[sacbunt]

Aaron Snyder of the Ashland Daily Independent has reported that Russell Boys Basketball job is now open as Bryan Groves will no longer serve as the head coach.

[GOREDDEVILS]

The big question is who will Russell get to be the next head coach?


Anyone know why Coach Bryan Groves is no longer coach? I thought for sure they would have had a long term coach since he is a Russell alumnus.

[sacbunt]

Rumor is they want to hire somebody that used to play at Marshall.

[Fred Sanford]

If that happens it will be the third straight hire of a coach with zero head coaching experience. Seems to be the Russell MO.

[Welcome]

Rumor is they want to hire somebody that used to play at Marshall.

Burgess?

[Hambley]

Could be a couple people. Joda is there already, Vanhoose is at Johnson Central. Couldn’t go wrong with either.

[david5164]

With this being the 4th head coach in 6 years at Russell we need a homerun hire. The last 3-4 head coaches haven't worked out at Russell. Russell has not been bad in boy's basketball over the years but it is not like the other sports at Russell that has been successful like in Football, Girls Basketball, track, volleyball, etc. We need to go out and get an excellent Head Coach that will be at Russell more than 2 or 3 years. It sometimes takes a head coach that long to bring his system in and get the players buying into that new system to become a consistent winning program just like Russell's football program or the Girl's basketball program. We need to get an outstanding hire for the Boy's Basketball Program to grow and be competitive in the 16th region and even in State play. Russell has the boys and facilities to become an outstanding basketball just like Boyd County, Rowan County, Ashland, Elliott County, etc. We just need a good experienced Head Coach to compete in the 63rd district and in the 16th Region.

[RaylinGivens]

This is an extremely competitive district. Lots of balence.

[Fred Sanford]

With this being the 4th head coach in 6 years at Russell we need a homerun hire. The last 3-4 head coaches haven't worked out at Russell. Russell has not been bad in boy's basketball over the years but it is not like the other sports at Russell that has been successful like in Football, Girls Basketball, track, volleyball, etc. We need to go out and get an excellent Head Coach that will be at Russell more than 2 or 3 years. It sometimes takes a head coach that long to bring his system in and get the players buying into that new system to become a consistent winning program just like Russell's football program or the Girl's basketball program. We need to get an outstanding hire for the Boy's Basketball Program to grow and be competitive in the 16th region and even in State play. Russell has the boys and facilities to become an outstanding basketball just like Boyd County, Rowan County, Ashland, Elliott County, etc. We just need a good experienced Head Coach to compete in the 63rd district and in the 16th Region.

Facilities?

[Yustacould]

Two words, Hagar Easterling.

[GOREDDEVILS]

I've heard interviews have started.

[Hambley]

You have a gift sitting in your back yard... don’t mess this up

[zebraman]

You have a gift sitting in your back yard... don’t mess this up

Just curious what gift you are referring too. There have been a bunch of applicants and some VERY high quality.

[Hambley]

There ya go. But honestly, what else can you say about a pool of applicants? That school has a rich history of athletic excellence and I even took part in its developmental leagues. One thing I saw first hand in that program 6-7 years ago was they quit developing talent as a whole and started focusing on the players they thought were going to be the core players in travel ball at the 4th and 5th grade level and it just never worked out that way. I don’t have a dog in the fight just my two cents.

[zebraman]

There ya go. But honestly, what else can you say about a pool of applicants? That school has a rich history of athletic excellence and I even took part in its developmental leagues. One thing I saw first hand in that program 6-7 years ago was they quit developing talent as a whole and started focusing on the players they thought were going to be the core players in travel ball at the 4th and 5th grade level and it just never worked out that way. I don’t have a dog in the fight just my two cents.

You are definitely correct there.

[Fred Sanford]

The hire will be announced Monday.

[GOREDDEVILS]

You can't go wrong with some of the names I've heard that applied. I've heard Roger Zornes-used to Coach Ironton and Boyd County and Randy Ward former Greenup County and Coal Grove coach. And one who is currently coaching so I can't say who.

[GOREDDEVILS]

Zornes or Even Ward Would be a homerun hire. I found this on Zornes

A three-time All-Area Coach of the Year, Zornes led Boyd County to 447 wins and seven 16th Region championships from 1983-2002. The next three seasons, he directed Ironton to a 66-9 record and trip to the 2005 state finals.

[GOREDDEVILS]

I found this on Randy Ward


The is a snippet from a 2011 article written by Rocky Stanley of ADI in which he said he'd like to coach 4 or 5 more years. He is getting up there in age at 71 or 72. He was 63 when the article was put out.

[FONT=&quot]“I would like to coach back in Kentucky again,” said Ward, who has lived in South Shore the past 30 years. “I’ve been in Ohio going on eight or nine years and miss Kentucky basketball. There’s nothing like the Kentucky state tournament. It’s unique.”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Ward guided Greenup County to four Sweet Sixteen appearances during the 1980s and ’90s. Overall, his Musketeer teams won 388 games in a span of two decades.[/FONT]
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[GOREDDEVILS]

Roger Zornes is in his Late 60's.

[Hambley]

Ward was good in his time, he played a methodical motion offense that grinned games to a stop. I don’t know how that will translate to today’s game. Either way you cut it your gonna get a coach for 4-5 years with those two. Personally I would like to see them go with a younger coach that will be there long enough to build a culture.

[GOREDDEVILS]

I can see where your coming from Hambley but I can also see Russell wanting a proven coach this time. Zornes and Ward are both proven within the 16th region.


It will be interesting to see who they hire.

[Fred Sanford]

It won’t be either of those two guys.

[GOREDDEVILS]

It won’t be either of those two guys.

Check your pms.

[sacbunt]

Russell has hired Tom Barrick as its boys basketball coach. Barrick was Wheelersburg's head coach for 19 years before spending the last four at Eastern High School in Pike County, Ohio. He's in the OHSBCA Hall of Fame.

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