[3Cat]

I REALLY hesitate posting in this thread, but since one poster insists on bringing up my record -- and making the implications that I got the job by using "smoke and mirrors," that I'd never coached in a regional championship, and that I "formed a staff with only one member that knew anything about championships, I must reply and make some needed corrections.

1) My teams at Oldham Co. made THREE regional championship games. This at a school that had only been to the Regional Championship TWICE in their 50 year history, and before I took over hadn't even won a PLAYOFF GAME in TWELVE YEARS.

We did it while playing in regions that included Trinity, Boone County, Highlands, Covington Catholic, and Louisville Waggener.

The teams we lost to in those regional championships all went on to the state championship (Trinity won theirs, Highlands lost a close game to Boyle Co., and Waggener beat Bowling Green on the way to losing to Jared Lorenzen's Highlands team).

For proof (something 3Cat fails to provide), please check www.khsaa.org and check the Riherd's scoreboards for football since 1999.

2) 3Cat calls it "smoke and mirrors" -- but isn't it more accurate to call what HE'S doing "smoke and mirrors" when you try to make a case for something using inaccuracies in the process?

(By the way, maybe he could list the "powerhouse teams" Pikeville played to achieve Regional Championships in the 90s. I believe the most impressive of that list would be WILLIAMSBURG.)

For proof again, please check the Riherd's scoreboards at khsaa.org.

3) As to how I "formed a staff," when I came to Pikeville, the first three people I asked to join on were Coach Wheeler, Jason Howell, and Chad Salyer.

I offered Chad the position of Co-offensive coordinator -- giving him control of the passing offense. He at first accepted, but later declined telling me he had been offered a coaching position at Pikeville College. When that fell through, I offered again and he said he would likely be too involved in building his house to make a full commitment. I appreciated him taking the amount of commitment I was requiring into account and we parted on good terms.

Coach Howell told me it would be better for him at the time to make a total move out of Pikeville and get a fresh start somewhere else. Perfectly understandable, and he got a job at a very successful 4A program in Lexington.

The following year -- before spring practice -- I again offered for Coach Salyer to join the staff. His house was still in the process of being finished so he could not make a full commitment again.

This past season, Coach Salyer was ready to join the staff and we had been talking through the spring about our offensive attack. The week before our first practice he let me know that since he was up for the vacant AD job that he wouln't be able to coach.

So, as you can see, I TRIED to retain members of the previous staff -- MANY times. To imply that I did not shows either that D3 wasn't involved and lacks full understanding of the situation (thus, shouldn't be posting ANYTHING about it) or DID know what happened and has chosen to post falsehoods (hoping I wouldn't read them and post the truth).

For proof, call and talk PERSONALLY to Coach Wheeler, Coach Howell, and Coach Salyer.

(And by the way, didn't Jason "Gravy" Anderson, Matt Branham, and Paul Sullivan learn a little about winning championships? Last I checked, they were all guys I brought on board to coach at Pikeville.)

* And one other "smoke and mirrors" approach 3Cat seems to like is to make a derogatory remark about our scheduling and then mentioned only "Allen Central" and "Painstville" (district teams we HAD to play).

He failed however to mention how we tried mightily to beef up the schedule with Lexington Catholic (4A Champions), Ashland (5A team and winner of over 75% of their games the 4 years prior to our scheduling them), and Holy Cross (a 1A power who was knocked out of playoffs by Danville by fewer than 2, 5, and 5 points in 3 of the last 4 years prior to our scheduling them).

BTW, I truly believe Coach Copley IS the most-ready-to-be-a-head-coach of any former assistant coach I've ever had (there have been 5 in my 11 years go on to become head coaches). But I would have to admit that it's CLOSE between him and Brian Rector -- an assistant of mine that went on to win 2 5A state titles in Tennessee.

I will formally appologize and admit my mistake of implying jackson had not been to a regional championship game, in fact he has been to 3 with his previous, previous school, also as to being an outsider questioned by one of the other posters, it is not hard to find out information for the your great town,just ask. I have many friends in the Pikeville and the surrounding area not to mention seeing pikeville play in person and on film countless times over the past 17 years. Coach Jackson not to produce an argument but just an understanding. You can not compare the playoff teams you have faced the past years to the teams pikeville has played over the past, lets say ten years. Somerset 3 years ago would be by far the most talented team before LCA this year. Compare the teams and Strength of specific teams from, neon,painstville, harlan, lynn camp,somerset,middlesboro,willamsburg. Counting last year and the years to come getting to the regional finals and even the state finals will be easier for the panthers due to the new KHSAA format. Also, from as long as I can remember pikeville has had a serious problem scheduling due to the size of the district that they have played in. Previous teams that I can remember that were played were Ashland, the Rock, P-burg, Lafayette,Lawerence County,Boyle county,Breathitt county. I will tell you that lex cath , H-clay and ashland do qualify but as to the beefing up of the schedule IMO if Pikeville has to play the schedule I looked at for this year do to 2 year contract deals, it will hurt the program. Not that I am against playing up and playing higher level teams down and up state due to the weak district the panthers are forced to play. It just seems tough for a 1 A school to make it through the 5 non district games that have been inked for 08. My smoke and mirrors comment was IMO the truth. I will defend it and stick by it due to the lack of progress the panthers have made over the past 3 years. I do believe in promotion of the program you are involved in and the compounding positive effect that it can have on a program, and I believe from what I am told Coach Jackson has promoted the phs program around the state but has failed to produce any championships with quality talent and specifically the best backfield in class A this year. This is My Opinion, not that the kids dont love playing for him or his staff,I dont know, I have been told of promises to the LL programs and an o-scheme that would be like other. Saying one thing and producing another or producing nothing at all is my smoke and mirrors. Not everyone agrees with specific tatics used .
Young coaches are great to have on staff for any program especially ones of the quality of Branham and Sullivan. I looked it up and all 3 young men you mentioned had some form of all state honor when they played. I was not trying to undermine their qualifications, I will again admit my incorrect posting . I did not know Branham and Sullivan were on the varsity staff.
IMO pikeville will have a hard time digging out of the hole that has been left for the next coach due to the lack of support and growth over the past few years and the extreme community demand that is put upon the staff to get to a state title.
I hope Pikeville Hires the Best quality coach that applies that will make a statement and commit to being a panther and building this program back into a state contender.