[bucslover68]

SV has had a lot of great coaching for a long time. They have played together for so long that it's like they are one unit. Wow, what a novel idea. An actual team concept. Anyway back to the thread. There are several schools that would love to have Bart as a coach. Johnson Central is one. Yes they have a coach, but there are always rumblings about the inner turmoil down there and who knows how long McKenzie will be there. The bigger problem to me is who is actually running the show at Pikeville. They have a lot of good people in place in Royce and Kevin; people who have a lot of athletic and academic experience. However, when it comes to coaching, what kind of outside influences are really controlling the athletic program. I know of several good people who were on the committee that hired Ben Howard. Having good people does not always mean the situation is going to work out. Warning signs were everywhere with that hire and looking back through 20/20 eyes, it was obviously a risk that was not worth taking. If Bart gets fired, which i personally hope he does not, I hope there is extra special care in who would be the new coach. My solution would be that if you keep Bart, he has full control over the team, case closed. If he does not want that, or cannot live up to that, then maybe Pikeville is not the place for him to be. If a new coach is hired, they need a no-nonsense coach who plays the best players, gets the best talent out for the team, and let's no parent influence or give the appearance that they are running the team or influencing the decisions that Bart and his staff should be making. Another thing. I hear all the time about all the talent walking the halls at Pikeville that just won't come out for football or basketball. It may be there, but the talent pool at Pikeville is no where what it once was. A previous poster said they need Chase Gibson back. Yep, that would be a good start, but there are no Chase Gibsons at Pikeville now. Expectations at Pikeville are as high as any school around, and with their history they should be. However, no coach wins at the level that Pikeville wants to win without talent. Sure, coaching can make players better, but talent wins out just about every time. Next year, with what Pikeville has coming back,and the way the 15th region is looking now,(not that it will stay that way) Pikeville could be a legitimate favorite to win the crown, or at least be a strong contender. Do you want to make a change now, or wait it out a couple of more years? This question can only be answered by the powers that be at Pikeville High School. Also, IMO, if Pikeville does not institute a hold back rule, they will not be able to compete fairly with other schools. This has caught up with them. Pikeville has always prided itself academically and that is a noble undertaking. However, athletics plays a great role in the overall development of kids. Some are not great students and may end up being better athletically than academically. A kid receiving a few hundred or a thousand dollars to some schools to play sports might be a big help. The county schools can hold back and it gives some of their athletes another year to physically mature before high school.