Season 2 Episode 16 Guest Coach Chad Griffin Hart County HFC

[Music] coach David Buchanan coach Chuck Smith two legendary High School football coaches this is the coach's office a behindth scenes look at Kentucky High School football [Music] welcome to the coach's office behind the scenes with Chuck Smith and David bu Canon this is season 2 episode 16 I'm Chuck Smith I'm joined by co-host David Buchanan and podcast editor flashback storyteller M Yokum we have a great show for you tonight we have Chad Griffin as our guest coach he's from Hart County High School he led his team to an astonishing 13 and one semifinal finish and this is to put this in perspective this is come this is a program that has no history of this type of success so uh I can't wait uh to get him on and and find out how he's been able to do that I I I think that he should be on all of the coach of the year ballots he just had a terrific year our tough topic is by Larry Vault our good friend Larry Vault um his question is is the future of Kentucky High School athletics in all sports going to be the Super teams versus everyone else and then if so is it time to eliminate bylaw 16 bylaw 16 being in the the the the bylaw that prohibits recruiting really really interesting question I think it's been a hot topic for years now and looking forward to our responses to that question the The Listener question is from uh Jared pek your thoughts on the state championship games being played with college gopost instead of high school gopost um another good question it's really interesting I was involved in uh one of those situations uh when I was at boil so I have an opinion on that and then we're going to pick uh the state championship winners and David has got his chest stuck out uh beaten on it because he's undefeated in these state championship picks and then we got coach uh or first let me tell you a little bit about Coach uh Griffin before we have him on here I believe he's been at Hart County for eight seasons now uh he came to Hart from Central he came to Hart from Central Haren and he but he's originally from Harden County um he just completed a Cinderella 13 in1 semifinal season as I said from a program that has no history of such success but he's actually been beating on the door because in 2021 he was six and five in 20 22 he was nine and3 and in 2023 he of course finished his uh 13- one uh semifinal season this this just last week uh if anyone has done a better job coaching this season than Chad Griffin then I don't know who they would be I really don't uh David you want to bring Chad on Coach Griffin uh thank you so much for joining us tonight uh before CH and I get into any questions uh why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself for for our listeners well I appreciate you guys having me on you know like Chuck said Chuck I appreciate the kind words I'm originally from Harden County um I've not been in education my whole life I was actually I'm a retired firefighter from the ltown fire department I was a firefighter for 20 23 years there uh so I've been in I've been in emergency service pretty much my whole life uh with that being said I've been part of central Harden staff from 2003 when Chris barer was there on whether it was at the high school or took over the middle school program for a little while there at East Harden trying to help Chris uh turn Central around and and and that was their feeder program so I've been around football high school football my whole life graduated from Central Harden and played with Frank Morrow some of you guys know Frank uh you know I was fortunately played Frank R Dave mccan and some of those guys that that went on to play in the league so football is is in my family uh got some family in Nebraska who played for University of Nebraska so you know it it's it's something that's always been that I've been part of and uh you know my my I got a wonderful wife Melissa and three wonderful kids and you know un fortunate the coach one of my sons and another one's on staff with me uh we got a grandbaby uh uh that's uh 18 months old he pretty much runs the roof right now so his name is jet Thomas it's my oldest son's son and uh it's I'm blessed what can I say guys I'm blessed I'm in a great community that uh has bought into me and bought into what what I brought to them and uh it's taking some time but uh you know with with all that being said what more can I say that I mean you've been down here and seen us and and and I I'm I'm a blessed individual that that's happy to be where I I am in life that that's pretty cool Chad yeah we we uh um you know we're excited to have you on I'll start off with my first question I have I heard you do it like an interview or something before but I heard you talk about this one and0 motto and uh how how have you and your staff used that one and0 model to motivate your team well you know the one and model first of all came from assistant coach of mine Anthony Boone who used to be the head coach here is now back on staff Dave you know him his son's come down there and throw with you a little bit and uh great people you know it's it's good to have former head head coaches on staff with you I don't care what anybody says you know that's the hardest part about coaching anyway is finding good coaches to be with you and uh we were talking one day and I said you know I just don't know how to make these guys understand that we don't have to conquer this all at one time you know we just really need to enjoy it and let's slow down because you know when you guys know this both of you been a part of building programs and and done a heck of a job and the the the hardest part about building a program is the uncharted waters that you've never been in before and uh so you know we were talking about how deep could we go in the playoffs and and I said My worry is do we have enough in a tank do we have enough mentally to get there and he said coach you know one and0 let's just win every day let's just talk about every just one and0 every day and I said man it's it's that's a great way to put it so that that's how it started so from that point on it was every time we broke the huddle out it was never two and0 it was never four and0 it was just one and 0 and uh to be you know it's funny how a team will take something on you know at first they were like ah you know but by week four or week five it was Hey listen that's all it was one you didn't talk about anything other than they want to know and they would quickly correct you so um it came the Mel came about trying to to make us realize that we just got to take care of one day at a time and quit worrying about everything else and so uh that that that's why we did it because I was worried and and i' I've been there and you guys have seen it I've I've been a part of central Harden building that that up to where you know Tim's got it and uh the biggest thing was is when you're in week 12 how mentally tough are you you know if and if you if you approach it as it's 12 weeks or 13 weeks you're going to be wore out so uh the one and0 became a real real good model for us and listen when we broke it down Thursday before we played Bell count it was one and0 you know and and that's that they to this day if they broke it down that's how they break it down so it I think it's something that really helped us stay grounded you know and not worry about it I really like that a lot I I'm gonna be honest I've never heard it before until I heard you talking about it but I really like it a lot I would use that that's something to steal for your team right there that's a that's a great great motto I mean if you really and truly if you start thinking about you know the big picture it becomes overwhelming but if you break it down one day at a time uh it's really a great way to look at it well you know we've all talked about as coaches you know we always talk about if you win Monday through Thursday you'll win Friday yeah so you gotta win Monday before you win Tuesday and you gotta win Tuesday before you win Wednesday so it's just one one and0 and every day we broke down on one and0 and you know one and0 if you're one and0 on the first Friday of the week and you continue to be one and0 every Friday eventually you you know you'll be 10 and0 and then so it it really worked out I couldn't I couldn't have painted a better picture the way it worked and it worked out and I think it really helped us it helped us stay grounded it did yeah yeah you broke it down into pieces that they could handle and yes absolutely they handled it great they handled it great you know Chad tell us about some of your coaching mentors and how they have influenced your Co coaching style and philosophy well you know I got a bunch first of all I got to go back to my high school coach Mike Lewis I don't know if you guys know Mike Lewis or not Mike coached me at Central Harden and and uh you know he he he we went to several we te clinics when I was in high school and he took us down to Vasa state or Vasa and we we went through some WT clinics so Mike has has been coach Lewis has been my my dad okay he he's been the biggest Mentor one of the biggest mentors in my life i' had been blessed to have some good ones and uh he's been he's been by my side the whole time I've been coaching and uh you know whether he's calling me every day or he's come down here and and help me when we were struggling and I was I was struggling with my identity because I I I feel like you know in small schools and and where you don't get a lot of athletes you have to have a system and you know when we weren't good I blamed it on a system and he came down here and grounded me and and so Mike's always been there for me and and and I can call him at any time of the night he's always got something for me but then you know Keith Graham you guys know Keith Graham he's been at Bown bethle he was my defense coordinator Keith is Keith has been a a God in for me I me anytime I call he answers and you know this he's been by my side this last nine games you know he he's had his his struggles and stuff that they dealt with at Bethleham but he's always called me every morning he calls me and just just wishes me luck you know uh then great cavanal is another guy that uh that coached me and I learned a lot from and and and Coach C has just been a he's been a blessing to have by my side but then then truthfully I've been I'm gonna say these two names and uh well I got two more guys but Chris Bower and Chris Reed Chris bow has been like a brother to me uh he kind of grew up behind me and I didn't really know him until he got out of college and and he kind of took me on a wing when I was in high school and uh you know he he still keeps up me then of course Chris Reed was my exra neighbor and Coach me in high school as well but the two guys that I I I really was and blessed to say that was really helped me run a program was I'm fortunate that my son played for Mark Perry and that Mark Perry asked me come be part of his staff when I was at East Harden so I I came over centr and Mark to me ran the the the cleanest program that that you could run I mean he he was very organized and you know he ran out like a college program before meals from Team meals to how you just did everything and and uh Mark Mark really showed me how to be a players's coach he really did and and and and I I I take a lot from Mark and and you know when Tim came in after Mark left you know I didn't really know how that would work but when you mix those two Styles Tim brought something to Central Harden that uh Central needed for 20 years I mean that's why me count whopped them for 17 straight years is we needed some toughness and uh you know some with with that we lost some players from from when Mark was there but uh Tim Tim Tim came in and intill toughness and and really showed me that in a rural School Community if you do the right things you can you can win and and uh you know so those two guys right there I always always said being blessed at coach with Mark for two years and Tim for three years it it was a God cender where I'm at as a as a coach well that's those are pretty good mentors there that's a that's a good list and uh I think it really builds a picture of uh you know sort of the the building blocks of your program I mean that's that's solid those are those are solid guys for sure yeah uh Chad I got another question for you it's you know do you feel like basically it's it's you know it's it's where where do you think your program is right now do you do you feel like your program is at a point uh you've been there eight seasons that you can kind of reload you kind of got things in place to have success U yearly or do you think this was just a special group of kids that came through well you know that's a good question Chuck and I I've answered that a lot um you know and I'm going reference Tim and Central harden a little bit here you know when I left there when I left there there was no reason you know we had just won our first region championship and our second district championship in school history and there there was really no reason for them to continue to do what they've done with him I mean when you look at the teams that were after they weren't as talented and didn't have the guys we had didn't have a Darius Barber and and and Xavier Arnette and some of those guys and and what I learned from that is this and you guys know this as well as I do yes it's taken me eight years because the first five years or four years I'll say because in 2018 we had a pretty little football team uh it's taken a little while here but but I had to change culture as well you know I had to change the belief I had to change the belief of a it's just Hart County and and you know I had to tell some people if you don't like heartt County then go to Edon County you know and so it took a little while before I could just start coaching if if that if that makes sense I mean we had a change of culture and uh to to get quick to your point is when I left Central and to see what Tim continued to do because he stayed true to who he was your answer is I don't we're here to stay for a little while I'm here we're here to stay and and because I believe in what we're doing and uh you know our JB team the last four years I think we've only lost five games in four years uh you know we we we did have a lot of talent you know people want to say well you had seven holdbacks no we only had two we only had two hold backbacks you know from the co year but you know really truthfully uh we got a lot of talent staying I mean I know we we played I think we had 12 seniors on the team this year and one of them was a kicker uh and a lot of those seniors contributed but we got a lot of Juniors and sophomores that uh that contribute as well that uh either with special teams or on defense you know everybody wants to talk about our offense and what we did and and we got two kids coming back that one of them carried the ball last year because Clark and Jordan were hurt and he went for 130 against against glasow the sophomore so we we got some kids coming back with our quarterback and and and we're GNA be bigger up front with some guys we got that's waiting them in the in the wings so uh Chuck you know what what I learned from Tim is if we're tough okay and what I mean by tough is we're a firm believer that our our weight room mentality will carry it over to the football field you know and I I could contest to some of you guys you know we don't we take the weight very weight room very serious there's no walking there's no jogging I mean there's no there's no Lolly gagging you know you're you're doing what you do I mean my old my youngest son who plays for us he he makes fun of my oldest son because he runs away for she's like Dad these guys doing jumping jacks if we're sitting there waiting to do a rep well so you know we we that we we want that that carries over and what that builds is it builds tough tough kids and you know if you run the ball and you play really good defense you're gonna be a good football team now will we be in the state semifinals every year no I'm not going to tell you that but but we're I expect us to be right there competing for the district next year with with Franklin Simpson Derek County and in Glasgow I I suspect us to be there I I really do it'll be disheartened if or not uh and and then you know you guys well know I do we got a county after the end of our name and the the good thing that I'm I'm excited about is is this is set up a little different here where I'm in charge of the Little League too and our little league program had 100 kids in it and you know we've won our conference last year to fifth and sixth grade we were in the Conference Finals this year for fifth and sixth grade our Middle School team got a really good seventh grade class so you know it's it's starting to all come together to where you can you can put multiple multiple winning seasons you know back to back to back together uh you know when I came here I wanted I said I want a down here to be five and five not not two and eight you know so you know only time will tell yeah it and it does take time I I I I can test to that I when I was at boo it took me you know what people don't that people just remember the Championships but it took me like seven seven or eight years to get it uh to get it going where you wanted because you did have to change the culture I was going to follow up with that Chad do what what do you have a pretty good staff that you feel comfortable with that that that uh is with you you think to stay for the Long Haul I do I do you know uh there's a there's a young there's a guy that's been with me Marcus cow he played at Green County when when Coach G Mark is a great guy you know Mark has made a comment on on Twitter off on the thing and I'll never forget the day when I took the job of course Anthony boom told me when I when I called him and asked him about the about the job uh let me go back so when I first met my wife she's from here okay and she said she said Chad I'll never go back there I'll never go back there I just I won't do it and uh when we would come visit her family I'd see some guys or some kids you know you know what I'm saying I would just see them out in town or and I'm like man I'd like to get my hands on that program I just can't believe they can't win and she said you don't even understand she said so when when it came open uh she she she looked at me she said don't even think about it and uh it's a lot It's Kind of a Funny Story only only you know it's it's what was meant to be uh so it came open in like May and uh Greg cesa was from John Harden and and Chad Lewis had had worked for him and he was the ad there it's long story short so he he called me we we talked and I said my wife ain't gonna go for it and and he said well just talk to her and she said no we're not well ironically God God love her her grandma passed away in May late late May so we came down here for a funeral and they had you know up on the on the TV screen they you know they do the collage of pictures and stuff and our kids weren't in those pictures and so on the way home it was quiet course and she said you know what if you really want to do it I guess I can move back and we put we put our house on a market uh and in two weeks you know it's sold in a bad market and uh we moved down here and found a place and it's been great ever since then so I feel like I'm supposed to be here but uh but uh you know know to to answer your question I I think he was the first one I called because everybody else on staff had made it clear they weren't staying so I called him up he just kind of said you gotta know him he's a well coach I don't know and he talks real slow he said it's gonna be hard I'm telling you it's they don't they don't believe they can win it's a culture thing he said he he' only been on staff for one year and he said I just don't know if I'm up for it and I said well I tell you what just come see what I'm about okay you come see I'm about and and and go from there and he did he's been by my side ever since then and he's been great you know he's got a good coaching pool he can pull from when he needs a pick brains and you know I got coach Boone on staff and he was a head coach here and I got my oldest son who coached college football for a while he was at hpu and Missouri Southwestern or Northwestern the Griffins and he's at St norberts and then he was at his last inent was with h skip Holtz at lwtech so you know he he's on staff with me uh I got a guy by name of Dylan Avery who who who bleeds Raider football and and just loves it uh you know we got I got a young I got a good friend of mine who's been at eTown forever like Quinton Brown's his name we call him cool cat uh I I was able to get him down here this this year he made probably the biggest impact on our program this year because we I have a bunch of guys like me who aren't a raw raw type person and I just want to take care of business and the sky is always falling and that kind of stuff you know coaches are we're have the worst team all the time and he he does a good job for me so uh you know that that that was the hardest thing when I first came down here was Finding quality coaches and I've had these guys for four years now other than Quinton who who who came on this year but he's here to stay we we've tricked him in it he a't he ain't leaving so I think that makes a big difference if you can if you got a good staff that you could keep together absolutely absolutely well hey before we keep on going I do want to have a shout out to Jacob shoulders and to Logan Boone because I've got to work with those young men at quarterback and I tell you what uh if if that's if that's the caliber of young man you're working with uh you got some awful good ones I'm big fans of both those guys and uh re really I mean I I was for you already coach but made it even better and well I I just got a text from Logan he said to tell you hi coach so there you go they they think they think they're world you know and what let me just talk about those two real quick okay because it it shows the character of of kind of kids I'm dealing with uh Logan and Jacob were in a little bit of quarterback battle you know this beginning the year and you called and talk to me about it you know tell you said tell Logan just embrace it enjoy it and uh I I really thought Logan would win it because he know he's so smart and he's so methodical he knows everything but Jacob's just a Jacob's just a winner guys okay he's he's a he's a great athlete and uh Logan got hurt in Camp and it kind of It kind of he he got a sprained MCs and he was out for the two scrimmages and Jacob just never gave it up and uh I hated it for Logan because he's such a good kid but you know what he embraced it and I put a headset on him and I give him you know at the put a headset on my Frankl Simpson I said listen I'm gonna put take my headset off you take my headset I don't I don't like listening to everybody anyway because and you just do and he you know what we were we it was a tie ball game and we had been running power out of our Double Wing set 3139 and and he said coach he he P he he Ta on he said listen to me he said go in motion 87 and 83 XP and listen to me two plays later we're standing in the end zone back toback plays so you know he's that smart he's that good and and he he text me just a minute ago and said coach tell Dave Coach B Canon hi and he said hey let's sit down tomorrow let's talk about the future of what we got to do so great great young men I'm working with here that's awesome well I'm I was so proud of both of them and and so happy for them that was great so uh heyy my here's our last question you're coaching your son and you have another son on staff as the DC how has that experience been well both of you guys know this okay because both of you done it uh it's been amazing it really has um I was fortunate to co coach my older son in middle school and I I specifically didn't go to the high school when he went there I I I just didn't know you know he and I kind of I was a little harder I think he wanted me to be and and so I didn't and uh you know when when he went on at the coach College I didn't know if he would ever come back you know that is and you know he wanted to start a family and uh so I I just made extended offer to him I said Hey listen you're more welcome come back here we'll get your job and you can do that here and he's been you know what he's been uh Dylan has been the one of the biggest reasons we've turned the corner we were missing something and and and like I said earlier what we were missing was how we handled the wa room and uh he he's he brought attention to little detail and he uses Bowl County and those guys he said Dad when you tell me I want to be like B County he said I take it serious because there's sometimes I I've had to go get him and say Hey listen We're not gonna do it all one day you know what I'm saying you got to youve got to calm down and and and and he takes it so serious and he wants it so bad for his kids and I and I have to tell him sometimes you know remember when you were a 16 17 18 year old kid we always don't know everything okay so just let them be kids too but no he he is he has come in and something the attention to detail in the weight room and our social media and just how we handle ourselves he he the the locker room making sure it's cleaned up I mean he's really brought the detail that you guys know as head coaches you should do but you when you're trying to change culture and you're trying to do everything else it slips to the cracks yeah and he he came in right away and and that that's really changed us and then as far as coaching my youngest son it's it's it's been it's been surreal I mean just to watch him uh turned into the young man he's turned into uh you know he's always been smaller I never forget it when uh when we were in Harden County and and they they had flag football and he was five and we signed him for flag and my wife said Chad I'm not GNA let him play flag football no more because he was Tapp everybody everybody was getting mad and he we called him Chicken Little because he was so small and I said well listen we don't do tackle football to you know he's eight years old and she like well then he's gonna play soccer and I said no we're gonna play tackle football then so so so I took him and and listen the first practice I'll never forget it he he picked out the biggest game he said I want to hit him I said well it's only going to go two ways either we're going to go play soccer or he's going to love it and he's loved it ever since but he's always been under Siz and just watching him step in and start last year you know he didn't start beginning year we had some injuries and he came in and really just took over the green can of game and uh he you know he recorded 148 tackles for us this year and it's it's just been it's been great to have your family part of something that you love doing you know my grandson's at every football game on Friday nights my daughter-in-law is there my daughter dat's the middle linebacker here so it's it's it's it's like you guys know it when your family can be involved in what you do it makes it even better I bet your wife's in heaven and she with all all of them there she she she is and now let me tell you something she she didn't know when I met her she didn't know what the first D was you know you know she did not football matter of fact her dad told me one time I never forget it when I said we're moving down here he said oh we might as well just take that football field and planted a roasting are you can't do nothing down here that that's just how they thought about it and now listen they were her dad was on live stream watching the other night he won't come to game but he'll watch it but she she uh she'll she'll tell you football's been this has been God had a call for us it really did and and and it started from when we went and saw her you know when we went to the funeral to selling the house to people being in our front yard throwing you know not happy with year two and how it was going and just how everything's come together and our family's been able to come together by it and uh guys I really I can't say it enough I'm blessed to be where I'm at and it's not because of wins and losses because you both know I'm I'm talking to two legends if you do the little things right wins will come yeah and you can't be afraid to lose yeah you know because if you're afraid to lose you won't never you won't never start winning right well and that coach that mindset of being glad to be where you are boy that just the effects and the ripples from that and the way it impacts your community your families your kids uh that I love that mindset and man what how wonderful it is when you can say that with the genuine auth authenticity you've got and Coach I'm happy for you try to sleep before you start on 2024 you know that doesn't happen actually Marcus card called me right before you guys on the phone he's like coach when we going to get in the wait room I said we're going we're going to wait just like everybody else we're going to be okay fortunately have weightlifting class in school but you know guys it's been surreal and I guess the most important thing is when I came down here everybody talked about basketball and this and that and and if you could have seen the picture from Friday Night of the stands were packed and and all the old you can't go in the grocery you know how small to football is I go get a cup of coffee in the morning and the people who are talking about basketball now talking about football and that what they realized and you guys know this well as everybody does and people listen to this know this there's nothing better better than Friday nights no and Jacob solder's Brother played for me in 2018 and he went on to play basketball at Asbury love basketball it's a basketball family they love basketball but he told me he said coach as much as I love basketball there's just there's just nothing better than a Friday night and uh it's it's been that way and you can see it brewing for about three years now you can see each week a little bit more people in the crowd littleit to where hey our gates these last two years have been out of the water and and it's been real and I I want to thank everybody that's been behind us but wait we're not done I can tell you that Chuck you know you ask me we're not done we like I said we made up to stay stay semi-finals every year but we keep doing the right thing we'll be able to we'll be there AB absolutely yeah hey here's the thing I know there's great things ahead for you but what you have done has been historic don't miss one second celebrating enjoying what you've done looking ahead because you have just lived a very special incredible experience soak up every second of it because man it was special and well it has been special you guys know as well as I do when you're in the moment you don't you don't sit down and realize you know when we when we won the region Championship beat uni County I had to call Dylan my son because he stayed up that whole night just watching film of Bell County and I told him I said D I'm not I'm not saying we're gonna win or lose just stop stop for a minute okay just stop let's enjoy let's enjoy this come down here on Sunday and we'll meet as a staff and we'll do what we do but let's enjoy Thursday and you know let's enjoy that and guys listen I got to say this about my community we we for a for a community who doesn't know Friday after the game I had a mom come to me and said what are we what are you doing for Thanksgiving coach when are you practicing I said we're doing Thanksgiving together and she kind of looked at me like what I said look you don't get to do this these kids 53 years ain't never been done here I said so and my Boost Club president walked up and she said yes we're going to do lunch and if if you if you could have just seen to 400 people that packed up the cafeteria of family of family of family and all the food we had it was very surreal and let you know that these people are very proud of our young men and and and and I'm proud to be a Raider so there you go that's awesome that's really an awesome story coach we're really happy for you and we really do appreciate you being on our show taking the time and uh congratulations wow hey thanks guys I appreciate you all do for Kentucky football seriously it's it's you guys do a lot well hey you've done lot for Kentucky High School football and uh we're very appreciative of you so soak it up congratulations and enjoy every time they patch you on the back this week okay I appreciate it coach thank you guys take care you too David we got our tough topic it's by Larry Vault our good friend Larry Vault um and his question is an interesting question it's is the future of Kentucky High School athletics not just football just Athletics in all the sports he says going to be the Super teams versus everyone else you know and if so if that is the case is it time to eliminate bylaw 16 and of course bylaw it's the bylaw that prohibits recruiting what do you think okay uh without significant changes in regards to KSS a KSA staff and resources my answer is yes under the current circumstance is my initial thought is even yes on eliminating bylaw 16 but they' sort of tried that in Florida and West Virginia and it made it worse my best guess try to get more resources and staff for the ksaa to enforc by law 16 or and I won't go down this road in fact I'll tell you who pointed me in this direction was actually uh commissioner tacket in conversation uh you ought to take a look look at what Louisiana does they designate schools as select now the definition I picked up on this select shall mean private or public schools that have a state or Parish approved designation as a lab school a magnet school or one or more magnet components approved Charter Schools parishwide approved open enrollment and it goes on and on so Louisiana has gone to a system where they sorted take into effect that not all schools operate the same and we're going to try to differentiate and the schools that operate uh you know for lack of a better term operates more like a professional organization uh they're going to compete in one level and those that are going to operate like an amateur situation they're going to compete against each other so so I know that's an involved detailed answer but I do think going forward what they're doing in Louisiana is worth taking a look at yeah I yeah that would be really I don't know how you'd pull that off but um I I I I struggled with this question a little bit David first of all I wasn't for sure about you know what the definition of the super teams uh would be you know is it the ones that are is it the ones that get are that are getting the multiple transfer a year or is it the traditional Powers you know I think it's I think it's looking at what happened for example in the NBA when all the best players would congregate on one team that I think that's what it I think that's what Mr vot meant when he said I I still gotta call him Mr vot I can't I'm I'm younger I I can't call him Larry but uh I think that's what he meant when he said that yeah yeah I I wasn't for sure but I looked at it like uh you know his high School football going in the direction of you know college football with the transfer portal that's sort of the way that I I looked at the question good approach I like that and so I knew that uh I was going to if I answered this question uh that I I was going to give the uh old school approach and I and I I did I didn't really want to do that you know you you stay at your own School you use your own players you know you work towards you know so what I did is I took uh the liberty of touching Bas and reaching out to some of the younger generation of coaches uh to get their view on this subject okay and I won't mention their names because I told them I wouldn't mention their names I wanted them to give me a straight you know a straight answer without worrying about you know what somebody else thought so I'm going to reduse the comments of these coaches okay one coach said and this is answering the question of um you know it is is is you know Kentucky Sports you know going to the super team versus everybody else is that what they say the the one comment was I don't think or I think to a degree it has always been this way you know the good programs attract good players but I do agree transfers are happening at a higher degree but not as much as perceived to be okay it it's it's more publicized now probably be probably because of social media you know that that was the comment of of one of with one of the coaches yeah another coach said I don't think so I don't think it's going in that direction there's always going to be transfers to some degree but I don't think it will be like college uh colleges or the pros where you know the super teams are um created every year okay that was that was was another comment uh from a from a coach uh you know a third coach said um I don't think so he said some programs will always get kids transferring in because of the opportunities for them at TH at those schools but I believe that all teams still have Avenues uh to be successful okay and he mentioned like the heartt counties of this year the Coopers of this year the campbellville of this year you know uh they found Avenue which I don't even know if they had transfers I I don't I don't know I'm I'm not up on it as much as maybe I I'm need to be if I'm going to do this podcast but um you know no and then the last coach he said no to the an to the to the question he said no I wouldn't say super teams he said they aren't adults and uh there are too many variables out of their control you know for them to create super teams uh you you know you first of all you have to be accepted into the school that could be hard depends on what school you're go trying to transfer into uh it also said that if if you uh live out of District then a parent has to get you to and from that school or Al or or then or be willing to move you know and that that that is really costly and a lot of work and a lot of uh you know trouble inconvenience to to do those things and then um the rule he said the rules favor higher socioeconomic um players and parents you know uh for most it's it's not an option just to go anywhere you want so these were some of the comments you know from some of the younger coaches um you know the way I read that is they don't really see that it it's going in that direction uh in terms of of super teams you know David I I got beat in a state championship uh by a super team you know and my I got beat by super team in 2004 and the proof is that um they had to Forfeit every game except the state championship game so their official record in the Kentucky High School Athletic Association is I probably um how many games are they 15 is one and 14 they're one and 14 but they were the 20 four state champions uh you know because uh they were found guilty of illegal recruiting and um they had you know several players on this team that year that were new to the team so you know I guess one coach says he thinks this been going on for a while maybe it has I don't know um but um I don't know what can be done about it um you know I'm just I I I I do appreciate those younger coaches giving me what they think um I don't know that's where I'm at yeah I mean and it's the type of thing that uh I mean I'll be the first to admit that uh maybe my Approach or my answer to it now you know it can change and you can look at it differently I do agree that there have been some programs that uh have always picked up kids whether it was the right way or the wrong way uh I do think people are just much more aware than they have have been in the past for a variety of reasons and U I don't know social media being being a big part of that you know everybody wants to put it on social media I do think this though I think I take what Mack and Elden may had about incorporating socioeconomic I look at what Louisiana is doing and maybe they can I I've sort of got a different approach to it if parents want to leave if coaches want to try to get kids hey go do it but make that be a professional league and then if there's amateur leagues that they don't want to do that let them be amateur let let people have what they want but maybe not mix the two that's sort of where I am now that and that's why I like the select idea because I think that might that might be a path to that type of setup yeah yeah you think you know I think it has a lot to do with the parent too as you mentioned I think that uh you know the the the the parents and you know that the the kids want to uh you know Chase the ring chase the championship ring and move from school to school to get the championship ring you know all that kind of stuff you know you know that that that is what it is um that's been going on for for some time now but as you said it seems to be more publicized and um more in the spotlight now but um I don't know I don't know what the answer is I don't know I don't either and uh you know it comes up a lot you and I doing this podcast I mean I think it comes up every two or three weeks sometimes we pursue it and I'm not going to get into it in fact this question was a little edgier than even we sort of cleaned it up a little bit and uh Hey I want to deal with it I want to address it but hey I'm hey let let's talk about goal post now how's that sound so that's good yeah let let let's talk about that so this one is from Jared pek from the heral leader he wanted our thoughts on the state championship games being played with college goalpost instead of high school ones he says it likely altered the outcomes in two of the last three class 2A finals uh talked about LCA D the game winner against Beachwood Mayfield missed an extra point last year not sure what other finals would have changed but I think boil was involved in more so uh my or now you go first on this one what you got yeah I I was involved in one I think I know which one he's talking about um it was in 2019 we missed an extra point in that game uh and we lost the game 20 to 21 um but you know what uh we missed extra points on a high school gopost you know too you know so it wasn't just uh that wasn't the only one we ever missed so um you know it it it to me it probably had a bigger influence on me not going for the field goal um you know at the end of the game at the end of the game we had a chance to kick a field goal to win the game um you know but I chose not to do it because of the gopost well there was lots of factors that that I considered but the goost were smaller the distance was quite a bit I don't remember the yardage now but the distance was quite a bit it would have been a long field goal uh we had a great field goal kicker he had a probably had a chance to do it but I also had a Mr Football candidate on my team and I thought he deserved a chance to you know to try to get the first down and get us a little bit closer and um you know their kid made a great play and and we didn't get the first down so um anyway the both of those you know both teams have to play on the same field and I I think that's commonly what coaches talk about I believe that as well I don't think that they're that big I don't think it's that big of a factor simply because both teams have to play on that field now I tell you what hash marks uh probably to me make make a bigger difference that I think it's a bigger Advantage than really the go gopost is the is the uh tighter hash marks you know because I think it's an advantage for a team that has speed you know having speed is is a bigger Advantage you you can't get by just worrying about protecting the wide side of the field you know from a defensive standpoint you got to be able to protect the whole field now because I mean if you got speed you can you can use that sideline because of those extra yardages or extra yards that you that that you have available to you because of the college hash marks but that's my take I got you I I think you know it's it's hard to argue with the guy that's been there and done it uh and I I mean I agree with what you said um yeah I think the I I agree with you and so anyway hey on this one I wanted Julian to have an a chance to answer okay and so this was Julian tacket's response he said College hash marks are more narrow so the kids are basically straight on most of the time would be terribly different if the high school hashes were used key from coach has always been as you said it's 100% the same for both teams he says either you want to play on a college field or you don't and it said we've been using College goalpost and hashes since the early 70s so I wanted to give Julian a chance to respond and I I appreciate him sending that on a Sunday afternoon so that was his response which I think lines up well with yours and yeah agre yeah I think it was a good point too because I had thought about it with the more narrow hash marks it does negate some of the width issue so I thought that was a good point uh all right so and and I and I've all four playing the games where where we play them you know like we play them at Kroger field it's just awesome venue it's it's just a great great atmosphere uh I thought at Western Kentucky was the same way I thought at at University of Louisville was great I I I I wouldn't change that for nothing it's good for the kids get excited about it they love going um we've they got the right idea I wouldn't change it amen I agree all right so the state champ winners um I'll let you go first on Class A who you got in class a uh it's Raceland and Pikeville I'm I'm taking Raceland David I know that Raceland has struggled with pel over the last few years they haven't been able to get past them beat them but I think it's their this year I don't think Pike I think pikul I don't know what pikel's but I know they haven't been as dominating as they were you know the last couple of years so that's the biggest reason I'm picking racling I gotta uh I'm gonna go with pikel uh I think rlin has closed the Gap they've already beat pikel once this year I'm just I I just think it would be very difficult for Raceland to beat pikul twice and for number two to be in the state championship so uh again every team there is well coached this weekend and they're all good so you know I don't you know I don't want it to take as slight toward coach Salmons uh you know certainly I think Chris Magnum he's proven he's a pretty dang good coach as well but uh I'm gonna go with pipel all right this next one man I have gone back and forth back and forth back and forth and I'm I'm GNA go with although I will tell you this I had one coach tell me Atwell is the best high school quarterback he's ever coached against that's pretty dang heavy but I still I'm going to go with Mayfield I just I just think Mayfield's going to be a little better and uh hav seen them beat LCA and Beachwood I'll just tell you I'm very very impressed with that resume yeah and I i' I've told you last week and and and the week before that that I think ensboro Catholic is really good I've seen them on tape and I think they're really good I'm going with Owensboro Catholic they're 14-0 I think they're going to be 15-0 after this game I do think it'll be a tight game I I think Mayfield has had a tremendous year and uh they've done coach Morris has done a great job there but I'm I'm going with Owensboro Catholic all the way I I think they got something special going on and I think they're going to finish it off this weekend I got you all right so you got the first first one in uh first pick in 3A what you got in uh that would be uh Christian uh Academy and Bell County and uh I think Christian Academy is just I I just think they've got the they've got a great team this year they've just really kind of just you know had their I think they lost one game early to LCA but nobody's really even come close since then um I do think they have a mi Mr Football on their team that quarterback uh he is just he's just done everything that a Mr Football needs to do and um I'm going with Christian Christian Academy of Louisville Cal that's who I'm picking over Bell County hey I agree with you on Cal they do have a very strong roster and uh you know I would agree absolutely Cole hjge is in the conversation for Mr Football may very well be Mr Football um but yes I'm I'm want to go with Cal and uh I I I think they're I think they're one of the best teams of any of the six classes all right so I agree all right so I got the first pick in uh the 4A game Bo County versus Covenant Catholic uh I'm I'm gonna go with Bo County uh they may very well be the best team in all six classes uh very very talented football team and um I I believe they're going to win again uh this week yeah and and uh I I agree too it's the battle of the undef undefeateds both C or both boil and Covington Catholic are both undefeated so it's it's going to be a a great atmosphere surrounding that game but uh Bo has too many weapons for a Covington Catholic they got too much speed they have uh you know guys that can take a short pass and take it to the house uh they can make you miss they they just they just got too many weapons for uh anybody and um I think Bo is going to win this game I got you all right uh so you've got you go first on Cooper and uh Bowling Green what do you think I think Bowling Green will win this game that's my pick I think they got too many too many offensive weapons uh they've got you know a lot of skilled kids similar to boil in that respect that they just got kids that can take you know a pass and and make people miss and take it to the house uh I don't I don't I you they just score too many points I don't know how Cooper's going to be able to keep up with them and scoring points uh so I'm going with Bowling Green all the way you know this was one this was tougher for me but I'm I'm going to agree with you I I think it's going to be Bowling Green and uh you know you talked about Cal and hjge uh I think douche Bailey will be an early Contender for Mr Football next year their quarterback he's he's an heck of a player the Bowling Green quarterback because he's just a junior correct yes he's a junior yeah yeah so he'll be in the running for sure I would say next year all right so uh the last one I'm gonna I'm G to pick uh let's see I think it's my turn Trinity and Brian station uh this little sort of a little personal uh of course you know my connection to zaye Johnson the Brian station quarterback's one of my guys and the Brian station quarterback coach is none other than Harry Lewis really yes and Harry uses a lot of our stuff and man I'm proud of Harry I love Harry coach Hawkins has done a super job uh but I do think that Trinity with a freshman quarterback how scary is this for 6A football they've got a freshman quarterback and they have got an absolutely loaded freshman class uh I think Trinity is going to be the favorite in 6A the next three seasons and um I I I think they're going to win it this time um so I'm I'm going Harry's going to have them ready and uh I'm a big Trenton cutright fan JT H Haskins Philip Hawkins Don Miller did you know Don Miller the old Western Hills coach is coaching now Brian station know that yeah I you know Don and I keep in touch uh crazy about those guys but uh and I like coach Fox at treny there a lot of good men there's a lot of good guys on in all six of these teams but uh I think it's gonna be Trinity and Zane Johnson what do you think boy you was trying to ride that fence wasn't you but know hey harry Lord have mercy hey harry called me out that's what's funny he called me out for riding the fence and it's his game I'm I'm trying to ride it but but hey write me down for trendy well I'm I'm I'm going with I tell you what I'm gonna go with Brian station I got Harry's back I'm going I'm going with uh I'm going with Brian station I think there's something special about this team they have uh they have surprise me they really have and um I know Trinity is pretty hot they're they're they're on a row but I tell you Brian station is going they're going to put those athletes out there and I think Trinity will struggle with that and I really do I think they will and I I think uh Brian station has got some they've done a great job of coaching and getting their players the ball in space and making play I just think Brian st's going to win this game that's who I'm going with well I tell you what uh I mean I I I can see both sides of it that's for sure so I know every fan from every community that you picked is all cheering right now because you're undefeated at picking uh state championship winners well I I might point this out I'm also undefeated in state championship games because I've never coached in one so uh I I I maybe would balance that out with last year's six and0 so uh which speaking of which I I think you did pretty dang good when you were in the big game so uh anyway uh hey we'll see how it all plays out and uh Hey next week I think we're going to try I mean we're sort of playing it by year but I think we're going to try to have uh a guest coach from one of our state championship teams does that sound what you sounds awesome yeah it sounds awesome yeah that was a really good episode last year I don't know who how many how that'll play out uh but uh we'll look forward to that and uh yeah but what makes it difficult is we got to get them we don't know who's going to win so we want to try to get the winners and um there's not much time to turn around to get them yeah yeah we'll have to hustle but uh anyway uh hey I'll I'll let you close this out that's your thing go finish appreciate the fans um and the listeners tuning in and and and supporting our program and um we appreciate you see you next time in this week's Kentucky High School football flashback we take a look back at a Kentucky all stator and his thoughts on the nil here's the thing it was in the 1920s Jefferson bur started m in the early 1920s he was an outstanding student was class president and he put so much work into his studies that he didn't go out for football until his junior year that Junior season saw Jefferson get honorable mention all state honors his senior year saw Jefferson claim All State honors along with his teammate mcci Marx and Manuel's Ray bear they were considered the best in the state young Mr burus was offered a scholarship to Wisconsin which he gladly accepted at Wisconsin Jefferson immediately made his Mark in his freshman year alone he lettered in football and basketball and he led the conference Champion Water basketball team as a Junior and senior he was named allc conference and All-American as an end his last two years he also captained the badger highly acclaimed rowing team he was named the school's outstanding athlete and outstanding student he had the honor of naming Wisconsin's prom queen and he served on the school's athletic board Jefferson was also named five Beta Kappa and was named as a road scholar the first ever from the city of Louisville and Jefferson burus had numerous articles written about college sports that many in his time thought were Radical burus wrote quote the amateur Spirit no longer prevails in major sports of many colleges end quote remember this is 1927 in an interview with Alabama journalism Professor Clarence kase Jefferson burus said quote modern football is not an amateur sport at all but a great show by means of which universities keyed up the Loyalty of alumni associations and impressed the general taxpayers end quote furthermore burus said quote I have no objection to the Frank industrialization of college football for that seems consistent with the American Spirit of today again that was in 1927 continuing burus said quote I do not object to the Practical use of football by universities as a means of impressing the public let the boy who wishes to play Gladiator for a few years be paid a fair price for his Services those salaries should be high because of the unusual Talent required and the serious hazards involved end quote Professor kase wrote burus has the notion that fathers of college athletes and the public in general ought to know just how young men are utilized as the raw material in a vast industry burus said quote this picture tends to show conclusively that a football player has no time or thought to give anything but football unless he is willing to subject himself to abnormal strain end quote Jefferson burus lived that last quote as he suffered a mental breakdown following his senior year and had to delay his studies at Oxford for a year as we said earlier some thought Jefferson bis's Views were Radical when he was up for an assistant coaching job at West High in Madison some school board members were offended that a college athlete could think that they were actually worthy of pay Jefferson burus finished his studies at Oxford and returned to Wisconsin to finish law school he had a long and distinguished law career specializing in agriculture law the Jefferson burus professorship at the University of Wisconsin his name for him Jefferson burus seemed Larger than Life All-American athlete Road scholar distinguished lawyer hero huh just when you thought Jefferson burus was too good to be true in 1935 former Wisconsin baseball star Fred Warner was diagnosed with a rare a one in a million condition he needed a blood transfusion and he needed it quick and no donor could be found when Jefferson burus heard he rushed to be tested and you guessed it he was a perfect match and the transfusion saved Fred Warner's life so long before we started talking about paying players in nil in today's world nearly 100 years ago a young Kian named Jefferson burus with radical views in his time was already letting the world know that college athletes were bringing University's big money and should be paid join us next week for another edition of the coach's office podcast