Former Prestonsburg Head Coach Bill Letton at Lexington Catholic

bulldog42 · (This post was last modified: 12-03-2007, 12:18 AM by BlackcatAlum.)

I wasn't sure if the folks in Eastern KY knew especially the Pburg folks but Bill Letton is the Head Coach at Lexington Catholic. He led the great Pburg teams of the early to mid 90's and the one that pulled maybe the biggest upset ever at Danville when he was at Pburg. I coached at Lex Cath with him before I moved back to help at Lawrence Co. He was the defensive coordinator then but took over some huge shoes when Sphire left. I knew he would do a great job and really had a hard time walking away but wanted to be back home at Lawrence. It was always ironic because he beat me the last game I ever played as a player in the Regional Championship at Pburg when he had the TD Twins (Garza+Hyden). Anyways I just thought I'd share because I figured some folks didn't realize he is the head coach and going for another state championship. What a GREAT guy and a GREAT coach! I'm proud as heck of him and their staff!

**BlackcatAlum** · 12-03-2007, 12:19 AM

I didn't find out who he was until about two years ago. But he was at the Beechwood game earlier this season. He is a great guy. Very Classy!

**BCF4L** · 12-04-2007, 10:37 AM

So why did he leave Prestonsburg? Maybe we should offer him the job again?

BurntTires · 12-04-2007, 01:33 PM

I knew he left Prestonsburg, but don't know the reasons behind it.

Pepper · 12-04-2007, 03:26 PM

Prestonsburg has let a couple of great ones go in Phillip Haywood (Belfry), and Bill Letton (Lex Cath).

I can only imagine what it coud've been like if one of those had stayed.

Capt. DH · 12-04-2007, 03:42 PM

Pepper Wrote:Prestonsburg has let a couple of great ones go in Phillip Haywood (Belfry), and Bill Letton (Lex Cath).

I can only imagine what it coud've been like if one of those had stayed.

If I am mistaken Chuke Williams coached there as well. That is three great ones that came and went.

Pepper · 12-04-2007, 03:46 PM

Capt. DH Wrote:If I am mistaken Chuke Williams coached there as well. That is three great ones that came and went.

That name is very familiar, but I still don't know who he is. Could you enlighten me?

dfblackcat53 · 12-05-2007, 12:09 AM

Capt. DH Wrote:If I am mistaken Chuke Williams coached there as well. That is three great ones that came and went.

chuke williams? are you serious? anyways, bill letton was one of the best coaches we have ever had and is in the top 3 in the state IMO. He is a very classy guy. The 93 team is still very well respected in prestonsburg and will be for as long as prestonsburg has football.

**jetpilot** · 12-05-2007, 03:36 AM

Capt. DH Wrote:If I am mistaken Chuke Williams coached there as well. That is three great ones that came and went.

So if you're not mistaken he didn't coach there???

Anyways, two. Wink

**jetpilot** · 12-05-2007, 03:38 AM

Pepper Wrote:That name is very familiar, but I still don't know who he is. Could you enlighten me?

Think flip-flops echoing across the frozen field. Big Grin

oneijoe · 12-11-2007, 09:23 PM

Coach Letton was head coach of the Blackcats from '88 - '95. He was/is an excellent coach of basic football fundamentals.

He was a victim of Floyd Co. Board politics. There was a hazing incident before the '95 season. Coach threw the boys involved off the team. The issue was settled, or so most thought.

Toward the end of that football season, the incident was published in florid detail in the Floyd Co. Times. Bowing to public pressure instigated by the article, the Board's members censured the coach for "mishandling of the matter".

Once the matter became public knowledge , the "right" or "wrong" of his handling of the situation became a moot point. As always happens, rumors began and grew. His authority as football coach became completely untenable.

He was a young man at the time and could read the writing on the wall. He left after the '95 season to take a coaching position at Montgomery Co.

oneijoe · 12-11-2007, 09:35 PM

Pepper Wrote:Prestonsburg has let a couple of great ones go in Phillip Haywood (Belfry), and Bill Letton (Lex Cath).

I can only imagine what it coud've been like if one of those had stayed.

P-burg didn't exactly "let" Haywood go...

After the '83 season, Coach Roddy left the Belfry program. The Pirates had lost to Prestonsburg 3 of the previous 4 seasons. That off-season Belfry made Haywood "an offer he couldn't refuse" (nor could P-burg match) to take over at BHS. It was just that simple.

No different, really, than what Johnson Central did to acquire its current coach. $$$ talks and one can hardly blame another for taking a job for more of it. Coal was booming then and Belfry wanted what Prestonsburg had. So they got him.

oneijoe · 12-11-2007, 09:41 PM

Capt. DH Wrote:If I am mistaken Chuke Williams coached there as well. That is three great ones that came and went.

Coach Williams ('84 - '87) is a great coach of the belly-option offense, for sure. He did, however, become disillusioned with a drop-off in incoming player talent after his early good run.

He left little to build on at P-burg after he left in '87.