The_Generals_Soldier

Congrats to Merle on this job. I know it’s a position he has wanted for a long time. Now I wonder who will fill the chairs next to Kidwell as his assistant coaches. I, like so many others have heard many names. Anyone else care to speculate on this topic??

I'm not sure if Barnes has ever been a head coach. As I stated early, with two pretty good players (His sons I believe) in tow that might be the drawing card for some Russell supporters over Kidwell. I am not saying this is right or wrong, just the facts. Kidwell may very well deserve another shot at being a boys head coach, but I seem to have a feeling it may not come this time and if that's the fact Kidwell may be soured on Russell all together and try to find another place to peddle his coaching wears.

First of all guys it is Breeden not Breeding I believe, but I believe Wayne would be a good choice for any school. He did a great job at Ashland as well as taking Owensboro High to back-to-back Sweet 16 's. If Tates Creek has a chance to get Wayne Breeden that would be a coup in my opinion.

You are probably right Nets. This situation just continues to grow increasing longer and really without need. The kids at Russell need a solution soon for the sake of their program, but I have no dog in this fight, this just comes from a common sense based approach. Good luck is enstore for anyone taking this position, as the Red Devils have been in a funk as of late.

Let me guess the one with ties to Ironton has a couple of players (his sons) in tow to aid him in possibly getting the Red Devil's job. I believe that he is one of the Barnes brothers who were standouts for the Tigers and if I'm not mistaken were scoring machines at KCC (Kentucky Christian College) now KCU (Kentucky Christian University). Kidwell I assume will be the other canidate. I hope the Devils make a choice soon as the kids deserve that at the very least as summer will soon be here and summer is were basketball players are made.

Does anyone think that Greenup moves up a little higher in these predictions with addition of Fraley as the new coach????

Congrats to my good friend Fraley. But, doesn't the quotes coming out of Principal Baker's mouth in the paper almost sound forced. Knowing what Baker's remarks about the basketball program in the past has been it is hard to believe he has had a complete change of heart. Of course this move may be strategic as the pending court case from Coach Hicks may have Baker back peddling on his negative attitude towards the GC Basketball Program as a whole.

Lets get back on topic Fraley appears to be the new coach, forget about football debates take it somewhere else this is the basketball forum.

I just saw where there are 2 middle school Social Studies positions now open at Russell Middle School on the state job posting website, could Merle's good friend Coach Sutton from GC be sliding into one of those positions in order to join him on the Red Devil sidelines??????

If this is true thank goodness for the kids at GCHS. Tim is a longtime friend who I have the utmost respect for. He is a top notch person to go along with being a top notch coach. Though it's about 8 plus years late on this hire according to me, hopefully Tim can bring Musketeer Basketball back to where it belongs. Now I can finally feel comfortable going back into the Greenhouse.

Ducky what are you going to do if you have put all your Ducky eggs in the Dodd basket and he comes up empty on the GC job??? Sure hope that you have a backup plan. All I can say is why would anyone trust any GC administrator??? Their track speaks for itself and it's none too pretty. I support Tim Fraley for the position, but I sure don't wish any of the ill will he can and will endure from taking this job, but he already knows coming in how it will be. GCHS is a school where there are few athletic coaches who can withstand the idiotic and unreal expectations of some. I believe Fraley is the man who understands the kids he would be coaching more than any other candidate. Good Luck to anyone who is willing to endure this misery

Roll your eyes all you want, but I know what I saw and I believe it is harder to analyze players when you looking at them through "red devil" glasses. That is a lesson all of us have to learn and I can tell you that yes these players did improve over their high school careers, but I'm not sure that you can credit their improvement solely on Mr. Dodd.

I truly don't believe that Coach Dodd had a great hand in the development of Blair, Gill, and/or VanHoose. Those three were talented athletes before he ever had them as players. Gill was an outstanding leaper with adequate basketball skills, which needed some work. Blair really never improved from his freshman year and his overall game never developed. VanHoose was an outstanding player who I feel owed his development from hard work and a father who saw that he played against the best competition at an early age through the AAU Circuit. So I think that debunks your thoughts on Coach Dodd and his "developing" these 3 players. Oh and by the way I have talked to all three of these kids before so I believe I'm getting the correct info.

I agree it needs to go to a GC guy, just not Smith. It should belong to Fraley as he sould've been the heir apparent to Ward, but could not be chosen do to political nonsense (Fraley was a staunch supporter and still is of his mentor Coach Ward), thus enter Cooksey. Though I think Hicks is a good coach, I feel if Fraley would've been chosen in the 2000-01 season to coach he would have been very successful and the Musketeer Prgram would've continued its proud tradition and would have never sunk to the level it has.

Harry I couldn't agree more.

The only reason that ol' Ducky is a supporter of the Muskies is beause he sees a possible position on another coaching staff that Mr. Dodd may be putting together it seems. I may no longer be a part of my old school's program, but I still supoport the kids who are there. Maybe not the current staff or administrators, but Ducky I think it would be hard to turn your feelings off so fast for the players.

It's not the fact that he is gone and believe me that is the best for him. It's the fact that the work he and the others put in is long since been wasted. I care about the kids at GC and thats the bottomline, but it seems no one else truly cares or they would've taken care of this mess a long time ago.

Sorry no need to take a breath when you've come to the point most people who have witnessed this debacle. I sometimes wished that I could just close out my feelings on this subject, but I can't. It pains me that 20 years of endless dedication by a head coach, his tireless staff over those years, and gut busting players has gone to waste due the selfishness of a select group of people. ENOUGH SAID! :madman: :madman: :madman:

Popeye (Smith), Sutton, etc. etc. and so on who knows. All I know is that this place is a mess and is in dire need of what Jack Nicholson as the Joker said in Batman, if I may paraphrase "This place is in desperate need of an enema." It's not the coaches (Smith and Sutton) that are there thats so much the problem, it's the whole system. I've heard for so long: We Care About The Kids, It's All About The Students, Learning for One and All, whatever slogan you want to put on it the GC school's are not delivering on the academic or athletic end. Hiring practices there have been miserable for quite sometime and this current fiasco that happened and inpending lawsuit that is coming down the pike with former coach Jim Hicks, is just another example of the problems. As a lifelong resident of GC and a former student I can say that the system as a whole has went downhill in the last 10 years or so. Why don't the administrators do what is right and hire the person with the passion for bringing back GC to where it belongs in the 16th Region. Don't hire a person who is just some glory hound who seeking attention, an aging coach trying to find a spot between jobs, and/or a coach who has no attentions of doing what’s best for the kids, but continues to be a pawn in the political corruption of GC. I'm to the point now in my life that I believe this is the last chance GC has to right the ship and bring back the program to where it belongs, or it will be gone forever and will become one of the doormats of not only the 63rd District, but one of the lower tier teams of the 16th Region.

What do you think you are on to exactly care to share what you THINK you know exactly???

Knowing Fraley for a long time I get what your saying :lol: just kidding Tim

Don't think so Ducky, This is personal with Coach Hicks he apparently has the goods on some of these people and I would imagine that he is going to do his best to expose said administrators and others along the way. This could be great drama in the court room even though I'm sure the Super will do his best Monty Hall and try to offer Door's numbered to infinity to Coach Hicks.

That is a possibility as well. I really believe that this law suit could dredge many old demons for the people who are facing it and could finally bring some closure to some old wounds that are plaguing GC.

What I am trying to say is that if much of the "dirty laundry" is exposed in the GC schools like it very well could. We could see a situation like fellow Eastern KY School System Floyd County where the state will step in take control of all administrative duties. With a new Super coming soon for GC and the GCHS administrators facing possible legal matters, the state may step in and say that's enough, we'll take it from here. In my opinion this might be for the best for everyone included.

I believe that people need to consider the current situation at GC. I think that the lawsuit that Coach Hicks will have more merit than many think. There is precedence where schools had to put a hiring freeze on positions due to issues such as this. The next few weeks for the Admin's of GC will be interesting and if and when this goes to court some of the issues this county's school has will be aired out in public. I am afraid this could be one of the ugliest (and that saying a lot considering GC’s history) episodes in the soap opera that the Greenup County Schools seem to always be spinning through.