[Hoot Gibson]

The reason for this is the quality of coaching. I've been fortunate to be around a legendary coach and I've also been around a few duds. The major difference between the two types in my eyes was the support system (community, admins, quality assistant coaches) and accountability (holding parents just as accountable as the kids). The quality of coaching is lacking in KY and is in a downward spiral.

I agree 100 percent. Unfortunately, my oldest son only got to play one year under Bill Musick at Johnson Central and both boys graduated during the dark days before Jim Matney rescued the program. So, what I am going to say is not meant as a criticism of either Johnson Central coach, both of whom I hold a great deal of respect.

I spent a brief period around a head coach named Rick Wimmer, who currently coaches at Fishers High School in Indiana. Coach Wimmer did things that I have never heard of any Kentucky coach doing that demonstrated a commitment to his players, parents, and community that I have never witnessed in any other coach.

Every Thursday night during football season, Coach Wimmer and his staff hosted a dinner for his players and parents in the high school cafeteria. A local restaurant provided pasta and parents were expected to provide side dishes. Coach Wimmer and his staff provided scouting reports of the next night's opponent, video highlights of the previous week's game, and presentations such as Scout Team Player of the Week, Offensive and Defensive Players of the week, etc. Wimmer and his staff took and answered questions from parents.

Another thing that really impressed me about Rick Wimmer was that he and his staff compiled DVD highlights for any of his players who were interested in playing college football at any level from junior college to D1 NCAA.

In addition, Wimmer organized events involving other area high school coaches where small college coaches and recruiters could meet graduating players and their coaches, and take away DVDs of players to watch later.

Most Kentucky high school coaches lack the commitment necessary to field fundamentally sound football teams or build the kind of parental and community support that it takes to build and sustain a strong program over time.

Rick Wimmer is one of only four Indiana high school coaches to have won state titles with two different schools and he ranks 8th among active coaches in wins. His career record is a bit deceiving because he has a record of building and rebuilding programs. At Fishers, his first team finished with a record of 1-9 but won the 5A (the state's largest at the time) state title in his fifth season at the school.

Fishers High School Head Coach Rick Wimmer Biography