[nky]

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/preps/2013/0...e-for-msj/

After almost 30 years coaching football at Boone County High School, including the last 15 as head coach, Rick Thompson is leaving to become special teams coordinator and linebackers coach at the College of Mount St. Joseph.
He told his players the news prior to school this morning.

[UK1fan]

Boone just got a whole lot better no more run right, run left and run up the middle every play.

[Fly Like a Duck]

^^^ Didn't they just go to the State Semis in 2011?

5 Trips to at least the Region Finals in the last 9 years, w/ 3 State Semi appearances.

I mean, I can understand there are times for wanted and needed change from both ends, but that isn't exactly terrible. Far from it. Or did the 1-9 season this year just mask all of that?

[nky]

http://nky.cincinnati.com/article/AB/201...eaving-MSJ
Rick Thompson first got a taste of coaching in college when he took a one-year leave of absence from coaching in high school to serve as a graduate assistant at the University of Cincinnati in 1988, and he figured now was a good time in his life to try it again.
The 51-year-old Thompson is leaving Boone County High School, where he coached for almost 30 years, including the last 15 as head coach, to become special teams coordinator and linebackers coach at the College of Mount St. Joseph, which is an NCAA Division III member.

Thompson replaced the legendary Owen Hauck as Boone County’s head coach in 1998 and compiled a 94-83 record, including reaching the state semifinals in Class 4A (when it was the biggest class in the state) in 2004 and 2007 and in Class 6A in 2011 and having 10 straight winning seasons from 1999-2008. He was defensive coordinator at Boone County from 1989-97 and also from 1985-87 before leaving for the one season to coach at UC. He began his coaching career at Beechwood in 1981 and was also an assistant at Campbell County in 1984.

“This is a chance to grow as a professional and work in a program in that has a chance to grow and be successful,” said Thompson, whose son Bryson is a freshman on the Mount St. Joseph football team. “I’m really looking forward to it. It’s a challenge I probably need. I get a chance to learn recruiting, be a part of a great staff and see how much further you want to go at this level.”

Thompson has had a long-time relationship with Mount St. Joseph head coach Rod Huber.

“We had met off and on since he got out of Army and told kids he had been chasing me for 30 years,” said Thompson “He’s very passionate about the Mount and it’s easy to get caught up in his enthusiasm.”

Thompson plans on remaining at Boone County as a business teacher and the hard part will be missing the players there and his assistant coaches.

“I’ll still see them, which will be good, but it will be tough not coaching them,” said Thompson. “Telling my assistants was the hard part. There are a lot of guys that have been with us for a long time and they are tremendous coaches and people. They told me, ‘Do what you need to do.’ ‘’

In addition to coaching under Hauck, whose 258 career victories at Highlands and Boone County are the 15th most in state history, he worked alongside former Highlands and Newport head coach Mike Murphy at Boone County. Murphy led Highlands to state championships in 1968 and 1970. Hauck coached Highlands to a state title in 1964 and runner-up finishes in 1963 and 1966 and led Boone County to runner-up finishes in 1986, 1987, 1992 and 1994, all when Thompson was defensive coordinator.

“I’ve been very lucky to work with great coaches like Coach Hauck and Coach Murphy,” said Thompson. “So many guys that have played with us have gone into coaching, too.”

Among them are current Conner head coach Dave Trosper, current Ryle head coach Bryson Warner and current Morehead State offensive coordinator Craig Mullins.