[EKC Man]

My predictions for Bath County 2015, regardless of coaching hire:
Fairview (L)
Rowan Co (L)
Morgan Co (W, but close. Morgan is down, but their offense tends to keep the score close and low)
Bracken Co (toss-up, as Bracken's JV was solid last year)
Pendleton Co (W uneducated guess here. Don't know much about PC other than last year's record)
West Carter (L, too much speed for BC)
Lewis Co (toss-up, Lewis is tough to beat at home)
Fleming Co (L, Fleming loses several players to graduation, but they're always solid)
Russell (L, blowout. Too much firepower from Russell)
Nicholas Co (L, Nicholas County is basically returning everyone from a team that nearly beat Bath last year. Their line will be special and the difference in this game)

[EsseQuamVideri]

Anyone heard of a hire? It is April and I feel like kids need some stability plus they need to learn whatever system the new guy brings with him.
Also, anyone heard who officially has applied?

[EsseQuamVideri]

Have they interviewed anyone or given a timeline for the hire?

[EKC Man]

Also, very sad to see Coach Fields leave. Class act in every way. Definitely one of the good guys.

[EKC Man]

Still no news on the hire? I figured they would have announced by now or leaked some candidate names.

[WILDCAT NATION]

My predictions for Bath County 2015, regardless of coaching hire:
Fairview (L)
Rowan Co (L)
Morgan Co (W, but close. Morgan is down, but their offense tends to keep the score close and low)
Bracken Co (toss-up, as Bracken's JV was solid last year)
Pendleton Co (W uneducated guess here. Don't know much about PC other than last year's record)
West Carter (L, too much speed for BC)
Lewis Co (toss-up, Lewis is tough to beat at home)
Fleming Co (L, Fleming loses several players to graduation, but they're always solid)
Russell (L, blowout. Too much firepower from Russell)
Nicholas Co (L, Nicholas County is basically returning everyone from a team that nearly beat Bath last year. Their line will be special and the difference in this game)

Coach Fields is a class act and will always be special to the program. He is an alum and credit should be given where credit is due. He took over the program 10 years ago when it was basically dead dressing 20 players and brought it back to life. Now the interest and community support for the program is back and 50+ kids come out each year. I wouldn't rule out him being involved in the program still in my opinion. Time will tell.

Now to address your predictions it is entirely possible your correct but I think you are forgetting something or are unaware. BC will return their entire team for all practical purposes. Only 4 seniors saw any real playing time last year. Only 6 Seniors the year before. BC has been playing Varsity for 2 seasons with mostly a JV team. That's not a knock on those that played but their classes just didn't have the numbers needed. The JV has been dominant against many of these same teams (Fairview, Bracken, Morgan, West, Lewis, Nicholas) for the past 3 seasons, going undefeated last year and only dropping 4 games total in 2012 and 2013 (2 of the 4 losses were to Raceland who has been to the state semi-finals the past 2 seasons with those teams). Several of the 14-16 incoming Seniors have been asked to play varsity for 2 seasons. They have another 12-14 solid Juniors coming in behind them.

The EKC Gridorama is the weekend before the season opens. After watching BC play many teams will go back their locker rooms and erase that W they had penciled in on their schedule beside Bath County.

[EKC Man]

Coach Fields is a class act and will always be special to the program. He is an alum and credit should be given where credit is due. He took over the program 10 years ago when it was basically dead dressing 20 players and brought it back to life. Now the interest and community support for the program is back and 50+ kids come out each year. I wouldn't rule out him being involved in the program still in my opinion. Time will tell.

Now to address your predictions it is entirely possible your correct but I think you are forgetting something or are unaware. BC will return their entire team for all practical purposes. Only 4 seniors saw any real playing time last year. Only 6 Seniors the year before. BC has been playing Varsity for 2 seasons with mostly a JV team. That's not a knock on those that played but their classes just didn't have the numbers needed. The JV has been dominant against many of these same teams (Fairview, Bracken, Morgan, West, Lewis, Nicholas) for the past 3 seasons, going undefeated last year and only dropping 4 games total in 2012 and 2013 (2 of the 4 losses were to Raceland who has been to the state semi-finals the past 2 seasons with those teams). Several of the 14-16 incoming Seniors have been asked to play varsity for 2 seasons. They have another 12-14 solid Juniors coming in behind them.

The EKC Gridorama is the weekend before the season opens. After watching BC play many teams will go back their locker rooms and erase that W they had penciled in on their schedule beside Bath County.

I will stand by my predictions with the hope that you are closer to being correct than me. I have rarely seen a new coach come into a situation like this one and win right away. Especially this late in the year. New offense, new defense, new special teams, new staff, new philosophy on everything. From what I've heard this was not a smooth removal of Coach Fields. When this happens, generally speaking, there is resentment that lingers among the players. From your previous post you said that the JV where undefeated. I'm assuming that JV team had their success under Coach Fields' guidance. There will be kids that resist change. Whoever the new coach turns out to be, he will need to win those kids over, which will take time; and being this late in the year, that's time he won't have. I heard a very high profile coach once say that, when going into a new job, you might as well throw out the first season. Any wins there are bonus; icing on the cake. He was a very successful guy at the college level that had moved up the ladder. I can't recall his name but I heard him speak at the Louisville Coach of the Year Clinic about ten years ago. (Maybe Mark Richt?) anyway, loyalty takes time to build. That's one of the hardest things to build as a new staff. Again, I hope I'm wrong and Bath wins 7+ games. I'm glad Bath is back in the more traditional EKC district. It will eventually reignite many old rivalries and makes more sense for them geographically. I'm basing all of this on what I've seen/experienced in the past. History has a way of repeating itself.

On another note, even though I haven't spoke to Coach Fields in a while, I know this must be difficult for him. I've been through the same thing. He always talked good about his players and was always optimistic. I hope he continues to coach. I know there are many schools out there that would be elated to have a class act like him leading their program.

[WILDCAT NATION]

I will stand by my predictions with the hope that you are closer to being correct than me. I have rarely seen a new coach come into a situation like this one and win right away. Especially this late in the year. New offense, new defense, new special teams, new staff, new philosophy on everything. From what I've heard this was not a smooth removal of Coach Fields. When this happens, generally speaking, there is resentment that lingers among the players. From your previous post you said that the JV where undefeated. I'm assuming that JV team had their success under Coach Fields' guidance. There will be kids that resist change. Whoever the new coach turns out to be, he will need to win those kids over, which will take time; and being this late in the year, that's time he won't have. I heard a very high profile coach once say that, when going into a new job, you might as well throw out the first season. Any wins there are bonus; icing on the cake. He was a very successful guy at the college level that had moved up the ladder. I can't recall his name but I heard him speak at the Louisville Coach of the Year Clinic about ten years ago. (Maybe Mark Richt?) anyway, loyalty takes time to build. That's one of the hardest things to build as a new staff. Again, I hope I'm wrong and Bath wins 7+ games. I'm glad Bath is back in the more traditional EKC district. It will eventually reignite many old rivalries and makes more sense for them geographically. I'm basing all of this on what I've seen/experienced in the past. History has a way of repeating itself.

On another note, even though I haven't spoke to Coach Fields in a while, I know this must be difficult for him. I've been through the same thing. He always talked good about his players and was always optimistic. I hope he continues to coach. I know there are many schools out there that would be elated to have a class act like him leading their program.

Your correct in the JV success was under his guidance. I don't agree on the 1st season deal at the high school level. College yes because those players were recruited by the previous coach. High school players are there regardless. Off season conditioning has continued and the players are still coming. The senior class has to be (and seems to be so far) on board. They love Coach Fields still but this is their last season. They do not have the luxury of time either and they are who the new coach will lean on the most given the size of the class. Puts the new coach and the seniors in the same boat. If the SR's lead the others will follow.

I think you will start hearing about the position in the very near future. Let's revisit this thread then as the new coach may change some opinions about the coming season.

[EsseQuamVideri]

I hear they are having final interviews Thursday. Bath doesn't seem to be in a hurry to get a coach. I have asked this before but does anyone know the names of the finalists?

[thecoacher]

I hear they are having final interviews Thursday. Bath doesn't seem to be in a hurry to get a coach. I have asked this before but does anyone know the names of the finalists?

Not being in a hurry is not always a bad thing. It is about hiring the best coach/fit for them. Not how fast you hire them.

[WILDCAT NATION]

I hear they are having final interviews Thursday. Bath doesn't seem to be in a hurry to get a coach. I have asked this before but does anyone know the names of the finalists?

99.9% are in a hurry....but there is always that .1% in the process that could care less. Things will begin to fall into place in the next 7 days in my opinion.

[EKC Man]

My predictions for Bath County 2015, regardless of coaching hire:
Fairview (L)
Rowan Co (L)
Morgan Co (W, but close. Morgan is down, but their offense tends to keep the score close and low)
Bracken Co (toss-up, as Bracken's JV was solid last year)
Pendleton Co (W uneducated guess here. Don't know much about PC other than last year's record)
West Carter (L, too much speed for BC)
Lewis Co (toss-up, Lewis is tough to beat at home)
Fleming Co (L, Fleming loses several players to graduation, but they're always solid)
Russell (L, blowout. Too much firepower from Russell)
Nicholas Co (L, Nicholas County is basically returning everyone from a team that nearly beat Bath last year. Their line will be special and the difference in this game)

I didn't do too bad if I have to say so myself. The only game I missed was the Rowan County game. (I thought my Vikings would be better than they are). I basically said Bath had a chance to go 4-6 and they went 5-5.