[TheTigersEye]

The Hensley, Stepp, Napier,Roark, Arnett times have all passed, why are we concerned trying to argue with things that have happened 10+ years ago? Move forward and support the team.

[SKINNYPIG]

By no means am I touting or knocking anyone with this post, but here are the stats from KHSAA website from 1998 thru this year. A little history to relive. 1998 is as far as they go back on the site. This won't really be fair towards Hensley because somewhere around 1998 is when he returned for his second stint I think.

Eugene Hensley
1998 * 2-8
1999 * 3-7
2000 * 5-6
2001 * 5-5

Aaron Stepp
2002 * 0-10
2003 * 4-6
2004 * 8-3
2005 * 6-5
2006 * 7-4
2007 * 7-5 First round playoff win

Shannon Arnett
2008 * 6-5
2009 * 4-6
2010 * 8-4 First round playoff win

Kenny Roark
2011 * 1-10

Evan Napier
2012 * 4-7
2013 * 2-9
2014 * 1-10

In the last 17 seasons (most players on the current team were not even born in 1998) Clay has had 6 winning seasons...4 with Stepp and 2 with Arnett. In the same period we have had 2 playoff wins...1 with Stepp and 1 with Arnett.

35.3% of the time we have a winning season.
11.76% of seasons we have a playoff win.
0% of seasons we have won more than one playoff game.

Should/could it be better? Absolutely.

[SKINNYPIG]

In recent history, I suppose from 2004 thru 2010 was Clay's best run which had 46 wins 32 losses, including 2 playoff wins. We would have to go back a bit farther to find a better seven year run.

[Tigercreek]

In recent history, I suppose from 2004 thru 2010 was Clay's best run which had 46 wins 32 losses, including 2 playoff wins. We would have to go back a bit farther to find a better seven year run.

Good facts there SP. Facts are better than being a watcher. Counting the tickets back then one football game (tailgate alley alone) had more attendance than any bb game excluding district/region. What I'm saying is " if you build it they will come". And they did!

[TrueTigerfan]

Heard a lot of young kids applying with no real experience. Do they think the committe will even consider them. Heard 10 have applied

[UKCC]

I get your point, I really do. But, football teams have 3x the players a basketball team does which equals more parents. Once again, I love all CC sports. I probably missed 3-4 home football games max during this era we speak of and caught several road games. It's also one thing to attend games and another to cheer. I've been in the tailgate area several times and it's more of a social event, which that is what a tailgate is. This is a potential coach thread but something I've always pointed to is that in basketball you have the fans virtually on the court whereas in football (especailly in stadiums where there's a track dividing the bleachers and field, a la CCHS) it's a bit less interactive. This may be from pure observation but another thing I've noticed over the years is the lack of "football" faces at other sporting events. I see basketball, baseball, track, tennis, coaches at football games. This may be completely wrong but of people I've known over the years football is the one sport that really stays within it's self. Other coaching staffs are just way more personable as well. It may be the physicality, blood, sweat, and tears mentality but I just don't get it. I will say though, the night Zach broke Couch's record was quite a crowd as well as the 2010 CC and PCC game. Several more come to mind.

[Truth99]

I dont care who they hire because it really couldnt get much worse than it has been. I will say this whoever they hire should not hire anyone off of this staff or past staffs at Clay. I think this was a major problem from the last few years. all we hire is either the same old bunch of coaches or players parents. If clay wants a winning program they need to hire someone with a winning mentality. JMO

[Tigercreek]

Great post UKCC and Truth99. Both were dead on.

[Oldtiger]

Pipping hot out of the rumor mill - Word is a faculty member out at the high school has tossed his name in the hat, he's not coached anything in several years and when he did coach he was an assistant under Hensley. I'm not going to mention any names because I don't want him attacked by the Captain Negatives. This guy may be the greatest football mind and motivator of this century has ever known, to that; I have not a clue. I do know the kids would love him and would play hard for him, he's one of the best guys you'd ever meet.

[E's Army]

Hopefully they don't let this hire linger. Kids need to know so they can get their lifting started.

[bobcatsfan]

I am a very close friend of the family to one young man that may be inquiring about the job but he is young. Comes from a Championship program and has a ring on his finger from 2002 when he played with Haddix at Breathitt County. Kid has helped every program win that he has went to. 3 years under Holcomb and one under Chapman. Must know what he is doing. Heck he helped McCoy get Magoffin to the second round of the playoffs and almost upset Lawrence. I know he told me a while back he wouldn't mind to go ahead and go up the ladder to a head coach. Knows the game and can Coach the game. There is a difference in coaching and knowing. Hope they give the young man a shot. Very energetic and is defensive minded. Likes being physical. Of course offense would be old Breathitt County style Air raid and spread it out and run. Be fun to watch.

[Oldtiger]

I am a very close friend of the family to one young man that may be inquiring about the job but he is young. Comes from a Championship program and has a ring on his finger from 2002 when he played with Haddix at Breathitt County. Kid has helped every program win that he has went to. 3 years under Holcomb and one under Chapman. Must know what he is doing. Heck he helped McCoy get Magoffin to the second round of the playoffs and almost upset Lawrence. I know he told me a while back he wouldn't mind to go ahead and go up the ladder to a head coach. Knows the game and can Coach the game. There is a difference in coaching and knowing. Hope they give the young man a shot. Very energetic and is defensive minded. Likes being physical. Of course offense would be old Breathitt County style Air raid and spread it out and run. Be fun to watch.

Would be a huge hire for the Tigers....Nothing but good things have been heard.

[redstone1127]

One of the two hardest working coaches I have worked with is now 61 but is a very well respected and experienced playoff coach. He still out works most coaches half his age and wants to coach right on down the road. As an outsider I just hope that those making this decision don't look past A proven winner who will stay the course and get the job done right just because of his age. Clay County has the talent to be good year in and year out with an experienced energetic coach. Here's hoping the committee does their homework on this one

[Count]

I'm hearing Eddie Smith. Is a contender.

[bobcatsfan]

The hardest thing about hiring a new coach is will they let the new coach bring in an assistant. I know schools usually won't let a coach bring in two or three assistants because of teaching jobs but to be successful they will need to let a coach bring in some help. Mitchell would not be a bad hire. Had success at Lynn Camp and I'm sure he still wants to coach. Combs would be a good hire just the youth would be a concern. But if you coached and played under Holcomb and Chapman then your bound to do a great job wherever you go. He may stay at Magoffin too. He likes it very well over there with McCoy.

[TheTigersEye]

Mitchell doesnt have a chance IMO, who is Eddie Smith? Where does he coach at?

[JeanClaudeVanGraham]

Mitchell doesnt have a chance IMO, who is Eddie Smith? Where does he coach at?

Eddie Smith is a current teacher at Clay County High School

[TheTigersEye]

Oh, I know him as a teacher. That's a surprising name to come up. I didn't know of him to coach any football. Sorry for the confusion.

[JeanClaudeVanGraham]

I'm hearing Eddie Smith. Is a contender.

That's what I've heard too.

[Truth99]

I may be wrong if so someone correct me. But I think eddie smith use to coach on Eugene Hensley staff back when Clay was actually good. And I too have heard his name being thrown around

[walterwhite]

How will the availability of teaching positions effect the hiring of assistants? Providing a position for the head coach should be no problem. With the decreasing enrollment, several teaching positions have not been filled upon recent retirements. Seems that the only way to fill a staff will be recycling some already in the system? Would those in charge provide jobs for all the assistants? Paraprofessionals?

[DarthVader]

I am a very close friend of the family to one young man that may be inquiring about the job but he is young. Comes from a Championship program and has a ring on his finger from 2002 when he played with Haddix at Breathitt County. Kid has helped every program win that he has went to. 3 years under Holcomb and one under Chapman. Must know what he is doing. Heck he helped McCoy get Magoffin to the second round of the playoffs and almost upset Lawrence. I know he told me a while back he wouldn't mind to go ahead and go up the ladder to a head coach. Knows the game and can Coach the game. There is a difference in coaching and knowing. Hope they give the young man a shot. Very energetic and is defensive minded. Likes being physical. Of course offense would be old Breathitt County style Air raid and spread it out and run. Be fun to watch.

I wouldn't want anyone to say I was part of a JP Chapman fiasco. :Thumbs:

[DarthVader]

I may be wrong if so someone correct me. But I think eddie smith use to coach on Eugene Hensley staff back when Clay was actually good. And I too have heard his name being thrown around

Sounds like a knockout winner to me, a guy that may or may not have coached at one point 30 years ago. :rockon:

[Oldtiger]

I've been told that Eddie Smith was one of the best assistant coaches in the Winning years of Tiger Football Nation, and folks couldn't believe he never persued a head coaching position.

[DarthVader]

Where has he been in the last 20 years if hes that good? I heard there is several BIG name coaches interested in this job, thats who clay needs to be focusing on.

[walterwhite]

Where has he been in the last 20 years if hes that good? I heard there is several BIG name coaches interested in this job, thats who clay needs to be focusing on.

Let's hear names of the big time coaches interested!

[DarthVader]

I've heard that dave mitchell, tom greer, greg duncum, dudley hilton, tom larkey, steve and jackie jewell, tony saylor, and cotton adams were all seen together the other day, forming a super staff at CC. They are going to bring justin haddix in to coach the freshmen and middle school teams. But thats just what IVE heard, not saying its true

[bobcatsfan]

Fiasco...he was basically a former player going to help a coach he played for. He was gonna go with Holcomb but couldn't get a teaching job at Letcher because nothing was open in his field. JP got threw out at breathitt and he coached pike central to a win in that game in the playoffs then lost to Belfry the following week. He just stayed under Chapman a year.

[walterwhite]

I've heard that dave mitchell, tom greer, greg duncum, dudley hilton, tom larkey, steve and jackie jewell, tony saylor, and cotton adams were all seen together the other day, forming a super staff at CC. They are going to bring justin haddix in to coach the freshmen and middle school teams. But thats just what IVE heard, not saying its true

Good one, Vader!

[DarthVader]

The last time I seen PCC and Breathitt play I saw a huge example of the physicality this guy could bring to CC, they were so physical they nor the coaches could containt themselves. Thats the kind of team the tigers want out there, looked like their were 50+ kids on the field! numbers were definately up on the field that night. If he gets the job I've got a feeling the tigers would be FIGHTING for every win.