holmes as an option again. Hopefully Holmes can find the coach that is committed long term and in it for the kids. Not just in it to build their resume. That's a risk admin takes whether it's an experienced coach or not. It will be interesting to find out who that person will be. In my opinion NKY HS basketball is better when Holmes is competitive.