[plantmanky]

This is a tough one and you are going to offend someone if you leave them off...

With that said, here would be my criteria:
1. Who can take a good program and take it to the next level or levels?
2. Who has proven they can win a Championship when they have the best team and have expectations?
3. Who has proven they can win the Championship even they are an underdog along the way?
4. Who can sustain success beyond a wave or two of talent?
5. Who still have plenty left in the tank?

Based off this


HM. Dudley Hilton- It's not about if he is one of the best to ever do it in KY. He is. He has checked every box on the list, the only big looming variable is how much gas is left in the tank compared to younger coaches on the list. Despite winning titles at two different schools you do wish there were a few more rings.

5. Eddie Eviston- The coach most likely to rise up this list. Eviston is just getting into his prime and has already been super impressive. He has maintained CovCath's standard and has them firmly in the mix every year and has proven he can topple even mighty Boyle County.

4. Kevin Wallace- Though Wallace is probably on the back 9 of his career, he definitely has some years on Dudley and he has a few more rings as well. Wallace developed Bowling Green into an absolute powerhouse. The critique on Wallace is despite sustaining success at St. X, you can question if he has taken them to the next level for a program who already had a high bar set.

3. Chris McNamee- Similar to Wallace above, McNamee is not a young up and comer anymore, but he has aged like fine wine. It took Mac some time.... but once he built the Pikeville program to specifications they have went to heights greater than their already proud tradition could imagine. No doubt he has elevated that program and  also no doubt there still may be a few more Finals in his future.

2. Noel Rash- This may take heat... but IMHO his resume is probably actually #1 in my book. To follow after Yeagle is a blessing and a a curse. You know you are inheriting a sports car, but the expectations and pressures are almost impossible to live up to. Not only did Rash live up to them, he may have had Beechwood cooking at a level even Yeagle never reached. I also would argue the rivals he had to vanquish were arguably better on the whole. So why #2, well we saw Rash walk away before. He got dragged back in, but you have to wonder if there is any chance we can expect to see him in 10 years.

1. Justin Haddix- What Haddix has done is remarkable. He rebuilds programs and levels great programs up. Boyle is set to be a dominant force for the forseeable future and Haddix has proven handling the success and pressure is no problem. If he coaches for decades he has the chance to write his name as an All-Timer which is impressive at a school who already may have an All-Timer as a previous coach. The only real critique is it took coming to an program already built for Championships before Haddix started winning rings. What he did at Perry Central and Corbin was none the less impressive, but the Redhounds couldn't win a ring even as a noted favorite. Still doesn't change the fact Haddix took a program that had leveled off and got them to that enviable position though!

Good list. People also forget that Eviston followed a Kentucky High School football legend in Bob Schneider at Newport Catholic, and was an upset to Covington Holy Cross away from winning a title every year that he was there.

If Noel Rash can get Conner to the upper echelon in 5A then I'll definitely agree that he belongs in the top spot amongst the actives.

Rash is only coaching this year at Conner, job will be open after this season.