For those who don't know, Phillip Haywood has officially tied Bob Schneider and Dudley Hilton for the All-Time Wins mark with his victory over Lawrence County this past weekend. With a victory Friday, Haywood will sit all alone at the top with an opportunity to distance himself from the pack over the next couple seasons.

 

In an age of social media, message boards, blogs, and the like, it is a bit surprising that there has been less media hype and buzz surrounding this grand achievement. Perhaps this can be accredited to geography, the Jude vs. Wales rushing record race, or the fact Haywood doesn't stir controversy like a Matney or Mueller. If everyone is willing to hear me out, I want to pay my respect to a man who rightfully deserves it.

 

It can be argued that the lack of buzz can be attributed to a man who epitomizes taking the back seat to his players and that he wouldn't want this honor any other way. Haywood has been a fixture of class and is a dying breed of coaches who are simply content to do things the right way, developing the player as a person equally with as a player. Where as most will count the number of wins, Haywood counts the number of lives he has impacted.

 

I am not a fan of the whole "EKY vs. The World" mindset that is so prevalent, but it is worth noting that when you walk into CAM Stadium and see the first class facilities, the first class fan support, the first class hospitality, and the first class program itself, that Haywood deserves "bonus points" for doing it in an area that for all intents of purposes does not have the luxuries of other areas of the state. Everything about modern Belfry football (contrary to what Haywood himself would insist) can almost certainly be accredited to the man who still wears a suit jacket and tie on the sideline. In an area whose lifeblood is a dying coal industry, Haywood has not only been able to withstand the winds of change, but has seen the best years of his program come in lieu of declining population, budget cuts, and numerous socio-economic factors.

 

For those who only know the name "Belfry" or "Haywood" the common perception is to think of a wishbone offense, a 5-2 defense, 4 yard dive plays behind a big offensive line, and skill players who make up for their athletic shortcomings with great effort. His system is simple in nature; interchangeable parts, bend but don't break, shorten the game, and for Heaven's sake don't beat yourself. For the casual observer, Haywood's program is similar to the Pirates uniforms: basic, consistent, very little variations from week to week, and by and large classic in style. The beauty of Haywood, as well as the Pirate uniform, is in the variations that occur so subtle over time that they evolve to still find their niche in a modern era. Whereas the jersey fabric, sleeve lengths, and technology are almost transparent in their evolution, so to are Haywood's changes that have led his program to it's growth. Once starting nearly every player both ways, Haywood's current team sees at most 2-3 players playing "Iron Man" football. Complex blitz and stunt packages, custom tailored to Haywood's wishbone, rendered his teams vulnerable without a crop of power backs to rely on. Haywood varied his offense to a flexbone style utilizing quickness and misdirection and spreading defenses out. Gigantic D-Linemen who would eat up run blockers a decade ago made the Pirate defenses formidable. The spread then came and the Pirates were victimized by their own personnel, now the Pirate DL has undersized quick linemen designed to create penetration and recover quickly. These are all testaments to an old dog who was willing to learn new tricks and not someone who was so set in their ways that they were content to do it "how it has worked for years".

 

The Saturday following Haywood's win Mike Field's will give a couple paragraphs in the LHL with a couple non-descript quotes from Haywood as he gives credit to everyone but himself. The Courier-Journal may make mention of it on their website in a note of a blog, the KY Post might give a bullet point, and the WKY papers probably won't mention it all. After 346 wins, Haywood will be lucky to have a handful of sentences capture his legacy to the eyes of the Commonwealth. Thousands of lives positively impacted, thousands of compliments and "Thank You's" humbly diverted, and thousands of minutes of devotion to a craft he has mastered... all summarized with a fleeting minute or so of typing on a keyboard by the media who have to serve as the scribes to document the changing of the guard.

 

Here's hoping that Haywood's accomplishment gets the standing ovation from across the Commonwealth that it truly deserves.

Great coach no doubt about it. Does things the right way, and ATLCat you wrote quite an impressive piece on him.

 

Congrats Coach Hatwood and Belfry!!

Standing ovation here! Great job coach. Thanks for teaching the game of football and life.

Coach Haywood is the type of man you want teaching your son the game of football and I would be proud to have any son of mine play for Philip Haywood.

 

Congratulations Coach on the upcoming milestone.:thumb:

Well said Watusi. Last year I visited Belfry for the first time and loved the area and people there. I think that his accomplishment will not be forgotten by anyone in Kentucky football. Congrats again!

ATLCat ... thank you for the well written piece on Coach Haywood and helping to bring recognition to someone who surely has earned it. I now know more about Haywood than I do about Coach Hilton. I would guess most people in your area know as little about Bob Schneider as people in N. Ky. know about Haywood and/or Hilton. That is just the way it is. High school sports are mostly local in interest.

 

How long has Haywood been coaching and has he been at Belfry his whole career? What is his background? Did he grow up in Eastern Ky.? Where did he go to school? I would like to hear more about Coach Haywood.

I remember going to Belfry years ago for a Regional Championship Game, ( there were 7000 + at game) while I Coached at Leslie Co. We were lucky enough to beat Belfry and the Win was impressive. But the Win took 2nd place to the Class Belfry Fan's showed us and Coach Haywood was in the lead. Conj: to a Great Coach and Person. Thank You.

ATL Nice piece, well done! I met the ole coach in Louisville a few years back at the Executive Inn the night before both played. Talked with him for about 15 minutes that night in the hall and have been keeping tract ever since.

Nothing but respect for the man and what he has built!!!!!

Well said. Coach Haywood, Coach (Ivan) McGlone and a handful of oldschool coaches that are left are a dying breed.

ATLCat ... thank you for the well written piece on Coach Haywood and helping to bring recognition to someone who surely has earned it. I now know more about Haywood than I do about Coach Hilton. I would guess most people in your area know as little about Bob Schneider as people in N. Ky. know about Haywood and/or Hilton. That is just the way it is. High school sports are mostly local in interest.

 

How long has Haywood been coaching and has he been at Belfry his whole career? What is his background? Did he grow up in Eastern Ky.? Where did he go to school? I would like to hear more about Coach Haywood.

This, if I am not mistaken, is Haywood's 37th year at the helm of the Pirate ship. Watusi can probably fill the details, but if I am not mistaken Haywood got his start at Prestonsburg and a tenure as an Asst. Head Coach at Tates Creek. If I am not mistaken Haywood took the reigns over on Pond Creek following Dick Roddy in the early 1980's. He first took the Pirates to Louisville in 1985, then again the following years. Both trips ended in defeat to Tilghman and Owensboro respectively. Belfry fielded several VERY good teams over the next decade who either ran into bad luck or came inches (I am looking at you Highlands fans) away from reaching the State Finals as they fell in narrow games to numerous eventual State Champions. In the early 90's Belfry had their roughest patch of school history as the talent pool feel with the declining coal industry.. this also coincided with the popularity of the spread offense (which I mentioned above). As Belfry began to right the ship a fellow by the name of Tim Couch moved into their district and had the Pirate's number.

 

If you ever want a mind trip, look at Highlight videos from the Belfry teams at the turn of the Millenium. Belfry became a 4-5 wide spread team with Jonathan Wright at the helm (who says Haywood couldn't change?), upon his graduation Belfry slowly but surely moved back to the option offense. With KHSAA realignment Belfry moved to 2A in the old class system and immediately saw dividends. A talented HB named Doug Howard emerged early in his career and the Pirates had several back and forth games with Breathitt County culminating with a 2002 loss in a mud bowl vs. the eventual State Champs (I honestly think Belfry was the 2nd best team that season). The next season David Jones and Doug Howard combined forces to lead Haywood to the State Finals and a victory over a D-1 talent stockpiled Etown team. The next year the Pirate's repeated against O'Cath.

 

The Pirates have remained a perennial State Title contender since the 6 Class system was implemented reaching the Semi-finals all but one season. The Pirates have benefited from a consolidated middle school, improved facilities, and a more skilled talent pool. The Pirates returned to Louisville in 2007 with a dominant team who came a couple costly turnovers short to Central. The Pirates once again fielded a dominant Senior laden squad in the 2008 season that appeared destined for a rematch with Central. The Pirates fell victim to Breathitt in the Semi's in an upset. Heading into the 2009 season it was clear the Pirates were rebuilding as they awaited a bumper crop of Freshman and 8th Graders to work their way through the pipeline, they felt the effects by bowing out early in 2009 and struggling in the regular season last season. Most felt that Belfry would return to glory in 2011 or 2012, but last season's team caught lightening in a bottle and eliminated 3 of the top 3A teams en route to a surprise State Finals appearance in what many credit as Haywood's greatest coaching job to date.

 

As we stand now in what was supposed to be the "bridge year" to 2012, Belfry is 8-0 and playing very good football as the season winds down. Haywood has won Coach of the Year only once (2003), but if Belfry can get back to the Finals he may earn a 2nd one.

I think Coach Haywood won coach of the year in 85 and 86 also in the old 3A division.

 

Coach Haywood came to Belfry in the fall of 84 and is currently in his 28th season at the helm of the Pirates. He is still relatively young at age 60 and could conceivably coach several more years if he so desires.

 

He played his high school ball at Prestonsburg and went to EKU where he got his teaching certificate. His began his career with Roy Walton at Tates Creek and coached a year (or maybe two) at Meade Co as an assistant. He began his head coaching career at Prestonsburg, where his teams won 72 games in 9 seasons with the Blackcats from '75-'83.

 

So far in 27 1/2 seasons at Belfry, his teams have won 273 games.

Thanks, ATLCat, for the best-ever contribution to this site.

This is what HS Football is all about.

Congrats to Coach Haywood.

Congratulations from a rival to Coach Haywood. I've always thought it was pretty cool that he wears the suit and tie on the sideline.

I really think he needs a nice RED sport jacket though, instead of just the navy one.