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http://www.dailyindependent.com/localspo...htmlDouble Duty
Watkins in unique role at Rose Hill
By ROCKY STANLEY / The Independent
ASHLAND — It’s an ambitious task, to say the least.

That reality is not lost on Mark Watkins, who will coach both varsity basketball teams at Rose Hill Christian this season.

The Class A school competes in the 64th District.

Watkins has added the boys’ head coaching position to the girls’ job that he took on last year.

“I must be a little crazy for doing this,’’ Watkins said one afternoon between practices.

But the 44-year-old decided to accept the challenge, largely because of his passion for basketball and coaching the sport.

“I’ve spent half my life in the gym, so it’s not a big thing,’’ said Watkins, a former Russell High School standout who has several years of local coaching experience. “I always put in extra time with the kids anyway.’’

Watkins, who owns a contracting business, will be making area history. Girls high school basketball returned to Kentucky in 1975, and no other person has served as head coach of boys and girls teams simultaneously in the 16th Region.

Not that Watkins made a snap decision to become the first.

“The day they called and asked me to think about it, I didn’t sleep that night,’’ he said. “Literally, not at all.’’

Watkins agreed after being assured of the necessary help. Former Boyd County High School point guard C.L. Thompson, whose wife teaches at Rose Hill, has come on board as the top boys’ assistant. Thompson was already assisting with the girls’ team.

“C.L. has been a big help,’’ Watkins said. “He has a lot of knowledge and the kids respond to him well. We’re both on the same page with our coaching ... old-school guys you could say.’’

Along with Thompson, several other parents are volunteering time.

“These guys all stepped up,’’ Watkins said. “I didn’t have to ask them. There is plenty of support, and that makes the whole situation easier.’’

As for Rose Hill’s schedules this season, Watkins had to do some juggling so that he can be on the bench for every boys and girls game.

“It wasn’t bad,’’ he said. “We combined some into boy-girl doubleheaders. I think we have three of those, and changed one other game.’’

During the preseason, Rose Hill players typically practiced six days a week with boys and girls alternating workout times.

As a coach, Watkins said going back and forth between the two squads requires some adjusting on his part.

“It’s like shifting gears a little,’’ he said.

Both Rose Hill teams are in transition after losing key transfers, but Watkins is impressed with the players’ attitudes.

“We have a bunch of unselfish boys and girls,’’ he said. “We are going to see what happens. What I’ve found, with all the kids leaving, is that it’s brought the rest of them together.’’

Because of the double coaching load, Watkins admits there will probably be times this season when he is wondering if he is coming or going.

“No doubt,’’ he said. “The biggest thing I have to do is let my assistants do more.”

I don't think I have ever heard this being done before

Didn't Rose Hill get in trouble cause they paid players.

^ No, they were not paying players.....

sasquatchsportz Wrote:Didn't Rose Hill get in trouble cause they paid players.

That's not even close to the situation at Rose Hill.

They have some problems, which they are trying to work through with the KHSAA, but they have never been accused of playing players.

I'm not sure how Watkins will do, carrying such a load, but I do know one thing - CL Thompson will be a great addition to his bench. CL knows basketball, he is great with kids, he has a tremendous work ethic, and he loves the game.

There are a lot of coaches in the 16th Region that would like to have someone like CL on their bench.

Stardust Wrote:I don't think I have ever heard this being done before

Several years back, Allen Hatcher(who is the current boys coach at Perry County Central) did this at Graves County. Not only did he coach both, he also took both to the state tournament in the same year.

Squid Wrote:There are a lot of coaches in the 16th Region that would like to have someone like CL on their bench.

I would say Mr Wooten would love to have him as well.

C.L. will do well in coaching. He was one heck of a player and always hustled.

OrangenowBlue Wrote:Several years back, Allen Hatcher(who is the current boys coach at Perry County Central) did this at Graves County. Not only did he coach both, he also took both to the state tournament in the same year.

That would have to be one of the most remarkable achievements in the history of coaching. No knock on Hatcher, but he must have had some serious talent to be able to pull that off. Very impressive, even with talent.

Junkyard Dog Wrote:I would say Mr Wooten would love to have him as well.

C.L. will do well in coaching. He was one heck of a player and always hustled.

I agree, Junkyard. He's a class act.

Squid Wrote:That's not even close to the situation at Rose Hill.

They have some problems, which they are trying to work through with the KHSAA, but they have never been accused of playing players.

I'm not sure how Watkins will do, carrying such a load, but I do know one thing - CL Thompson will be a great addition to his bench. CL knows basketball, he is great with kids, he has a tremendous work ethic, and he loves the game.

There are a lot of coaches in the 16th Region that would like to have someone like CL on their bench.

That's simply not true. Sadly, Mr. Fuller claims he was "paid" for his play. So, that assertion isn't altogether false at all.

Good luck to coach Watkins and to all the kids at Rose Hill.

Allen Hatcher is as good as they come with the X's and O's. As far as Watkins goes, I don't see how he can do either program the justice it deserves. They are in MAJOR rebuilding mode in both programs and will require many hours in the gym to even get respectable. I wouldn't want to try it.

HD28 Wrote:Allen Hatcher is as good as they come with the X's and O's. As far as Watkins goes, I don't see how he can do either program the justice it deserves. They are in MAJOR rebuilding mode in both programs and will require many hours in the gym to even get respectable. I wouldn't want to try it.

They are depleted and not deep at all I think they have 8 players and the tallest player is 6'4 with most being down around 5'8-6'0. I can't think of many in the state who have to play 5-0 100 pound 8th grader off the bench.

I agree from what I heard it was either play and get tuition paid or not play and pay tuition yourself.. Pretty much the same difference..

LIB MRDux Wrote:That's simply not true. Sadly, Mr. Fuller claims he was "paid" for his play. So, that assertion isn't altogether false at all.

I can understand how someone equates having their tuition paid with being paid (in cash) to play ball, but to me, there is a difference.

All private schools (that I know of) have funds that are used to help cover the cost of tuition for students. That is pretty normal. It is one thing to help a kid with his tuition (assuming that it isn't based solely on his/her athletic contributions) - it would be quite another to hand a kid $100 in cash every time he steps on the court (or field).

Truth 88 Wrote:I agree from what I heard it was either play and get tuition paid or not play and pay tuition yourself.. Pretty much the same difference..

If that is the case, then I would agree that it's over the line.

I thought someone (earlier in another thread) said that the scholarship stayed with Fuller his senior year (at the request of the Garnes family), even though he didn't play basketball. Is that not the case?

Squid Wrote:I can understand how someone equates having their tuition paid with being paid (in cash) to play ball, but to me, there is a difference.

All private schools (that I know of) have funds that are used to help cover the cost of tuition for students. That is pretty normal. It is one thing to help a kid with his tuition (assuming that it isn't based solely on his/her athletic contributions) - it would be quite another to hand a kid $100 in cash every time he steps on the court (or field).

And that is exactly what Fuller is claiming. That folks paid him after games. Sometimes folks he "didn't even know". It's total hogwash, but that's his claim. Totally separate from the tuition deal. Not splitting hairs here squid, totally different wigs.

If people came up to him after games and payed him. These charges are more bogus than I thought in the first place. If they were going to pay someone to play surely they would have got somebody better than Fuller. He was a good player but He wasn't good enough to pay. :please:

LIB MRDux Wrote:And that is exactly what Fuller is claiming. That folks paid him after games. Sometimes folks he "didn't even know". It's total hogwash, but that's his claim. Totally separate from the tuition deal. Not splitting hairs here squid, totally different wigs.

Well, in fairness to the people at Rose Hill, the KHSAA should ask him one question - "Do you have any evidence of such payoffs"?

If the answer is no, then he has to understand that his credibility is taking a massive hit.

If the answer is yes, then he should provide it, and the KHSAA should impose some seriously stiff penalties.

I have to say, though, that his evidence should have to be pretty solid stuff, such as photos or video. Anything less, should be taken with a grain of salt - and his other charges should then be looked at with a pretty jaded eye.

Squid Wrote:Well, in fairness to the people at Rose Hill, the KHSAA should ask him one question - "Do you have any evidence of such payoffs"?

If the answer is no, then he has to understand that his credibility is taking a massive hit.

If the answer is yes, then he should provide it, and the KHSAA should impose some seriously stiff penalties.

I have to say, though, that his evidence should have to be pretty solid stuff, such as photos or video. Anything less, should be taken with a grain of salt - and his other charges should then be looked at with a pretty jaded eye.

I've avoided this thread because of the amount of misinformation posted to date. However, I do feel that I need to clear up one issue.

Fuller received the Garnes Scholarship which was given by the Garnes family in memory of their son, David, who died during basketball practice when both he and Fuller were sophomores. Fuller and David were best friends. Fuller spoke at David's funeral. Fuller even had David's name tattooed on his arm.
The Garnes family directed that the scholarship, funded by donations from the general public and by the Garnes family, be given to Fuller for as long as he was at Rose Hill. Fuller had told the Garnes family as well as others that his father would no longer pay his tuition and he would not be able to stay at Rose Hill. His tuition was several months in arrears at the time. Fuller received the scholarship for his entire sophomore, junior, and senior years.

Fuller quit the basketball team early in his senior season. He still received the Garnes Scholarship up until the time he graduated. Basketball played no part in it.

KHSAA has found wrongdoing in the giving of the Garnes Scholarship to Fuller because they claim he did not officially apply for the scholarship and it wasn't made available to the general student body. They are unimpressed by the fact that the Garnes directed that Fuller receive it in memory of their son- Fuller's best friend.

Fuller, in a sworn statement, states that he never received any scholarship from the Garnes family. The KHSAA investigator has chosen to believe Fuller's account although documentation to the contrary has been submitted.

These are the facts.