[corners in]

Spread offense no huddle offense lots of short high percentage passes and screens. On defense ran a 3-5 with zone coverage and lots of blitzing from the LB's.

I also was very suprised he left Mercer his first year out they had about 70 kids on the team and got better as the year went forward. Also had alot of young talent and seemed to be getting ready to give Boyle and Lexington Catholic some decent games this season.

I agree but you have to have support from the top.

[Pigskinman53]

I thought with the merger and facilties Mercer would have became a football powerhouse, but once Jaggers left it went all down hill.

[old PB05]

Having a great coach does nothing if you don't have the talent to go with it. Not sure how successful the middle schools have been in the last 3 years, but just because you bring in a successful coach that has coached in areas that has a widespread of talent doesn't mean that success awaits at LCC. I hope more than anyone that he wins and wins, but winning a state championship in Class A with your school (Private at that) residing in Lexington doesn't sound like an overwhelming achievement. But I wish him and Letcher Central the best. Guess we will see over time...if he stays that long.

[surgeon]

We are really down on talent our eighth grade team last year only won one game. We needed a young coach to come in hear and stay with the the program like a Haddix or Chapman, but obviously Anna thinks hiring a state champion coach will make improvements in a year or so, but the truth is our numbers are low not alot of talent up there right now. The next good strong class is the sixth grade bunch we got. Thats how bad it is we are looking that far down the road. I cant wait to hear these kids say General either HAHAHAHAHa. Not going to work. I give half way thru next season Rains will be thinking what have I got myself in. For the record Rains new team will make the playoffs next year to because we only have Four teams in our district. Not big accomplishment.

[Blue fan]

Why but down the kids up there now if they would but in the work they will be ok

[Blue fan]

Put

[Iam4thecats]

Having a great coach does nothing if you don't have the talent to go with it. Not sure how successful the middle schools have been in the last 3 years, but just because you bring in a successful coach that has coached in areas that has a widespread of talent doesn't mean that success awaits at LCC. I hope more than anyone that he wins and wins, but winning a state championship in Class A with your school (Private at that) residing in Lexington doesn't sound like an overwhelming achievement. But I wish him and Letcher Central the best. Guess we will see over time...if he stays that long.

Really? They have "widespread" talent at Montgomery county? Does Madison Central have more "widespread" talent than the Lexington schools he beat?
Is LCA's talent more "widespread" than all-time programs Mayfield and Beechwood? Did Mercer have "widespread" talent the year before he arrived and did nothing? His first year they beat a 1 seed and make it to the 2nd round for the first time in how long?

[Fly Like a Duck]

[quote=Iam4thecats]Really? They have "widespread" talent at Montgomery county? Does Madison Central have more "widespread" talent than the Lexington schools he beat?
Is LCA's talent more "widespread" than all-time programs Mayfield and Beechwood? Did Mercer have "widespread" talent the year before he arrived and did nothing? His first year they beat a 1 seed and make it to the 2nd round for the first time in how long?[/QUOTE]

Great post.

To answer your question, though, it was the first playoff win since '08 which was Jaggers' last year. Mercer went 6-6 & won their 5A District that year.

[surgeon]

Here is the facts we will see what kind of coach the general is this year, but here is some things we need to do in Letcher County if this coach is as bad as Whitaker. We need to vote our school board members out one at a time. Until they start listening to the people of Letcher County. Ozz made Hillard Howards life miserable at LCC. He wanted a yes man he got that with Whitaker and not Hillard. I am all for giving this new guy a chance. I hope it works out

[Bear_Paw]

Have heard from multiple sources that Mercer County is a nightmare school to coach at in any sport at this time. That they have had a lot of internal problems and political strife. These are only rumors but the sources are pretty reliable.

:popcorn:

[Tobin Frost]

Bear Paw's popcorn signifying that Rains may have traded a Mercer "nightmare" for another?

[old PB05]

Really? They have "widespread" talent at Montgomery county? Does Madison Central have more "widespread" talent than the Lexington schools he beat?
Is LCA's talent more "widespread" than all-time programs Mayfield and Beechwood? Did Mercer have "widespread" talent the year before he arrived and did nothing? His first year they beat a 1 seed and make it to the 2nd round for the first time in how long?

Not sure why quoting me has anything to do with the useless point you are making to my post...

[Iam4thecats]

Not sure why quoting me has anything to do with the useless point you are making to my post...

O.K. Let me clarify then. You do not know what you are talking about. You do not know what a good coach looks like and you don't know what it really takes to win. Is that a clear enough reference point for you PLAYBOY?

[old PB05]

LOL...right....I didn't know a good coach had to have good looks sunshine ...Whateva podgey.

[cougarpride08]

Good luck to coach Raines on getting this program back.

[UK2aday]

Its time for Letcher County too stop hating on our programs, the administration made a mistake on the last coach lets get past it and start supporting coach Rains:welcome: sounds like he has the credentials to be what we need here. we may not be playing for a state title this year but if he can improve from the last two years it will be a positive thing for our kids.:igiveup:

[UK2aday]

Good luck Coach you have my support. excited to watch the team this year.

[cougarpride08]

Def and off coordinator? Anyone know?

[RunItUpTheGut]

As much as i heard LCC fans gripe about the last guy, it should only grow up from here.

[cougarpride08]

If you went through what we did, then you would understand. We just wantthemidsto want to come out. We went from having 80+ to 40 by the end of the year.

[thegr81]

Why but down the kids up there now if they would but in the work they will be ok

WHAT!!!! Hard if kid do what now to they might?

[thegr81]

Really? They have "widespread" talent at Montgomery county? Does Madison Central have more "widespread" talent than the Lexington schools he beat?
Is LCA's talent more "widespread" than all-time programs Mayfield and Beechwood? Did Mercer have "widespread" talent the year before he arrived and did nothing? His first year they beat a 1 seed and make it to the 2nd round for the first time in how long?

All schools mentioned have a huge talent base to choose from.That being said it still takes a tremendous coach to mold talent into a team.Some people get on here and assume that if you have talent it could coach itself,not true. Coach rains is a proven winner and has been fortunate enough to coach at schools with "widespread" talent. Coach Rains will do a great job while here, my only concern is that he is here to add to his retirement and for the money. He will still work hard and field a good team but in 2 years you are starting all over and the quickest way to destroy a football program is to have several coaching changes in a short period of time.

[cougarpride08]

Only time will tell. Kids up there seems to be excited. Whether they put in the hard work and dedication is something we will have to wait and see.

[Iam4thecats]

Paul has 4 years left, minimum before he can retire. The guy loves football. You may have got one of those guys who will go 100 day contracts and keep running the show after retirement too, you never know.

[termite]

What about spring practice for LCC? Does anyone think the coaching change will bring out some kids that did not play last year?

[cougarpride08]

Hope so!

[RunItUpTheGut]

If you went through what we did, then you would understand. We just wantthemidsto want to come out. We went from having 80+ to 40 by the end of the year.

I have a pretty good idea. Dont forget im from Corbin. I know how the guy operates.

[TaterTotsB!!!!]

Cougarpride08 you get on my nerves so bad you think Whitaker is a bad coach and give him down the road. Your crazy. Who coached the team Hilliards last year it was mike not hillard he talked with people and politiced while mike ran the team. What were they that year 10-3? He is a great coach and you talk about things you have no clue about. Did you ever play football? What do you knw the real reason letcher is down is because the kids are lazy and won't work for anyone. Know this for a fact because I played for them a couple years ago. Mike is a good man n a great coach. So get a life man and there is no talent there that's not already out playing so don't blow that horn and say this new guy will get all these athletes to magically appear out of the sky. And I never wanna hear u say what WE went through because last time I checked your name wasn't on a roster last year!

[cougarpride08]

Look what you guys did after he left. *crossing fingers*!

[Lambert #1]

TaterTotB,

I do agree with you on some of your points, well actually I don't think I do. I think Mike is a great Offensive Coordinator, probably as good as they come. I don't think he did a really good job of motivating our kids and he never tried to develop personal relationships with them, overall I just don't think he was a good fit for Letcher County in general. He can lay no claim on that record the year that Hillard was here, that was an offense already built for success by Hillard's son Ben and Mike just picked up and went with it. As far as your comment on no talent in the hallways goes your wrong! There is some great young talent roaming those hallways that are not playing right now. How about these names? Ty Brock (soph) would start right now and last year, Zack Adams (Soph next year, would start right now), Cody Sexton (would start right now), Aaron Tackett (great WR and safety), Clayton "Fuzz" Johnson (definite starter on line), Big Knight (definite starter on line) Cody Conn (definite starter on offense and defense) Trevor Napier (great overall athlete and would start somewhere) that's just off the top of my head buddy and these are kids that Whitaker or his assistants ran off, if I could sit down and look at class enrollments I could find you at least 20 other kids that have played football in the past and could contribute right now and help this team if they were out playing. These few kids alone could make this team 14 points better on offense and defense, if Raines can get them out they will be a much better team. You cannot tell me that Whitaker did not underachieve with the talent that he has had while he was head coach. There is no reason that the past two teams won a total of 7 or 8 games in two years, look back as to when the past two senior classes were freshmen and sophomores and you will see that those freshmen and JV teams beat everyone with pretty much ease, you can blame it on the kids but ultimately it comes down to if the head coach can get the kids to play for him, that's why they are paid 70+ thousand a year and Whitaker failed at getting the most out of these kids. And as far as your "We" comment to Cougarpride08 goes, your also wrong there. WE do pay our hard earned tax dollars to the school system and sit in OUR stands on Friday nights and watch a coach that's "Grossly overpaid by our tax dollars" lose game after game. WE pay our money to get into those games, WE pay our money to the concession stands and all this money goes to make sure that the coach has everything necessary to make up a good team. WE pay the expensive Ad dollars for the JumboTron, WE sit by and watch our administration lay Letcher County teachers off each year so that our coaches can bring in whomever they wish to be their assistants and take our local teachers jobs. WE may not have been in those huddles and locker room that you were in for a few years but WE do have a right to lay claim to the Cougars team being OURS when push comes to shove. Have you looked at the size of the crowd in the stands, it is nowhere near what Hillard put in them, that's because Hillard was a people person that knew how to talk to people and not only motivate his players but he also knew how to motivate a community, Mike never bought into the community idea, shoot he lived on a houseboat in another county, YEAH buddy he really wanted to be here didn't he? So just because you were one of the few that Mike connected with doesn't give you the right to say that nobody has a right to claim this as OUR team unless you played for it is wrong. I do think that Mike will have great success at his next stop because he will most likely be an offensive coordinator and leave the head coaching to someone else. Mike is a great coach when he has pure athletes like he had at Christian County but Letcher County does not have that type of athlete and a good coach would adapt to what we do have and be successful but Mike never made those adaptations and tried to fit our kids into a mold that they did not ever fit into.