Harry Doyle

Gotcha. Yeah. That is definitely an outside perception many people have.

If that’s in fact the case.. That does even more to make this an even less attractive job to the masses than what it’s already obviously appeared to be (especially that last part about “where they are from”, bc that SCREAMS..’they won’t fit in’)

It is still a good job. A really good job. But I don’t think, well, I know that it’s not the holy grail of coaching gigs by many on the outside looking in. This whole process has shown that. There are reasons for it, then myriad reasons against. It’s not a chink in the armor, but right now? Yeah. It’s a step down all things considered for some. I still believe Highlands will get a good coach. It might not be the name, resume that many expected going into this (then again, they might snag a Nick Saban of HS coaching)..but, the ‘Birds will find their fit. I have no doubts.

Nope. Nate isn't going anywhere- has it absolutely made at Douglass.. Majority of his staff are IN THE BUILDING at FD. They have classes of in school weights. Has a great day job in the building. School is the 'new kid on the block' in Lex (the only weight rooms in the state that are better are UK and Louisville's- I'm not so sure WKU and EKU's are better, all things considered) Fayette County pays better than FTH (teaching and coaching) Cost of living is LOWER in Fayette Co

This is it. This is the one. Right here. Alllllllll that.

Bingo. ...and, another thing (you and I know this, along w others)..good coaches usually don’t leave premier jobs for other premier jobs, especially if that means they are going to have to teach a full load during the season. There are maybe a couple/few who have done that, but I can guarantee you that their teaching loads aren’t anything. Their administration doesn’t have it twisted. Great teachers? Absolutely positive they are. Hired to be that where they are? Negative. Why? Those admin KNOW the full time job that being a head football coach is these days. Another thing...everybody gets caught up on the W/L record, coached in or won a state title, etc. Easy to do. For every HC that might have left one Cadillac for another, there are also guys like: • Kevin Wallace- who was the HC at Warren East for several years before going back to Bowling Green as an assistant and having that job fall in his lap (he will tell you that). While at Warren East, he NEVER won a playoff game, overall record was some 10-20 games BELOW .500 and I believe NEVER had a winning season. As I’ve heard him say before, to myself and others, “there is a reason mules don’t run in the Kentucky Derby”. • Ty Scroggins- who had a losing record his few years at Doss before getting the Central job and making them the power they were/are. • Sam Harp - was FIRED from his first HC job in the early/mid 80’s at Calloway County, then gets the Anderson County job- wins their 1st Region Title and gets the Danville job the following offseason, staying there for the next 24 years and winning 7 state titles.

They are, especially during a season (obviously). What's comical is how it never fails how in an interview, it's always communicated what the "most important job is"- yet that is NOT the case. I can PROMISE you that more coaches are let go for the "less important job" and usually in a much SHORTER time.

Preach on.

Present and immediate future it sure seems that way. Although I will say, and somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but for the "pressure packed job" that Highlands seems to be from the outside (and, I've been guilty of saying that, too)- it seems like I've read from several posters that they don't expect things to happen overnight and that this is going to be a few year process to getting things back to (or close) to what they once were.

Off the top of my head, just here in KY...guys that are the AD/HFC. Casey County - Steve Stonebraker Christian County- Steve Lovelace Crittenden County- Sean Thompson Mayfield- Joe Morris Monroe- John Petett Bardstown- David Clark Spencer County- Mark Marksbury Woodford- Dennis Johnson Might have missed some others,...

All over the place in the South. In GA, TX, AL it's a given the majority of the time. South Carolina, Tennessee and even some schools here in KY it's that way.

Absolutely. At the end of the day, right or wrong, it is what it is: Your 8-3 (and beyond) "main job" and the money situation matters. Which (and, this is for another thread) is why you aren't seeing many current head coaches playing leapfrog for other jobs &/or more than anything...seeing MORE getting out of it altogether than are going in. The expectations (even at some of your middle of the pack schools) are of one that is a full time job, when the fact of the matter is....you don't have the luxury of treating it as such.

Here is the deal in a nutshell. Highlands will be fine. It's still a top 10-15 job in the state. I think 1-5 fluctuate year to year, but the household names are still, and will more than likely FOREVER be that...just like they've been since this game started in KY. Highlands supporters have every reason to be upset, just as Coach James has every right to follow his heart once the dust settles and he did just that. Could it have been handled differently? Sure. As @BEChargers said in another post..."A very good man and coach made a poor choice." I'm not sure about all that are upset (although I have a pretty good idea), but Lord knows that's fit me at times in my life, annnnnnnd probably have more than a fair share left in the tank 😆. (Several other coaches have had a late change of heart before- some state championship winning coaches.) After reading Coach James announcement that he was coming back to Franklin County, I absolutely and WHOLE HEARTEDLY believe all that he said and I also think the following went through his head as well- although he didn't say just like this verbatim. "We also have a chance to be really, really good here at Franklin County next year and for the years to come. We have some absolute DUDES on our varsity roster next year with more and more on the way. We have updated our facilities since being here- turf being one of them. The pay in Franklin County is also great, all while working with some great people in our hometown. All of that factored in- we have just as good of resources right now as Highlands. We have all of that here, with MUCH LESS pressure. After all the dust settled on everything that is 'Highlands'- I realized everything we need is right here in front of us at Franklin County." If Franklin County was about to be left for dead- milked that cow for all it's worth- reached it's "pinnacle"? We aren't talking about this right now.

Some even further than that & some of those schools that pay more than Highlands. I’m really surprised that job doesn’t pay more- really shocked.

Not to hi-Jack, but Kentucky HSFB when compared to states of similar population/demographics is dang good and then some. Kentucky never has been and never will be on a level w Texas, California, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Ohio, etc purely due to those vast population and/or demographic differences. Schools here in KY practice/workout at 6:00am- largely in part due to the summer heat and having to navigate around all that red tape. Some even continue it throughout the season due to the heat & Id say that’s why it’s done in Texas as well. In regards to taking it seriously- Kentucky is a football state on the high school level compared to basketball in the talent/kids going to the next level(s) in comparison with the numbers- probably more so than ever and I see no signs of that ever slowing down. Highlands is a Top 5-10 job. You’re exactly right. Expectations aren’t the issue. It’s expectations and not being given the resources to meet those expectations- that’s the issue (ie: coaching at most all schools, especially big time programs is a full time job). Not lessening and/not allowing the HFC to be in a position to help them AND the program succeed. For example, in school strength and conditioning, coaching pay, extended days during the summer or lack of, assistant coaching pay/teaching positions for them, etc. ...not sure how much of that last paragraph is true at Highlands, but those are the cases for most of the state. I do know Highlands doesn’t have in school strength/conditioning (like Boyle County and Belfry, amongst other powers have). Can completely understand why so many are upset. I wish both parties involved nothing, but the best!

...and, the first rule of Fight Club is?

Trinity and Highlands- open at the same time. Any takers on knowing if that’s ever happened before?

Agreed. Place has ALWAYS had talent. For YEARS has been considered a gold mine (Great place to live, College Town, obviously our capitol) & he did the thing there. I remember the mid-late 90's days of Dale (Wandale's daddy) and Roni Robinson, who, arguably was one of the Top 5 Football/basketball guys of the 90's in our state (Him, Tim Couch, Jared Lorenzen, Derek Smith, Dennis Johnson, etc) & I THINK Roni, with as DOMINANT as he was in football (without looking) was either a finalist and/or won Mr. Basketball in '97. Dale went to WKU and played QB/WR after Willie Taggart graduated. Roni, unfortunately, didn't make to-through college, but doing well now I believe?

Absolutely it is. No question. I don’t know enough about what kids can do what up there, but just from an ‘outsiders’ view - it seemed like there were a few kids who never needed to come off the field. I will say thought that the little things they do (ie: linemen and their feet, stepping w the right feet, leverage, didn’t see kids out there who looked like they didn’t know what they were doing, maximum effort, etc Defensively? Their alignment, stance, key, assignment....they still had that “synchronized football” look like I heard a very successful HC back around 07-08 say when seeing them on film...

With that said - best of luck BW and the ‘Birds. As crazy as it seems sometimes, the old saying usually holds true “everything works out for the best”. I hope that’s the case for both parties. I must say, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t say this, but I saw some Highlands film this year, and I didn’t see a poorly coached (nor remotely close to that) football team. When you watch just all of the little things? FWIW? I saw a well coached football team. Now - as for the two platoon deal and several kids needing to play ways? I’d agree with that.

I didn’t mean breaking their contracts. I meant applying for another job within the same school year, to start the following fall...but, before ever teaching a class at new school B, new school C comes in and is an even better opportunity. Example from a football Coach perspective. 1- Johnny Coach is currently employed in January by school A. 2- Johnny Coach while employed at school A- applies, interviews and gets teaching/head coach gigs at school B in February (but will finish out the school year at school A. 3- Come May, Johnny Coach hears of school C looking for a head football coach/teacher that is closer to where he/his wife grew up + as good of a football job, teaching and equal to better Pay as school B. 4- Johnny Coach, before ever teaching/coaching a game at school B- resigns in the summer to take job at School C. Or in simpler matters. Let’s say Johnny Coach in Late May or June finally has had it- has no motivation to coach anymore (despite the efforts made to feel something different all through the offseason) and resigns from School A. Results? Crap show. Gets all kinds of grief Now- let that just be those that teach and/or in SOME cases, Administration.

That I don’t know. I would just assume that if they were the types to reach out, that Wolfe would have been their first call (or at least in their short list). Then again, maybe they didn’t pick up the phone to him or anybody.

@BigErn , correct me if I’m wrong here. IMO you made some very valid points. I don’t believe you were insinuating that anybody is above applying for the job, instead, when a school makes contact with you - scenarios are just a little bit, well, different. 1- If a school contacts you, that school is usually a little more accommodating in what they can do/offer. 2- You don’t have to deal with any potential backlash from your current employers if people are calling about you, instead of you firing away on applications (thus also your current employers being notified automatically bc of automated reference checks being sent as soon as you list them- and these are REQUIRED before able to submit these applications can be deemed officially sent) 3- You shouldn’t have to worry about any back lash. People in every profession are almost always looking to “better themselves”, especially in education. If you’re Joe Math Teacher or Jane English Teacher and you look around for other teaching jobs and/or begin your climb into the admin ranks, or even if you’re in admin and apply elsewhere (even out of district) it’s ok. Be a head football coach and looking to make a move? Applying for jobs to see what other opportunities might be a step up? You better watch out (in some districts, some admin. Not all, but more than you’d think). Stuff can come back to haunt you. It’s a double standard really, and an unfair one at that. Kind of like teachers (who don’t coach anything) or admin and they take a new job late in the spring/summer, or let’s say they decide to resign/retire completely late in the year? No big deal. Let an admin leave for another job late in the year? No big deal it seems. Let Jane English teacher leave current job A, for Job B in January...and then, Job C comes around in March that is even BETTER than Job B- before ever teaching a class there? Ehh. Nobody really cares. ....now, let a Head Football Coach (you know- the job that’s ‘not as important’ as the others above) do any of that? And a firestorm, crap show erupts.

Parents. Community. Just part of playing the game. @BEChargers is right.

They don’t. You’re right. Coaching jobs are considered “classified”, but with them more times than not being tied to the teaching job (which being certified has to go the 30)..most just usually go the 30 days.