[Express]

Sorry for catching up to this thread so late.

First, what is this about Mr. Tiller resigning? Isn’t he married to an Estill native? Doesn’t he live and teach in Estill County? And doesn’t his son attend Estill? If the above questions are true then it is highly unlikely Mr. Tiller chose to resign. Walking away amid all this controversy would only make the situation more awkward for himself and his family. Thus, it is more likely Mr. Tiller was forced to resign. Regardless, best of luck to Mr. Tiller in dealing with this situation because it will be difficult.

Secondly, Mr. Tiller is gone so focus now on the current candidates. From what I’m reading there seems to be three applicants.

I find it doubtful Danny Wright would choose to leave Lee County. He lives and teaches there, as does his wife. He has built a program there that has proven to be highly successful against Estill. And he does not have to deal with football, leaving him more time with players and the potential to make good money even within the small Lee system. Additionally, leaving one district rival for another never occurs without drama, and Estill is certainly not looking for any more drama at this point.

With regards to Mr. Rison, he is certainly an accomplished coach that understands the game of basketball. However, he is retired and it is questionable how committed he would be to a program he ditched before. Also, there are many people within Estill County that still remember his patronizing attitude toward them when he was at Montgomery. Thus, added to the fact that Mr. Rison and Mr. Tiller are close friends, his hiring would only add to the current drama in Estill.

That then leaves us with this Mr. Christopher. He seems young with only a few years of coaching under his belt. His youth seems to be a hurdle for many Estill fans, but there are others who say that may just be what Estill needs right now. From comments and conversations, Mr. Christopher certainly seems to know the game of basketball and has positive relationships with Estill fans. Plus, if my research is correct, he even played four years of college ball at Centre. And isn’t Centre a pretty difficult school? Regardless of his education, there is still the age factor. Is there an older, experienced Estill Countian who would be willing to serve as Mr. Christopher’s assistant coach? If so, I think age then becomes less of a difficulty. Lastly, it would seem Mr. Christopher has little baggage. His hiring would offer little drama (as he has been away from Estill County High School basketball for years) and it would seem he would be around for the long haul. And let’s face it; even if people are worried about him struggling the first few years, the 56th District is currently awful weak.

I can assure there was no forced resignation. It was a decision that was in the works for a while. We can agree that it is a difficult situation and that it is best to move on and hopefully the Basketball team can find a suitable coach to lead the team.