Ensworth

[cbg]

I have to disagree with several of your points here. First, Ricky did not build MBA into a power. It was a nearly one hundred year old football program when he took over, and it was in pretty good shape at that time. He certainly raised the standard some, and his results speak for themselves, but the program was top flight long before he got there.

 

I am not aware of any acrimony surrounding his leaving. He was well compensated and highly regarded. He indicated to me that a big factor in his leaving was that he could be around his daughters at school with the Ensworth position, something he obviously couldn't do at MBA. If he plays MBA, will he try to win? Absolutely. Would he view it as a grudge match? I see no reason for it to be cast that way.

 

Show the world he's a great coach? Clearly that's been done. He broke his nose playing freshman football and spent the rest of the year in an undefined position that looked to an outsider a lot like an offesnive coordinator. People at MBA recognized his talents a long time ago, and it seems to me (in my limited correspondence with Ricky) that the parting was solely to take advantage of a once in a lifetime opportunity: to build a program from the gound up at a top notch school.

 

MBA was a good football team before Ricky took charge and made them into a great program. How many TSSAA state championships had MBA won before Ricky took control? How many times had MBA been ranked in the national polls before Ricky?

 

PS Ricky would still be at MBA today if it were not for the "G-MAN" not wanting Ricky to receive more credit than him. This was nothing more than a power play by both men and Ensworth was in the right place at the right time to take advantage of the situation.

Edited August 29, 2006 by cbg

[big red big blue]

MBA was a good football team before Ricky took charge and made them into a great program. How many TSSAA state championships had MBA won before Ricky took control? How many time had MBA been ranked in the national polls before Ricky?

 

PS Ricky would still be at MBA today if it were not for the "G-MAN" not wanting Ricky to receive more credit than him. This was nothing more than a power play by both men and Ensworth was in the right place at the right time to take advantage of the situation.

 

I have to agree with most of what you are saying. Ricky took that program to the next level. MBA turned a corner in Coach Owen's final years (my era), and became a consistent play-off team, but nothing like what MBA would become under RB. As an example--the summer lifting program under Coach Owen was more or less non-existent. Basically, the weight room was unlocked, there was a sign-up sheet on the wall, and that was it. Just a few years later under RB, people were quitting jobs, canceling summer vacations, etc., because everyone was afraid to miss a single work-out session. In a nutshell, he brought a tremendous intensity to the program--a "winning isn't everything; it's the only thing" approach. More than a few people said he took away a lot of the fun also, but you can't argue with the results--in 1999 he fieled easily one of the top few teams ever to play in TN.

 

AS for his leaving, probably best to let sleeping dogs lie. I agree more or less with your account, based on what I heard from a few people who were desperately working to get RB to reconsider when this whole thing went down. I believe that Ensworth is going to give him some "liberties" that BG would not grant him at MBA, and that Enworth is going to be a force to be reckoned with in a couple of years.

[Redtwin]

Typical MBA arrogance. No wonder people hate on MBA.

 

For example to hear MBA supporters talk on CoachT, you would think they invented football yet they won 0 (zero) state championships between 1968 and 1998, a span of 30 years. They never, let me stress NEVER, won a championship since the playoff system was instituted until Division II was formed.

 

MBA is an excellent school but there are a lot of MBA graduates and supporters that need to get over themselves.

 

Why can't you just give Ensworth credit for also being an excellent school?

 

Nothing arrogant in what I posted. I didn't say anything about MBA inventing football, I merely stated that I did not think Ensworth was going to become the permier football team in TN. Ensworth will probably field some good teams, but I do not think they will be the flagship school for highs school football in TN. There was also no mention of Ensworth being a sub-par school. It's a fine school and it has a great campus.

[Redtwin]

MBA was a good football team before Ricky took charge and made them into a great program. How many TSSAA state championships had MBA won before Ricky took control? How many time had MBA been ranked in the national polls before Ricky?

 

PS Ricky would still be at MBA today if it were not for the "G-MAN" not wanting Ricky to receive more credit than him. This was nothing more than a power play by both men and Ensworth was in the right place at the right time to take advantage of the situation.

 

I think the fact that Ensworth was co-ed was attractive to Coach Bowers and Coach Caudill, both of whom have daughters, but it doesn't matter why they chose to leave. They found positions they wanted. Good for them. They're both great men. I wish them well.

Edited August 29, 2006 by Redtwin

[TheBigRedDog]

Typical MBA arrogance. No wonder people hate on MBA.

 

For example to hear MBA supporters talk on CoachT, you would think they invented football yet they won 0 (zero) state championships between 1968 and 1998, a span of 30 years. They never, let me stress NEVER, won a championship since the playoff system was instituted until Division II was formed.

 

MBA is an excellent school but there are a lot of MBA graduates and supporters that need to get over themselves.

 

Why can't you just give Ensworth credit for also being an excellent school?

 

Classy post.

 

Have you ever heard of Tommy Owen? Ever since the TSSAA went to the playoff system(A, AA, and AAA), MBA played at the highest possible level even when enrollment levels would have allowed them to play in A or AA. When the TSSAA went to 5 classifications, MBA immediately went to 5A by choice. They could have played down and won multiple state titles, but wanted to play against the very best competition in the state. MBA was still a perennial state contender almost every year.

[TheBigRedDog]

In regards to Coach Bowers, I think several of you are right. His decision to go to Ensworth was due to a number of factors: The chance to build a school from the ground up with complete control over athletics and a big say in who gets admitted and hired. I played for the man, and I know he likes to have the control and he has more at Ensworth than he did at MBA. I think Brad was never quite comfortable with Ricky's personality and vice versa and there was friction there. Ricky wants to run things his way and he saw Ensworth as the perfect opportunity. I'm sure many of us would have done the same thing. Also, his daughters being there had to play a role in this too.

[TheBigRedDog]

I am not sure what you are drinking but I need some of it. Don't take this the wrong way but everyone needs to understand that Ricky is already getting good athletes and he will get more. Jeff Rutledge is a great football coach but Ricky Bowers built that program @ MBA into a power and he will do it again at Ensworth. JMO, but Ricky has a chip on his shoulder and he will do everything possible to show the world that he is a great coach. Ricky will do everything in his power to not only beat MBA but run the score up on them if possible and if that means taking marginal academic students he will do just that. He has already stoped the former athletic pipe lines that he developed at MBA and those same type students are now going to Ensworth. While I like MBA and how they run their football program I feel that it will be many years before MBA reaches the success level they had just a few years ago. The national ranking day's are over because you don't have the same skilled athletes and remember that Ricky was responsible for bringing those athletes to MBA.

 

 

First of all, when MBA does play Ensworth and Ensworth is ever able to beat MBA, Ricky would be the last coach to run up the score. He has alot more class than that. As far as stopping "athletic pipelines" to MBA, I'm not sure what you're talking about. If you mean Ensworth Middle School boys not going to MBA anymore, then you might have a point, but Ensworth has never been an "athletic pipeline" to MBA. MBA gets students from over 30 different schools. Its also funny that you and others seem to think that Ricky had all these incredible athletes at MBA that he must have gotten to come there. The fact is that he had a few good athletes, but more importantly was able to take average athletes and make them better. He's simply a great coach. As for MBA, football there has never been about great athletes. Its been about great coaches taking intelligent, hard working young men and molding them into a mentally and physically tough, well-disciplined football team that expects to win.

[rollredroll]

Typical MBA arrogance. No wonder people hate on MBA.

 

For example to hear MBA supporters talk on CoachT, you would think they invented football yet they won 0 (zero) state championships between 1968 and 1998, a span of 30 years. They never, let me stress NEVER, won a championship since the playoff system was instituted until Division II was formed.

 

MBA is an excellent school but there are a lot of MBA graduates and supporters that need to get over themselves.

 

Why can't you just give Ensworth credit for also being an excellent school?

 

Come on now, Bighurt. Everyone – including us arrogant MBA supporters – knows that the game of football was invented at a certain 4A school (but good enough to win at 5A, or even 10A!) in East Tennessee. The only thing we invented at MBA was arrogance! And the greatest thing is, we own the patent on it! I have yet to see it elsewhere!

 

Yes, it did take a lot of non-Coacht.com research to come to this answer (that football was indeed invented at this 4A – or is it 5A? – no, it’s 4A, I think – school in East Tennessee), for one would never read comments like “best program in state, bar none”, “best coaching staff in the state – period”, etc. on any of this team’s threads. Yes, I know it’s difficult to sift through all of the MBA threads to find a thread for this school here and there, but there’s a needle to be found in every haystack.

 

No, we didn’t invent football at MBA; just arrogance. All the credit for football should be sent to Blount County (you know, home of the Blount County championship, the victor of which is granted the right to look down upon all other teams/leagues in the state, not to mention it's the most competitive collection of football powers in all of America!).

 

And we should be proud of all the compassion – and no arrogance whatsoever (remember, the Big Red own it!) – that comes out of the Inventor of Football. To quote one of its supporters (Full Link of Compassion):

 

Sure at (rarely discussed school) we have had the luxury of having the winningest football program in the state the past 9-10 years and it is great to go down and shake some hands, talk with other fans and most importantly congratulate or console the kids who just hung it out for 48 minutes. I always make it a point to shake a few hands from the visiting team and coaches, they worked hard as well.

 

Brings a tear to my eye.

 

Roll Arrogance Roll!

 

(Thanks to all for allowing this Big Red fan a moment away from being the best at everything to bring a little levity to the situation.)

Edited August 30, 2006 by rollredroll

[Manzikert]

First of all, when MBA does play Ensworth and Ensworth is ever able to beat MBA, Ricky would be the last coach to run up the score. He has alot more class than that. As far as stopping "athletic pipelines" to MBA, I'm not sure what you're talking about. If you mean Ensworth Middle School boys not going to MBA anymore, then you might have a point, but Ensworth has never been an "athletic pipeline" to MBA. MBA gets students from over 30 different schools. Its also funny that you and others seem to think that Ricky had all these incredible athletes at MBA that he must have gotten to come there. The fact is that he had a few good athletes, but more importantly was able to take average athletes and make them better. He's simply a great coach. As for MBA, football there has never been about great athletes. Its been about great coaches taking intelligent, hard working young men and molding them into a mentally and physically tough, well-disciplined football team that expects to win.

I've watched MBA athletic teams, particularly football, as an MBA supporter, for the last 35 years. I've also got some connections at Ensworth and know something about the philosophy that has guided them both as a K-8 school and now as a K-12 school. If MBA and Ensworth were to to play today, I'd wish them both well, but I'd probably root for Ensworth to win. With those preliminaries, let me say that I agree completely with everything BigRedDog says in his post. The coaching job that Ricky, and Tommy Owen before him did at MBA was extraordinary in every respect--- the model of what you'd want for your son in each era. Running up the score, "grudges" etc have never been part of the picture for Ricky and won't be in the future. Ricky had some great athletes at MBA, but as BRD says, their success was due to the fundamentals, discipline and intensity (just look at the way they pursue on defense) that all their kids got from Ricky and his staff--- Caudill, Brown, Elliott and the rest--- and they were building on a tradition dating from Tommy Owen and before. To me, the most impressive single statistic that I ever heard about the MBA football program was the fact that the offensive line of the 1998 state championship team had average SATs of over 1300. I know that Ensworth is guided by the same philosophy of excellence in everything they do-- academics, athletics, arts etc.--- and the same devotion to doing it with class. Good luck to both schools.

[Manzikert]

Come on now, Bighurt. Everyone – including us arrogant MBA supporters – knows that the game of football was invented at a certain 4A school (but good enough to win at 5A, or even 10A!) in East Tennessee. The only thing we invented at MBA was arrogance! And the greatest thing is, we own the patent on it! I have yet to see it elsewhere!

 

Yes, it did take a lot of non-Coacht.com research to come to this answer (that football was indeed invented at this 4A – or is it 5A? – no, it’s 4A, I think – school in East Tennessee), for one would never read comments like “best program in state, bar none”, “best coaching staff in the state – period”, etc. on any of this team’s threads. Yes, I know it’s difficult to sift through all of the MBA threads to find a thread for this school here and there, but there’s a needle to be found in every haystack.

 

No, we didn’t invent football at MBA; just arrogance. All the credit for football should be sent to Blount County (you know, home of the Blount County championship, the victor of which is granted the right to look down upon all other teams/leagues in the state, not to mention it's the most competitive collection of football powers in all of America!).

 

And we should be proud of all the compassion – and no arrogance whatsoever (remember, the Big Red own it!) – that comes out of the Inventor of Football. To quote one of its supporters (Full Link of Compassion):

 

Sure at (rarely discussed school) we have had the luxury of having the winningest football program in the state the past 9-10 years and it is great to go down and shake some hands, talk with other fans and most importantly congratulate or console the kids who just hung it out for 48 minutes. I always make it a point to shake a few hands from the visiting team and coaches, they worked hard as well.

 

Brings a tear to my eye.

 

Roll Arrogance Roll!

 

(Thanks to all for allowing this Big Red fan a moment away from being the best at everything to bring a little levity to the situation.)

Very good. LOL.

[uncfan13]

Come on now, Bighurt. Everyone – including us arrogant MBA supporters – knows that the game of football was invented at a certain 4A school (but good enough to win at 5A, or even 10A!) in East Tennessee. The only thing we invented at MBA was arrogance! And the greatest thing is, we own the patent on it! I have yet to see it elsewhere!

 

Yes, it did take a lot of non-Coacht.com research to come to this answer (that football was indeed invented at this 4A – or is it 5A? – no, it’s 4A, I think – school in East Tennessee), for one would never read comments like “best program in state, bar none”, “best coaching staff in the state – period”, etc. on any of this team’s threads. Yes, I know it’s difficult to sift through all of the MBA threads to find a thread for this school here and there, but there’s a needle to be found in every haystack.

 

No, we didn’t invent football at MBA; just arrogance. All the credit for football should be sent to Blount County (you know, home of the Blount County championship, the victor of which is granted the right to look down upon all other teams/leagues in the state, not to mention it's the most competitive collection of football powers in all of America!).

 

And we should be proud of all the compassion – and no arrogance whatsoever (remember, the Big Red own it!) – that comes out of the Inventor of Football. To quote one of its supporters (Full Link of Compassion):

 

Sure at (rarely discussed school) we have had the luxury of having the winningest football program in the state the past 9-10 years and it is great to go down and shake some hands, talk with other fans and most importantly congratulate or console the kids who just hung it out for 48 minutes. I always make it a point to shake a few hands from the visiting team and coaches, they worked hard as well.

 

Brings a tear to my eye.

 

Roll Arrogance Roll!

 

(Thanks to all for allowing this Big Red fan a moment away from being the best at everything to bring a little levity to the situation.)

 

Wonderful come back. Just the right amount of humor and wit. Just a little better and I would swear you're a McCallie graduate.

[AintSkeerd59]

I think it's funny that this comment hasn't been played yet: Who in their right mind would accuse MBA of having "superior athletes?" You'd be hard-pressed to describe great MBA teams as: another order of magnitude in terms of size, strength, and speed. MBA has been winning state championships for 135+ years using a combination of the following: coaching, discipline, intelligence and intensity. Show me a coach who can get players to play harder for him than Ricky Bowers and I'll show you Vince Lombardi (obvious hyperbole, but you get the picture).