wildcat5

I do agree that the principle and AD are responsible for finding the right hire, what I was saying is the principle and AD can not create a new vision and culture alone. Everyone has to buy into the program when drastic changes are made. There will be some who do not like and thats ok because there will never be anything that pleases everyone. As far as what you said about creating postions for new assistants, thats great and all but it isn't that simple. To create postions you have to have money and right now is not a good time to create postions just to have assistant coaches. My whole point was that Clarksvile Northwest is bigger and had more players and athletes to choose from than Cannon Co. does. Norhwest should have also had more assitants than they evidently had and the coach had a 3-17 record there. Basically what I'm saying Cannon Co. is similar to Norhwest we will not have many faculty assitants, we lack in facilities, we lack in athletes like Northwest has and if that coach couldn't win there then why does the adminstration think he can win at Cannon Co? I know whomever they hire will have a difficult job, but I believe that with good leadership and a culture change Cannon Co. athletics can be good as a whole. It will be a slow process, but a rewarding one if everyone is patient. There is alot of good things that are happening especially in basketball at Cannon Co. and there is a ton of good things that can happen here, but I believe it is imparative that we hire a coach that comes from a winning program not someone who is 3-17.

4 wins at Cannon Co. is not terrible it isn't where we want to be but for a football program tyring to shake the losing stigma 4 wins isn't bad. I keep hoping that the Clarksville Northwest coach being on the short list of finalists is a rumor for several reasons. Cannon Co. is 3A and Northwest is 4A most coaches want to move up why does he want to move down? It has been said he had no assistants or help at Northwest, well guess what he is not going to have many faculty assistants here either. Northwest had many more athletes to work with than Cannon Co. has. Most important to me and I say it over and over, but Cannon Co. athletics has to change its culture from losing to winning and running its programs first class. It's not the principle or the athletic director's fault because it's not something just one person can do it takes everyone or at least a large majority to all believe in the same vision and mission for the athletic programs. The Clarksville Northwest coach has a 3-17 record there with some athletes to work with, Cannon Co. already knows how to lose and the mindset losers have, we in my opinion need someone who comes from a winning program to lead Cannon Co. in a new direction. There will be struggles at first anytime somone is changing the entire culture of a program there will be, but when the mindset changes and players believe in the system the program grows. I am not saying Northwest's coach is a terrible coach im just saying he does not seem like a good fit at Cannon Co.

You are exactly right termite it is the mindset that must change. SC's football program has represented our region well and I hope that with a "mindset" change or "culture" change as I like to call it Cannon Co. can compete with you guys and also represent our region in the playoffs. Cannon Co. has to realize it has the potential to improve in so many ways, but everyone has to get on the same page and share the same vision and mission for Cannon Co. athletics

It is an important hire for everyone who supports Cannon Co. athletics. I think the administration would have been better off to have had a search committee, as long as there were no parents on it. When parents and administration get together its usually never a good thing. I do not like to be very critical, but I hope we do not hire the Clarksville Northwest coach. He may have not had many assistants at Northwest, and that does make a difference, but his record is what we have to look at and he is 3-17 at Northwest. Also lets ask why would he want to move down to 3A? I know a coach from Alcoa applied for the job as well, and I would have to think an assistant from that type of program would hopefully be a finalist for the job. We need someone to bring Alcoa's mindset here at Cannon Co. I hope whomever they hire does a good job, but we need to get this hire right or it could set the program back major.

I know they were interviewing most of last week, I just do not know any specifics. I just know that most coaches they interview are going to try and sound like the savior of the program, but I hope the administration, looks at not only the interview skills but also the coaches' record and the type of schools they have worked at. I really think Cannon Co. needs a person who has been with a winning program, and someone who has been around successful people. We need more than just a coaching change football and Cannon Co. athletics needs a culture change. We have the mantality that we can't do things other schools do, because of the losing culture here. It takes time, and sometimes it will get worse before it gets better, but if we hire a coach from a winning successful program who does not know what its like to lose or have a losers attitude , I believe that will carry over to the players, administration, and the fans. it may not happen overnight because three coaches in 3 years takes its toll on any program, but in time if we hire someone from that type of program I believe Cannon Co. football an be consistently competitive

Cannon Co. having 3 coaches in 3 years, does hurt the interest in the job, but surprisingly there has been more interest than I would have expected. I think people that apply for this job want to take a program like Cannon Co. and bring us to a level we have never been. It's obvious we lack in facilities, and we took a big step in getiing the fieldhouse, but it needs to get completed and I know there is never any money set aside for sports in the budget, so its hard. In my opinion part of the intrigue for this job would be bringing Cannon Co. football up to date and consistently competitive. To me, it would seem logical to hire someone from a place like Riverdale or Alcoa because if you have coached at a place like that you know how to win, and also you know how to have public relations and raise money to have the outsatnding facilities like those 2 places have. My point is why not hire someone who could bring those winning program qualities to Cannon Co. instead of a coach that has a 3-17 record. Every person the principle and AD have interviewed have presented plan and I'm sure they all seem like the "next big thing", having a plan and a vision is absoutly essential, but you also have to look at there track record and if I have got a coach that has experience with a 3-17 record, I would rather have an assistant that has worked for winners and has a clear plan on how to bring that style here.

The coach from Northwest has a 3-17 record in 2 seasons there according to www.unapproved website.com. We just fired a coach who won 4 games in one year here. I just do not see how this would be what we need at Cannon Co. We know how to lose here, we need someone who brings a winning culture here, not a 3-17 record. If he knows football so well why did he have such a bad record?, why would he want to move down to 3A? Every coach has a plan. Coach Barger had a plan, Coach Bartsch had a plan. Every person they interview will present a plan and they will sound like the next Urban Meyer, but I think you have to look at there record and also the schools they have worked at. Schools like Clarksville Northwest are not winners, why not try and get someone who is used to winning and knows the ingridents to success in all phases of the program (X's and O's, Fundraising, improve facilities,etc..) Like I said whomever is hired deserves our support, but this just wouldn't make much sense to me.

I don't disagree that there will be struggles. Anytime there is change some people are not going to like it, and it does not matter if Cannon Co's next coach goes 10-0 there are going to be people who complain and people who do not like the way that coach does things, that is just the nature of coaching any sport. I agree 100% about not all assistants not being ready, but I will take an assistant from a well-organized and well-ran program and winning program over a non-successful head coach with experience any day. What Cannon Co. needs is someone who will bring the 6A mindset to a 3A school like Cannon Co. Someone from a successful program who has seen what type of motivation works, and someone who has worked under and been taught under successful coaches. Someone who has been an assistant at a successful program has seen what type of fundraising works, and what type of philosophy works to get players to buy in. I will support whomever the administration hires, but I sure hope they take there time and not just hire someone because they have head-coaching experience. Football and most of the other sports at CCHS have a lot of work to be done and it's important we make the right hire, and bring someone who will progress the program in all facets.

The Clarksville Northwest coach is the exact opposite of a coach that comes from a winning program. He went 2-8 at Northwest last year. This is not the type of person that Cannon Co. needs. We need someone who will change the culture here, not bring more losing and bad tradition. How good are your sources?

I haven't had a chance to last week was very busy, I plan on doing it this week though. I know everyone is in a hurry, but I think it's important we not rush just so we can say we have a coach. Of the people that have applied it seems the Riverdale assistant would have the best credientials. There is a rumor an Alcoa assistant submitted a resume' but I can't verify that, but I do know the Riverdale assistant applied. We need someone who will run the program like a powerhouse program. This does not mean we will have the same facilities, money, or tradition that other teams have right off the bat, but it does change the culture and shows the players that there coach is not going to stand for the same old Cannon Co. and that means change in the way things are done. Coach Rigsby did a great job in basketball by changing the mindset. I hope the new coach has a totally differenr personality than coach Barger or coach Bartsch. The reason for that is because the program needs to move on from the past of both coach's and start a totally new culture with a new leader.

Everything you just said is very true. That is why I've been saying bring someone from a school like that to Cannon Co. and let them bring the Alcoa way of doing things here. It would be a slow process, but I believe a rewarding one if given enough time.

You are right about that. It's money, facilities, tradition, athletes. As I said in earlier post I can only hope this rumor is true. If Cannon Co. could get an assistant off a program like Alcoa that could come here and show Cannon Co. how a successful football program is ran, it would be great. It's no secret our facilities are not anywhere close to where thay need to be, and despite that we still have excellent attendance at every home game. There are some positives at Cannon Co. we just need a coach to come here and show the players, and adminisration how to build a winning football program and when the negative culture is changed here thats when the wins will hopefully come

I hope that rumor is true, someone from a program like Alcoa or Riverdale would come here and run this program like like a powerhouse. That does not mean we would go undefeated or even have a winning season, but it does mean this program would be organized and well-ran. I'm do not care who the coach is not every player is going to buy in to the system, or like there personality, but winning is what matters most and acting like winners on and off the field. Players at places like Riverdale, Alcoa, Hillsboro,etc.. all make football there number one priority and In my opinion we need someone from that type of program who doesn't no what its like to lose, to come to Cannon Co. and change the mindset of losing and make the palyers act like and have the work-ethic of winners. If we ge that type of coach I guarantee there will be people quit and complain, but when the culture is changed here and the wins come, a few players quitting will not matter.

As I said earlier Chad Barger is gone and Andrew Bartsch is gone. Why can't Cannon Co. people just move forward to finding a new coach. This is one of the biggest problems here all we do is complain and live in the past, there is so much negativity around the football program, its no wonder we cant build a winning culture here. Thats why I've been preaching about finding someone who has been an assistant at a succussful program, that will show the people here how a winner and major football program acts. Cannon Co. should look forward to hiring a new coach that will bring his own style here and not the style of Barger or Bartsch because they are mow in the past and the sooner everyone moves on the sooner the program will move forward.

After all the posts we just made about not being negative about the program and not playing the blame game, everyone is right back at it. Chad Barger is not the coach here anymore, and Andrew Bartsch isn't either, whether you think it was wrong or rigtht that he was fired doesn't matter anymore. Now we have to find a new coach that will lead Cannon Co. to a new level past where Barger brought it. I will say this a coach does have to sell his system and style to the players, but he shouldn't have to earn there respect. The players should always respect all coaches whether they agree with them or not a player should never disrespect the coach in anyway. We need someone who comes from a program that teaches winning. It sounds simple, but winners have a different mindset then eveyone else, they have a certain swagger not cockyness but swagger. We need someone who will come nere and teach the players and the entire football program how winners do things and someone who will put there on mark on Cannon Co. football and not try to be Chad Barger or Andrew Bartsch. The keys to success are the same everywhere even small schools like Cannon Co. and we need someone who brings a winners swagger

Thanks Bees, I want to be here in Cannon Co. its where my passion is at. There is plenty of work that needs to be done here just to update us to what other teams have facilities wise. There are many other things that could be done and improved on as well. Being an athletic director is no easy task and Mr. Knox is to be commended for the job he does because he is the AD and assitant principle, and being an athletic director should be a full-time job. We have many positives going on in Cannon Co. athletics interset in boys basketball is way up and the girls are coming off an excellent 20 win season, so not all is negative here. Football will get better when the new coach is hired, and will pick momentum back up and hopefully go to new heights. I just wish all the people on here supported every sport like they do football, myself included. It's something we all can improve on.

Thanks, I think most of us all want to see some change at Cannon Co. What we have to do now is stop talking about it, and start doing the things we talk about on these boards and that includes myself. This does not mean bash the program and blame the coach, principle, AD, etc.. it means insteads of being negative and finding all the problems with CCHS athletics look at the positives like boys and girls basketball and the strides they have made or soccer getting started here. We can talk about ways to fix the problems and improve things, but you do not have to bash people to do that.

I'm glad we agree. I really like what you said about your not coaching if you make everyone happy, that is very very true. I heard a statement last night, that was talking about a professional team and they said "without conflict there is no growth". I tend to agree because every team is going to have conflict at every level, how they handle that conflict determines if they grow or not.

I don't diagree, that the coach has to sell his system to the players and they have to buy in. I can tell you for sure it doesn't matter if the next coach we hire, leads Cannon Co. to the state championship and goes undefeated, there will be people that do not get along with him. Anytime there is change some people are not going to like it and aren't going to buy in, but that is not always the coaches fault. A coaches job is job is not to be the kids best friend and make everybody happy. It's hard to find a coach that the players will respect give there all for and I hope the next coach is able to unite the team and bring a new style that teaches the way winners do things and how hard winners work and I promise there will be some people who won't like that, but success and winning is a lot more important than making everyone happy.

I absoubltly like and agree with everything you just said about, giving the coach 3 years, and its so true that changing the mindset is a big battle here, Adeloyt had the talent to win it his first year, but he ran into a very good Smyrna team, who had Rod Wilkes (Tennessee) and Sonny Gray (vanderbilt) and lots of other good athletes. I agree we should keep an open mind, thats why I don't know why everyone seems to want to hire Matt Daniel without even interviewing others, my point was just that of the people that have applied,the Riverdale assistant comes from the best program, and I think someone from a school like that, can bring change and bring the winning mindset and change the way we do things here.

I agree with you about the running spread, there are different variations of it and they all can be effective. The reason Rivedale people aree not happy is because of the Riverdale name as you said. They are used to being in the state championship every year, and as I said in an earlier post, they had graduated players that signed at places like Florida St. There are going to be down times with every team even at Riverdale, so my opinion is this is just one sub-par year at Riverdale and they will be back , so if we could could get an assistant from there I think it would be good, but whomever the next coach is I hope they change the culture here and bring winning ways here.

I am no professor and I don't claim to be, in fact I still have a lot I want to learn and need to learn. All im saying is I have some ideas I would like to share and I don't want to discuss them on this board because I actually want these ideas to be considered and nothing on this board is taken seriously, which is fine because its mostly for fun anyway.

Coach Bartsch, I believe was on Lebron Ferguson's staff at Oakland, he was fired for going 3-7 and he did not have successful tenure there. To coach Bartsch's credit his freshman team that he coached was very successful. As far as why Riverdale did not do well, They graduated 6 D-1 signees, and numerous others to D-2 schools so they were in reload mode. Ron Adeloyt built a strong program at Hilsboro before coming to Riverdale, so the man knows what he is doing, any coach that graduates that much talent and plays in the region Riverdale plays in will have a down season and what was Riverdale 6-4 or 5-5? We would love to see that record at Cannon Co. My point was just that Riverdale associates itself with winners and winning coaches and we need that type of attitude at Cannon Co. A coach from there could come and teach our team a little Riverdale swagger and a team that played with little confidence like we did towards the end of last year needs some swagger back.

Im majoring in Sports Management at MTSU, in those classes we learn the process of hiring coaches and finding the right coaches that fit certain programs, policy making in sports, funding programs, promoting programs, increasing revenue and attendance, and mostly solve problems and make decisions that will benefeit whichever sport organization you work for. My primary interest is in high school athletics, thats mostly what we discuss is high school and college athletics problems (even problems at small programs like Cannon Co). I just think there some things that haven't been tried at Cannon Co. and some ways things could be improved and I would just like to give my ideas to the adminstration and help carry those ideas out with there approval.

I have talked with Mr. Knox before and I will some more about helping. I think a middle school is long overdue, if your an athlete you know how big the adjustment is from elementary to high school athletics. A middle school would get the players playing together at an earlier age and that can only help. It needs to happen, but there is no way I'm afraid it will be happening in the near future becasue of the funding it would take