What about Jerry Link and Hillwood

[CoachF]

Any thoughts?

[Hoganknows]

Any thoughts?

This has been a rumor for years, maybe bigchief has some insight into the situation.

[cobrafan90]

I didn't see this coming. Must've been some sort of disagreement w/ central office. Much like the Bball job, is the football vacancy even attractive??

[cbg]

I didn't see this coming. Must've been some sort of disagreement w/ central office. Much like the Bball job, is the football vacancy even attractive??

 

Hillwood may be the most difficult football/coaching job in Metro. Hillwood sits in the middle of two upper class neighborhoods (Hillwood & West Meade) and most of those kids attend private schools. The students are transported in from up and down Charlotte Pike and the Bellevue area and the school has "ZERO" community support. Hillwood needs to be closed as a regular metro high school and converted into a magnet school for grades 7-12. The Bellevue community is one of the fastest growing geographic areas in Nashville and the people in that community were promised their own high school (by the metro school board) if the community ever grew enough to support it when the old Bellevue High School was closed in the early 1980's.

[JANETI]

I have to disagree with the comment of no parental support. As a parent of a senior and a freshman, you could not ask for more supportive football parents. The parents are very involved, feed the kids after every game as well as provide transportation for many of the kids after games. I feel pretty confident to say the administration wanted a change.

[nrgrizzlies]

The year HHS won 12 games in row, the crowds were really good...the line to buy a ticket to the game against Hillsboro stretched almost out to the street.

 

The part about the zone being stretched out all different directions it true. As is re: private schools. There was a point in time in the 1970's that Hillwood dropped to AA instead of AAA because of dwindling numbers and the top scorers at USN, MBA, and BGA (boys basketball) were all guys zoned for Hillwood (who STILL made it up to #4 in the state in AA in the a.p. rankings - like '76 or '77 maybe)

 

That was then. This is now. The school spirit lives in suburban areas (Williamson,

Rutherford, Wilson, Sumner, etc)...30 years ago Hillwood/Bellevue WAS the suburbs. Now, Mt.Juliet, Lavergne, etc...THAT is the burbs. Those are the areas where extracarricular activies are still a status symbol for the kids. Hillwood's marching band had like 100 member around 1977. Some metro schools can now barely field a marching band of more than 20 or 25 kids.

 

Things change. Nothing stays the same. It's kind of a bummer, but that is how it is and someday the Mt. Juliets, Hendersonvilles, Lavergnes, will be no longer the "suburbs" replaced as such by schools just now being built such as "Stewart's Creek" etc.

Edited April 18, 2006 by nrgrizzlies

[ELA]

The question remains can any coach come in and expect to have the talent to compete in the very tough region that Hillwood plays in?

 

Who is returning to the squad this year?

Edited April 18, 2006 by ELA

[JANETI]

The team lost at least 12 seniors , many that were 2 way starters . The 1-9 record from last year is certainly not an indication of the talent on the team , as many of these kids were starters on the previous 2 years playoff teams. Two starters signed to play college ball . With that being said, there is definitely some work to do but not entirely impossible.

[Rebelguy]

Not to speak for CBG, but he said "community support," not parental. Sure, it helps to have a good booster club made up of the parents, and to have those same parents in the stands, but even if a team of 100 players had both parents and a pair of siblings come, that's still only 400 people at the game...and that's a best-case scenario! Having an entire community behind you bringing over a thousand fans truly does make all the difference in the world. Especially to a player who can look up in the stands and see them filled!

[bigchief]

I didn't know Jerry personally until I went to Hillwood in 2002. I think the world of him. Yes, his demeanor can come across wrongly to some people, but you will not find anyone who cares more for his players and that school than Jerry Link. He has endured years of no talent and no budget. He has been there for 20 years, through good times and bad. He has been very loyal to that school. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean anything to people anymore.

 

The real question is why did Lang wait until now to do it when we all knew it was coming. Why not get another coach lined up early. Now, whatever idiot takes this job is even FURTHER behind.

 

I agree the school should be made a magnet. No one in that neighborhood attends there anyway. If they don't keep a high school there the property reverts back to the Hill family. I'm sure the Hillwood country club would LOVE to add another nine holes to its course. They wouldn't even let the golf team use the driving range when they are NEXT DOOR.

 

CBG, I wouldn't hold my breath about the Bellevue high school. We were promised the same thing when they closed DuPont. Have you been to Hermitage lately? Wall to wall.

 

I know at least one current assistant that wants the job. He would be a good choice too. Of course, that means that he will be passed over for an unqualified candidate/friend.

 

The administration there made the decision. It was not the first bad one he has made and surely will not be the last. The school day there is horrendous. I know someone will think they can "turn it around" over there. The awful truth is it will not happen. Other than 1976-1977, 1990, 2003 and 2004, Hillwood just never has been very good. Factor in an out-of-control school day and you have an uphill battle. Take heed, candidates. Take heed.

[My Alias]

It's funny that in metro the principal can fire a coach whenever they want, with no guarantee that they will be the principal for the new coach. That little guy may hire the new coach, but he was lucky to even be there to fire Link.

[cbg]

Not to speak for CBG, but he said "community support," not parental. Sure, it helps to have a good booster club made up of the parents, and to have those same parents in the stands, but even if a team of 100 players had both parents and a pair of siblings come, that's still only 400 people at the game...and that's a best-case scenario! Having an entire community behind you bringing over a thousand fans truly does make all the difference in the world. Especially to a player who can look up in the stands and see them filled!

 

Thank's, you seem to understand. The neighborhoods around the school have not supported the school for probably 30 years.