[ol' ballcoach]

On the outside looking in, but the program at Whitley is a train wreck. Whoever comes in will need TOTAL control over all the football operations from grade school on up. Everyone needs to be singing out of the same hymn book to establish the feeder program to make the goal a successful HS program. Hilton may be able to get this because He is the type to say if I don't get my way I'll pack my toys and go home. That might be a good interim step for the coach who comes next, because if Hilton does get it, I don't see it being long term. Honestly, when I look at what has happened there, Gentry was a debacle and really devastated the program. Black was hamstrung, he had coaches having to leave practice to collect money at the gates for the little league program...Kind of ridiculous if you want a successful HS program don't you think? The middle school program has lost the glory days of Fox and company and if I were the head HS coach, the middle school would darn sure be running my offense and defense...I worked in a system in another state that began with 3rd and 4th grade coaches being "coached" by the HS staff and the kids ran our program from the time they stepped on the field...the result...5 state championships in 7 years, and folks this was in a really good football state. Whitley does itself a disservice in their elementary program with allowing the two big schools to have ridiculous numbers and dominate the small schools. Just a suggestion...but split those schools into a 3rd grade team, a 4th grade team, a 5th grade team, and a 6th grade team...more kids play, more kids stay interested, and maybe by the time they hit middle and HS they stay interested. I know there will be many who jump me, but this is an "opinion" board and these are mine. I hope that the powers that be make a good decision...and that they do the things necessary for this program, for the kids sake, to escape its current morass...One last comment...when is it ever a good idea for the football coach to report to the coach who, in reality was forced out into the position of AD?