I'vegotskills

My sources say that it will be someone from Webb or CAK. Obviously, it won't be the head coaches (Norris or Wells), so I'm thinking one of the ####istants or another middle school coach candidate. I've also heard that Davis will or has been offered an ####istant position or the middle school boys/girls positon. Once again, this makes absolutely no sense on the part of the administration. If you are going to hire an ####istant coach to lead your program, you would think that they would want someone who has several yrs of experience at a proven winner or come from a higher cl####ification school that has coached against the toughest compe####ion in the State. Furthermore, if you have coaches that have applied (they have applied) that grew up, graduated, played ball at the school (one of them helped the school win a State ####le), have yrs of coaching/teaching experience at the highest level in TN (AAA), connected people with the school want them back, and they want to come back home - you should probably give them the opportunity. It is amazing to me that the school would either hire someone much older and out of basketball for yrs (girls coach) and/or hire someone not from the community with less experience for the boys coach. To be honest, it really doesn't matter because Harriman has always had talent and whoever they get they should win - hope they don't just use it as a job hopping opportunity. You would have to be a pitiful coach to not be successful at Harriman. The posting of the job was a token post to say they followed the law. We'll wait and see and good luck to the Harriman program. I hope all works out for the best.

I know from your posts that you have some inside connections as well, but I have some directly tied to the situation too. I know for a fact that Davis was offered the job well before it was posted. I also know that he declined, but is re-thinking the proposition. Obviously I will not divulge how I know, but I promise you that did happen. You might want to check with your inside sources again. As a matter of fact, I've also heard he was still in the running for the job. Once again, I do not know who the other 3 coaches your talking about are (I'll check in to that and find out by tomorrow), but I do know that very qualified graduates from the school have applied for the job as well and it would be a shame if they choose someone that does not have any stake in the community. Especially considering the fact that the school has had 6-7 boys coaches since Pickell retired in 1995. What's that - a new coach every 3 yrs or so? You'd think they would try to find someone to actually stay @ the school. If Calahan hires someone that is a big ????, I can almost guarntee that Calahan won't make it past next year as Principal @ Harriman. That also comes from some pretty good sources.

I would like to know why YOU think it is a pool of 3 good coaches? What qualifies as a good coach in YOUR eyes? Why would they have concluded interviews when Mr. Clark has been gone on vacation for a while now and Calahan has not been around either and then post it on TSSAA until July 23? Makes no sense. However, the hiring of the girls coach made no sense either. They first tried to hire a guy who couldn't pass a background check (Calahan's buddy from Stone) and then hired a guy who coached at Roane State (whoopty doo!) and will not even teach @ the school - huh???? He'll be there real long I'm sure - ha! Especially when I know they had some people apply that had graduated from the school (couple of people), one played on the only State Basketball Championship team in the school's history, and has been an assistant coach for years in AAA in one of the toughest districts in E. TN. When family wants to come back home and they are qualified, you hire them. I also know that Calahan calls all the shots and Clark has very little to do with any of the hiring. You may be right about the fact that they have already interviewed and/or hired someone, but it will be Calahan's decision and nobody elses. I know Calahan and not Clark offered the job to Davis from Wartburg. Calahan did this before they posted the job - this is against the law by the way. Not a knock on the young man, but as far as I know, he was the head coach of the boys and girls middle school basketball teams in Wartburg for maybe 3 years! First, its middle school - really!? Second, its Wartburg - no offense. Third, he's only coached for 3 years. Fourth, he's not had a chance to truly learn from someone who has been an established coach, especially @ a high level because he has been doing his own thing since he was hired. The reason he offered the job to him is because Davis knows the ex-girls coach from Stone - my educated guess. If anybody considers a middle school coach a homerun, then you have lost your mind. Especially, when you have other people that have applied that not only graduated from the school, but have a lot more experience in coaching. We'll see what happens, but Calahan has lost his mind if he doesn't "thouroughly" look at the pool of applicants, interview them "fairly" and think really hard about what is most important for not only the school, but his job. By the way, this post is not necessarily directed at you - blackhawkdown - or anybody else, it's just my take and what I know about the situation.

How can you be so sure that Narramore took the job? Besides, he does have some talent coming back @ Loudon.

If you're talking about wb, then yeah you're right. However, I NEVER said he wouldn't coach again. I just said that I HEARD he was tired of it at the time. Also, he does have some connections at wb - no surprise to me he would apply to be the coach there. Some coaches just can't get it out of their system when they leave for a little while. Besides, if he goes to wb, then they'll have 2 coach hoppers as head coaches.

He works for TVA, NOT Hardin Valley - check again. He was @ Hardin Valley last semester, but not now. From what I understand he wanted out of teaching and that is why he left L.C. Maybe a more prestigious school might have lured him to teach and coach, but like I said before, I think he was over it. I'd say he worked at Hardin Valley for a semester while he was looking for the right job - hence TVA. School websites don't update their faculty information until the start of the next school year.

He's not, check again.

Not yelling, emphasizing those parts to you. I'll leave it at I know what I know and you can THINK you know what you know. You are the one to close to the situation to not see what went on this year with the girls program and at the school. You have been snowed by certain people into believing what they say instead of what they actually do. Actions speak louder than words. I guess discernment is not your gift. Once again, just ask around and you'll find out what happened with Herron getting hooked and that it was completely justified and good for the students @ L.C. You also might want to get your facts straight about the kind of support Herron had with board members, superintendent, etc... What you're saying is not gospel. In fact, it should give you some faith in the school system that they will not stand for sub-par teaching - among other things. Sometimes it takes a few hires to get it right after someone like Joe Lee has been at a program for almost 30 yrs. Eventually they'll get it right. I also agree that the parents can be overbearing, but that is EVERYWHERE you go. You can't name a program that does not have over zealous parents. It's just the way it is now. I'm not saying its right, but it has happened and if you're going to be a coach you're going to have to deal with it.

Aaaaaaaaaah...poor baby can't handle the truth. Must have hit a chord with you...Which one are you? Um...Wright - doubtful, Lee - nope, Herron - ha, Wells - c'mon, Tony - maybe, Windle - probable. Stop browsing L.C. posts if you don't want to see your name posted - coachinhoops. Besides, everything I said up there is true and I can back it up if you want to push me. So, go browse other message boards and stop worrying about L.C. because they've stopped worrying about you. By the way, I know who this is just based on the year showing you joined CoachT. Still bitter huh?

Hey 57in87, you have NO CLUE what you are talking about! You obviously are just an outsider that wants to spout off at the mouth about something YOU know nothing about. Joe Lee might have been run off - give you that one. However, Todd Wright left on his own accord. From what I understand he was not thrilled about teaching low level math or teaching period again. Also, I have heard he truly wanted to spend some more time with his family and make more money working for TVA than teaching and coaching combined. Can you blame him? It just wasn't the right place or right time and he had probably forgot how hard it was to teach (especially with all the new standards, high stakes testing, observations, etc...) and coach at the same time. Remember -he came from Maryville College where his responsibilities were to coach basketball - that's it! You need to do some research about coach Herron before you get on her and say things like this about L.C. parents, administrators, or board members - "I'm guessing political bull crap! Coach Herron seemed to be a good person and a good coach. There is a serious problem somewhere with the administration and school board of Lenoir City Schools." Once again, YOU have NO CLUE about what you're talking about! I'd venture to say that if you REALLY KNEW some people HALF WAY close to the situation you would find out some not so savory things about coach Herron and things that went on this year at the school. I'm not going to kick her while she's down, but once again you have NO CLUE as to what has gone on with that situation. Have you ever thought that maybe a decision was made for the betterment of the program and the school as a whole? If your TRULY interested in being informed, do some research. As far as the boys coaching position, I think they kept trying to hit a homerun instead of finding the guy they have right now right under their noses. Do some research on why Tony got canned. You'll find it was justified. Wells found the right fit for him at CAK and Kevin Windle is, well, Kevin Windle (6 coaching stops in less than 10 yrs.) Really!? He runs himself off from jobs just by looking at track record alone. How long do you actually think he'll stay @ WB? They made a great decision in hiring Kirkland because he'll bring stability to the program. Basically, get your facts straight before you start blasting people for things you KNOW NOTHING about.

First off, I have no ties to Kingston athletics except for the fact that I grew up in Roane Co, but I never attended Kingston High School. I just saw this posting and wanted to throw my two cents into the conversation because I grew up in the area and I knew Stephen Plemons as a person and played against him as a basketball player. I have seen the Kingston basketball team play a couple of times this past summer at summer camp and I am not saying they do not have a talented kid or two (maybe), but let's face it to be 0 and whatever means you are not working with a whole lot and Plemons is not working with a whole lot. Yes, having talent doesn't guarntee a ton of victories, but it certainly helps. I'll use your argument for talent and how it does not necessarily guarntee high achievements. Take Harriman High with Coach Pickell, who by the way is being inducted into the high school Hall of Fame, and the talent he had at Harriman for YRS. There is absolutely no way he should not have been to the state tournament more than he did take Harriman over the 30 + yrs. he coached (2-3 times?). He did win a State title in 95 with an extremely talented team (should have been to state tournament with that team at least 3 times and not once), but there were some teams before that that were probably even more talented and never made it out of the District or Region. I will say this about Coach Pickell and that is he was and is an excellent person personally and I do not mean any of this in a derogatory way because I did play for him. I just did not think he was a very innovative coach as far as X's and O's and he was not a good disciplinarian with the kids he had. Once again, my point is that you cannot make something out of absolutely nothing! You probably should expect a win or two though, but I would say, with my experience with kids, that they have probably cashed it in as far as the season goes.

This is just fodder for the conversation, but it's the Jimmy and Joes not the X's and O's. Furthermore, you can't turn a turd into gold. For example, are some of you suggesting on this message board that A.E. has great coaching?! They probably have, year in and year out, the most talented group of athletes in East TN yet sometimes they cannot even make it out of their Region. When they do make it out of their Region and past the Sub-State game they end up getting beat by a team at State that has no business beating them. In fact, with all that talent, when is the last time they have won a State title? You would think with all that talent they would carry a gold ball home once every 5-6 yrs. easy. The coaches there just roll the ball out on the court and let their kids play and a lot of the time they make the State Tourney on pure talent alone. Give Plemons a break and realize that talent around Roane Co. is not even close to what it used to be. I will say this, coaching can make terrible players bad, bad players decent, decent players good, and good players great, but that is if you are working with motivated kids that want to put in the time and effort off the court to make themselves better. Coaches can try and motivate and talk till they are blue in the face, but it is up to the individuals to make the sacrifices necessary to become better ball players. Remember, this generation of kids have so many gadgets to keep them inside and on their duff that they rarely get out and work at anything (school work, sports, etc...). Basically, from all this rambling what I am trying to say is you need SOME TALENT to win games and coaches can't step out on the court and play for them.

I know you meant no disrespect when you were talking about E. TN teams being overrated in the polls and that W. TN has dominated the State Tourney in the last 10 yrs. in AA and AAA. I will concede to you that the polls are messed up and do no truly reflect who the best teams are in the state because they are just opinions. Besides, baskteball is a tournament sport and anyone can get hot and win several games in a row especially if they are peaking at the end of the year. I do want to comment though about teams that have won or been dominate from E. TN in the last 10-20 yrs. I played basketball in E. TN. in the early to mid 90s so I think I can answer your question. You mentioned Science Hill already, so there is no need to mention them again, but I do think they won 3 titles in the 90s if I'm not mistaken. Also, Brainerd had a couple of appearences with C.J. Black in the mid-90s and I think made it to the sem-finals. Sweetwater went to the State Championship game 3 yrs. in a row and won it once. David Lipscomb (middle Tn) won the State Title one of those yrs. that Sweetwater went to the title game (1st yr.) Harriman won the State Title in 95 over Sweetwater and if it they would not have had to play Sweetwater 2yrs. previously in sub-State matchups that were both very close games, then they might have played for three titles as well during that same span as Sweetwater did. So, right there you had probably the two best teams in the State in AA facing each other in 2 sub-State matchups that knocked one out of contention. Also, Harriman was not ranked in any of the 3 yrs. that they went to sub-State and eventual State and won it all. I think Sweetwater was in the polls for 2 yrs. when they went to State. Also, Austin East, Bearden, and Alcoa all went to the State Tourney during the 90s and all of them were extremely talented and could have come home with the trophy if the breaks would have gone their way. These are just a few examples I can think of though in the last 10-20 yrs. of E. TN. basketball. For the most part W. TN does dominate, but it is a cyclical thing because E. TN. teams have had yrs. where they have faired extremely well.

I feel like the game will be more than interesting and I've heard a rumor that there might be quite a few William Blount students there to support the WB Freshmen team. I also feel that this WB Freshmen team can put the rest of the county on notice as to who the best team is and will be over the next few years as long as these kids continue to improve. They may be outsized and overmatched, but there is absolutely nobody that plays with more heart and mental toughness than these kids do. I wish them the best of luck against Maryville tonight @ Alcoa High School.

First, I would like to say that I was at the game last night and yes the Lenoir City kids played their hearts out and overcame a 7-8 pt. deficit in the last 2 and a half minutes to win the game, but the fact that you and some other people (Jesusislord) are pumping these kids like they are the greatest thing since sliced bread is ridicuolous (Yes, they are good!). Second, the William Blount kids could have cared less if the Titlow kid showed up or not! The game time was not changed and it was on the schedule at 6 p.m. and was confirmed earlier that day by the coaches who called Tony Williams. So, if the Titlow kid was late that was their fault. In fact, I don't think WB would have been happy if he would not have showed up to the game at all and they had won. Third, all I have heard about from you and others is that the Hood kid is great. I think the WB Freshmen team would have loved to played LC with that kid as well. Remember, there are only so many shots to go around and he would have taken shots away from other kids. Furthermore, there were several Freshmen for WB that chose not to play this year either due to injury or commitments to playing other sports. So, we could play the "what if" game all day long if you want to. I have seen him play and he is not that good. He is tall, but do not mistake tall as having any skills. Tall does not equal good. Give me some hard stats that prove he is a truly good ball player and not just inflated stats against second tier competition. Give me stats on how he has perfromed against the teams in his district/region. I would venture to say that they are not that good (probably really bad stacked up against the minutes he plays). Fourth, Micah Ballard proved last night that he was the most "COMPLETE" basketball player on the court. If you dispute that, then you do not know a whole lot about basketball. Fifth, as far as the yelling at the "grandmother" incident during the game, Coach Balcom was just responding to a ridiculous comment that was made in the stands about "this is not basketball" because he was running 4 Corners to slow the game down. I am sure he had no idea who said it and was responding to a "dumb" comment (sorry if this offends anyone). I'm sure Coach Balcom really thought he was responding to a "grandmother" in the stands. Was he suppossed to stop and ask if she was a "grandmother?" Sixth, if you are a fan at a basketball game and you make repeatedly dumb comments throughout the game, then expect to get called out on them (no disrespect intended). Otherwise, yell about what you actually know about (make sense?). Lastly, yes watching these two teams over the next few years will be really fun, but mark my words now and that is if the LC kids do not grow physically over the next few years they will not fair as well as they have as Freshmen. I say this because all you have to do is look around the state and name me one team that is dominated by kids under 6 feet that performs consistently at a high level. Answer - None!