HedgeHog8

38 minutes ago, DearToday said:

Sounds awful. 

I could see many schools changing calendars to fit a mandatory khsaa fall/spring break. I could see many administrators, both district and school level, getting onboard with this idea.

On 1/30/2024 at 2:51 PM, Colonels_Wear_Blue said:

I went back through and looked up past season results in newspaper archives. I show Coach Graham with 1 fewer win and 1 more loss than the KHSAA has him credited with, but that's really neither here nor there.

Head Coaching Record Overall (40 seasons): 251-201 (55.5% winning)
Head Coaching Record 1980s (10 seasons): 72-40 (64.3% winning)
Head Coaching Record 1990s (10 seasons): 60-52 (53.6% winning)
Head Coaching Record 2000s (8 seasons): 62-31 (66.7% winning)
Head Coaching Record 2010s (8 seasons): 41-53 (43.6% winning)
Head Coaching Record 2020s (4 seasons): 16-25 (39.0% winning)

1976 Highlands - Assistant Coach
1977 Liberty Baptist College - Assistant Coach
1978 Franklin County - Assistant Coach
1979 Franklin County - Assistant Coach
1980 Rowan County (6-4)
1981 Rowan County (11-1)
1982 Rowan County (7-6)
1983 Harrison County (5-5)
1984 Harrison County (5-6)
1985 Harrison County (7-4)
1986 Harrison County (6-4)
1987 Harrison County (7-4)
1988 Harrison County (9-3)
1989 Harrison County (9-3)
1990 Harrison County (6-5)
1991 Harrison County (2-9)
1992 Harrison County (3-8)
1993 Harrison County (8-3)
1994 Harrison County (10-1)
1995 Harrison County (3-8)
1996 Harrison County (7-5)
1997 Harrison County (7-4)
1998 Harrison County (6-5)
1999 Harrison County (8-4)
2000 Harrison County (12-1)
2001 Harrison County (9-2)
2002 Harrison County (7-4)
2003 Harrison County (5-6)
2004 Harrison County (8-3)
2005 Harrison County (6-5)
2006 Harrison County (5-6)
2007 Harrison County (10-4)
2008 Lexington Christian Academy - Assistant Coach
2009 Lexington Christian Academy - Assistant Coach
2010 Lexington Christian Academy (10-4)
2011 Lexington Christian Academy (6-7)
2012 Lexington Christian Academy (6-6)
2013 Lexington Christian Academy (1-10)
2014 Rowan County (2-8)
2015 Rowan County (5-6)
2016 - Did Not Coach
2017 - Did Not Coach
2018 Harrison County (7-5)
2019 Harrison County (4-7)
2020 Harrison County (5-3)
2021 Harrison County (3-9)
2022 Harrison County (2-8)
2023 Harrison County (6-5)

I believe he was an assistant at Gtown for a brief spell. I don't remember the years, but it would make sense that it would be those two blank years in 16/17

10 minutes ago, Buck2 said:

How many of those places are consistently good at football? 

Few and far between. I was simply making a point that as school changes and more input comes from the state, the loss of autonomy puts more stress on the administrators to micromanage the school. The role we used to think the HFC used to serve in school just isn't the same anymore and isn't valued the same.

ie, kid used to get in trouble, you would send him to the football coach to learn some discipline, teamwork and all the good things he needs but isn't getting. The coach taught him how to deal with problems in a physical yet constructive way.

Now you have a platoon of mental health advisors both in and out of school that ask him why he gets in trouble and prescribes time of reflection. I'm not saying either is better or worse than the other, but that is what school is now. Priority is on kids mental health and behavior, and counselors trump coaches.

14 minutes ago, Buck2 said:

I believe most would tell you it is not about the money but with the demands of the job have changed and the pay has not. The same can be said for teacher pay in general. The HFC is the towards of the top of the totem pole when you think of a school / district. 

He should be, but is not at some places

I would think Van Isaac (Former Adair HC) would be the heir apparent. I think he was MS HC this past year but could be mistaken.

Simon Clouse HC at Nicholas would be a good phone call too. They are both alumni.

Coach Graham is a great man. He treated me with respect and helped me when I needed guidance as a young coach. He made sure my teams were offered opportunities and always reached out with encouragement. Thanks and Good Luck coach Graham

6 minutes ago, TheConch said:

As each day passes, the original theory of they have a guy in mind goes further and further out the window. Which then goes back to how baffling this decision was. 

With that, if they don’t have someone by early February, they are hurting themselves and the new coach. 

Has it even been posted? I checked BBHS website and the Diocese of Covington website and didn't see it posted. I checked when it first happened too and did't see BBHS or Holy Cross. Unless they have a different way of doing things than other schools, but I would assume you'd want to collect a pool of applicants...

29 minutes ago, BlueRaider said:

I agree with what you're saying if you base the "high water-mark" on wins in losses. I was more basing on what I think most would consider a successful program.

 

Winning seasons where kids are visibly growing into good young men who are contributing to their school and society at large. Academics are improving across the program. Fans respect the product you put on the field because kids play hard and disciplined, etc...

 

I think if you are doing those things then you've got a successful program and then when you do get those good classes of talent, I think you will inherently see championship level play out of them. 

"Most" people on this board are saying winning programs are good jobs. And it takes a lot to win any championship.

I see what you are saying. I agree with you actually. Although I don't see many losing-teams-that-play-hard still in the category of good jobs.

My thought provoking question is:

1. if you had Admin/community/parent support (the 3 pillars we can all agree are important)

2. kids played hard and did good in school

3. fundraised the program out of the ballpark

4. but regardless of who the coach is, cannot break .500 due to who they line up against each year

Is that still a good job? Ask a coach to sign up for a gig knowing there are not any/enough kids that can make the entire team competitive against the competition. Is that job attractive? Some places are not good jobs because half their schedule are already losses designed by the KHSAA, and the demographics can't/won't support the amount of athletes needed to match the success of their district contemporaries.

I've coached kids where the pre-game meal was literally more important than the game (in the grand scheme of things). Great experience, eye opening, rewarding. I wouldn't call it a good job though. @coachhawk said it, you have to have dudes walking the hallway. Then your culture can get them on the field.

24 minutes ago, BlueRaider said:

I would say the characteristics of a "good job" for a head coach would be

1.) Admin support (to do things you need to get done logistically)

2.) Parent support (fundraising and more logistical help)

3.) Community support (help create an atmosphere/culture that kids can buy into)

 

If a community has these 3 things and the football team still isn't reflecting a high water-mark standard then you have a bad head coach and not a bad job.

I agree with your 3 points, but not with your final statement. Talent pool must also be considered. You could have all the support in the world but a small or poor talent pool. That coach still might not ever hit your "high water mark". Is that still a "Good Job" if you do everything right all the time and still cannot find a way to win? 

I sincerely wish him good luck. There are a lot of resources at his disposal right now, an experienced group of kids that have 2-3 years of varsity playing time already, and the ongoing stadium upgrade.

Hopefully he can use all that to overcome some of the obstacles that keep this program from being competitive, and trust that there are many. 

Pendleton County at Dayton has been changed to an 8pm start.

2 hours ago, nkypete said:

Covington Holy Cross scrimmages Pendleton County tonight (8/8) and Dayton on Friday night (8/11).

Is that scrimmage at Dayton on Friday?

Is anyone aware of their scrimmage schedule? Who and where this Friday?

On 5/13/2023 at 8:51 AM, 9068 said:

I feel that PLACE is more important than AGE. Many young coaches wind up at what I call "career graveyards". Due to lack of tradition, lack of interest, and lack of commitment at a school they are facing a huge uphill battle. If you are an assistant in a solid program learn all you can. Don't be in a hurry. If you earn the respect of your peers the right opportunity will happen!!

To go off of what you said, A friend once told me that there are more good coaches than good jobs. In a market where the have's and have-not's are separating further and further, and there are more have-not's around, I'd say the outlook has changed. Now, with the prospects of landing a great job out of the gate very small, guys are more eager to take a shot at it on their own early and leave their mark. Often times at multiple stops before landing "the job". 

Make no mistake, the fact that there are less people getting into education, and therefore coaching, means there are more opportunities for young people to try their hand where they would have been passed over for experience in the past. I am the only teacher/ football coach in my entire district, despite my best efforts, which is scary. Across all sports, there were only 4 teacher/coaches in our entire school this year (3A size). I recognize there are many other factors at play in my district, but I'm sure this trend is being seen at other small, rural districts as well. 

Take head coach age as an indicator that there has been a shift in education. If we do not change something and start recruiting and retaining young men into the profession of teaching/coaching, the talent pool for coaches will decrease even further. So often we see in these threads people wishing their next HC to be in the building, which IMO is essential, but that will go from a requirement to a luxury in most places. The next thread won't be about HC Age, but HC's in other careers that allow them to perform the extra 40-50 hours of work each week required to lead a football program. Coincidentally, if you know of any careers like that, feel free to post them here... 😉

16 hours ago, brooksville said:

I think everyone did.  Don’t know what it took so long and 5 interviews. 

With a dozen applicants and 5 that were worthy of an interview, even if you have a name circled, it is good to have a pool that you can compare. With that said, against that backdrop, he was still the clear choice.

Congratulations to Coach Monroe and the entire community. I love to see local success come back to their roots and get opportunities.

Love this william and mary type stuff. It's just something else defenses have to prepare for. It can be dangerous if the screen is executed well, but I wanted it for speed option with blockers in space. Scrapped it before we ever put it in, but the kids thought it was fun drawing it up on the board and learning the if/then's. Which is important too.

It ended up morphed into the swinging gate (muddle huddle) with center eligible stuff for our 2pt conversions. Worked very well and the kids loved working on it.

Congrats to Coach Clouse. I understand he is leaving a good group of kids for the next guy, some really big kids. I hope they can attract a quality head coach. Bracken is a place a coach can prove he can win. It makes it a good launching pad for guys trying to be head coaches. A young guy with a vision and passion can do what Sizemore and Clouse were able to do and leverage into other jobs. No knock on Bracken, not at all. Their situation, location and size makes them one of those jobs that is either a landing spot or launching spot. Good luck on the search.

Good coach, better dude. Congrats and good luck to coach and the jackets.

27 minutes ago, rjs4470 said:

Kids also need to be realistic. If you were just an average or even good football player in HS, you're going to have a hard time getting on the field in college at ANY level. Even D3/NAIA schools are very competitive, and often the pitch they give you is just to get you on campus...often football is an enrollment driver for these schools. And, that "free ride" they are offering includes lots of loans. So many kids get sold a chance to live out dream and end up back home with lots of loans and no closer to a degree. That's why its important you decision also includes what is best for you academically, socially and financially, not just what the best fit might be for you football wise. Realistically, most don't end up playing four years of football, and even fewer end up getting all four years of school even partially paid for.

One thing that does a really good job is actually visiting with the college and seeing the athletes that are at those colleges. So, go out and visit colleges, especially during spring practices. Get in the locker rooms. Kids aren't dumb, they can figure out whether they could see themselves as the starter or the towel boy for those teams. If you never stand in a room full of DI athletes, you'll never understand what it takes to play on that level. 

What could be harder is Mom/Dad realizing where a kid might end up. Its hard to swallow that their golden boy is only 10k or 18k, not 24k gold, still valuable but not made of the right stuff to play at the highest levels. Most will never take a HS coaches word for it, so they have to experience it for themselves. 

And, like stated above, its about the fit not the brand. Try it on before you buy it. Visit visit visit with colleges until you find the best one for you. It may or may not be about football in the end.

36 minutes ago, Jack of all Trades said:

I will add to this.  My son could have gone the larger school route as a walk on and hope for a chance to play or go smaller and get opportunity to play immediately.  Turns out started right away and had a great 4 years at Lindsey Wilson.  Unfortunately for him, his eligibility was up one year too soon as they won the Nati the following year.

One thing I tell kids all the time, don't wish for Alabama and Clemson and then be disappointed when someone like App. state comes a knocking! I tell them to start small and dream one level higher as their recruiting journey. DII and NAIA is scholarship football and that is where we start. Work hard and put yourself out there for bigger/better looks. Nothing is wrong with a free (or discounted) college education from any institution, especially if you get to play football in the process.

16 hours ago, TheConch said:

Best way to be recruited:

1) Be your schools team captain. 
2) Meet with your head coach to discuss a plan, give all info coaches will ask about, and ask about an honest opinion of your game, what you need to work on.

3) Follow coaches on Twitter (message when allowed to communicate- of age/grade level/ and during non dead periods)

4) Make camp schedule. These “pay for play” all star games are worthless. These mega camps are worthless. Each summer, choose a smart camp schedule of the “One Day Prospect” camps that virtually all large schools put on. They are cheap, $30-$50 bucks and allow you to workout within your position. Don’t over schedule. 
5) Be persistent, never be “too good” for any coach, as they move up and down levels all the time.

6) If you can play, they’ll still find you. If you can’t play, it’s not what you know (how you okay), but who you know. 
7) It only takes one. One offer, one opportunity, and one chance to live out your dream. Enjoy the process because it gets tedious.

8 ) Make your Twitter accessible to coaches. Remember that what you like and retweet is visible to all. Your Twitter is often your first impression with college coaches. Make it clean, neat, and your contact info readily available in your bio along with height, weight, and position, class, and school. 
9) Stay up to date on your Hudl highlights. You should make 3 tapes each year. First half of season. 2nd half of season. And full season. 
 

Always put your best plays first. Coaches do not have the time to watch the full thing. You want to make a good first impression and load up the front end of it, and don’t have the luxury of making it “balanced throughout.” 
 

Do not put music on your tapes, or large graphics. Just simply a circle around your self and the clip, that is well cropped, and quick and to the point. 
11) Recruiting questionnaires. Most schools have a recruiting questionnaire on their football athletics page. Fill them all out. Fill them out until your hands cramp. Then wake up in the morning and do it again. They won’t always be seen, but some will respond with a generated response, others will respond to all. It is a great way to get your name in the database regardless if they respond or not. 
10) Email, email, email. You can find virtually every coaches email on their athletics website. Create a generic email template that you can sub out the school name and coaches name and add your highlight tape and your interest to learn more about their institution and would love the opportunity to speak with them. 
11) This should have been much higher, but maintain great grades. 
12) Make sure you are registered with NCAA clearinghouse. 
13) Communication with head coach throughout the year is paramount. You may hear from a coach via Twitter or email, and turns out, your head coach played ball with the defensive coordinator at the school and can help push a relationship together. Remember, it’s not what you know, but who you know. 
14) Be the best high school teammate possible. What your head coach says about you is crucial. 
15) Do not be all about recruiting. You must still produce on the field. You cannot let it consume you. Coaches want winners, the best way to get eyes on you is to be the best player, on the best team. Work your butt off each day, help your teammates get better, win games, go win state. 

And finally, 16) Understand that any level of football at the next level is a blessing. Tens of thousands of high school football players, a very very small percentage of them will go onto the next level. 
 

FBS, FCS, DII, DIII, NAIA. It’s all a blessing. Recruiting is fun, it’s nice to be wanted, it’s nice to be loved, but remember it’s a business in college. Go where you are loved, not the biggest brand. Find the right fit, don’t care about the opinions of others.  Parents and student athletes, enjoy the ride. 

Great list. I would add the NAIA Clearinghouse too. There is championship football played in KY. And great kids can play 3-4 years at that level. A lot more football. Don't cross off the small schools, because not everyone fits at a HUGE university. I didn't.

48 minutes ago, TheConch said:

Agreed. 

How do you choose which kids? Which kids do you choose?

To live dangerously, whose kid do you chose? Even more important sometimes, whose kid do you not choose...

Slippery slope indeed...

11 hours ago, BEChargers said:

Just a little fun off season topic.  I've had this discussion with many friends over the years so I thought I would post.  What playing positions do you think makes for the best Offensive Coordinators.  Just opinion obviously.  Here's mine. 

Best are former QB's and Olinemen. 

Wide receivers from time to time.  

Hardly ever find good OC's that were RB's or TE's. 

Obviously just for fun, but what is everyone's opinion?

I don't think you can say one position group makes better OC's without some kind of hard data. I can say that, anecdotally, you can get a pretty good idea of the OC's philosophy based on their old position group. Qb's and Wr's, probably more spread and air raid type guys. Olinemen will probably be the ones keeping wishbone, wing T and triple option alive. You have to block power football to really appreciate it sometimes.

There are always exceptions, but you don't see many gunslingers choosing to run the double wing where the QB is the lead blocker.

2 minutes ago, TimeWillTell said:

What HS coach wants someone else coaching their kids?

I know, right? Hard to answer that. I'm of the belief no coach would be okay with a third party coming in to do something like this. It would have to be someone trusted, like a "friend of the program" type guy that actually has football coaching knowledge.

Otherwise, it is just a distraction. If it is just games without actual coaching, it's less than ideal. If the kids aren't learning skills that are useful to themselves and their team, I don't really think coaches would be excited for it.

Call be a skeptic, but I envision recess with one handed catches and 5 second pass drops.

48 minutes ago, theguru said:

I had someone tell me there is a guy putting together a 7 on 7 travel team made up of NKY football players.  My question was does that fall within the bylaws, anyone?

To my limited knowledge...

It would be the same rules as AAU basketball/softball/baseball. As long as a coach outside of a program is the one providing instruction, it would be okay. They just can't represent the school and the use the school's facilities, as the KHSAA catastrophic insurance wouldn't cover it, nor the schools own insurance.