Valentines Memphis trip for Lancaster Christian

[StarGazzer]

Looking at that list I'd say you would be more accurate to say......"he has been their coach at some point it their career". He has been a coach in the TN Team Pride and TN Flight organizations for more than a few years.

[Playfearless]

some good questions have been raised throughout this thread that I am glad to hear and would like to give answers as I have researched them.

stargazzer: The coach is paid by the school and not the parents.  Also he does teach skill set lessons to multiple players from numerous counties as well for pay as do other coaches. 

 

DougS:  Great question and happy to give some insight for the record. 

ridgeway was on his schedule for the Turkey Jam.  They played Arlington last year but Arlington backed out this year.  This coach calls a lot of schools who refuse to play even when he commits to travelling there.  He wants to join TSSAA but that is the school administrations call not his and thus far it has not happened. 

 

3for3: I am so thankful to you for raising that question and I would like to address it for the record with facts that I researched before making some very important decisions.  This coach was never banned for recruiting as has been falsely rumored by some elite folks. To begin with he was never hired by any high school to recruit for.  As I understand, Smyrna approached him about an assistant coaching position after he had been a Middle School coach at MTCS for three years posting a 98-4 record.  The folks at Oakland & Lavergne approached Harry Gill distorting his reputation stating that "if he is allowed to coach in District 7 every parent that wanst to make their kid better would try and transfer to Smyrna.  THIS IS WHERE THE FALSE NARRITATIVE begin and took on its own rumored life.  as if parents don't move to different school zones to get their child under a desired coach at many other schools)  

It is very true that he has made a major and positive impact on girls basketball in Rutherford county through his years of coaching private skill set lessons improving the young athletes to compete at both high school and AAU level tournaments.  No he was not banned for recruiting in a job he never had in the first place, he was simply ganged up on and black balled with misinformation from other high school coaches in two counties that did not want to have to compete with him at the 3A level.  In the college recruiting world his reputation is sterling and I know this first hand.  His coaching skills are outstanding as you can see proof in many many current players on teams in the mid state area that he has privately coached up and the parents that paid the money and the time will contest to the fact that he is not what Rutherford county elite folks has painted him to be.  Thanks again for allowing me to get this out as I have watched this mans work for over 5 years and have been so taken back by the High School systems politics and why he doesn't get any respect from his peers. 

[Jumpoff]

Well i no for a fact that cliff tells these kids parents that their kids will not play at their zone school but if they come to LCA he will play them. thats what he told some of blackman players one girl mother said that was a big mistake and she came back to her zone school the brooks girl stayed with one other blackman player. thats why coaches complain

[mboro]

Well i no for a fact that cliff tells these kids parents that their kids will not play at their zone school but if they come to LCA he will play them. thats what he told some of blackman players one girl mother said that was a big

mistake and she came back to her zone school the

brooks girl stayed with one other blackman player. thats

 

why coaches complain

Jumpoff, you are getting bad info! Why would cliff say to a parent your kid won't play! The coaches at the school does that! Again look at the facts, there are TWO girls on the team that got time on the floor at the zone school. Others were bench players so why the fuss? I'm a parent

and I was informed by the coach that my kid wasn't going to get time so that's why I made the move! So be careful who you listen too!

[Jumpoff]

MBORO i no what am talking about i talk to cliff my self an heard what was said  my info is solid you need to talk to the parent that am talking about your self then you will no everything i said is true dont get mad at me for speaking  the truth i have known cliff a long time my kids played for him an he's a good person when it comes to basketball he will do what it takes to get a

player  and you no this then will say i had nothing to do with it

[Dweim]

Gee, I watched university school of nashville beat them 71-51 and usn played the entire bench. That seems like a double digit loss to me from a division II team.

[MidTennFootball]

I dont blame TSSAA schools one bit for not playing LCA, why would you want to play a team that operates under a different set of rules. Oakland struggled for the better part of 5-6 years after their 2005 team because they had to build their program back up (the right way in my opinion). 

 

LCA's complaints ring hollow until they have the stones to join the TSSAA and play by the same rules everybody else has to

[mboro]

I'm still tripping off of all of the comments, there are 15 girls on the roster and all but 2 got playing time at their zoned school, so I simply dont understand the fuss! It makes no sense!  EVERY  team(top teams) in 7AAA has at least 1 transfer or a player that is zoned for another school, but used an excuse to attend the school they are attending, so stop the non sense!

Edited February 25, 2014 by mboro

[MidTennFootball]

I'm still tripping off of all of the comments, there are 15 girls on the roster and all but 2 got playing time at their zoned school, so I simply dont understand the fuss! It makes no sense!  EVERY  team(top teams) in 7AAA has at least 1 transfer or a player that is zoned for another school, but used an excuse to attend the school they are attending, so stop the non sense!

 

Big difference bewteen a transfer or 2 and a whole team of kids that transferred to play there. If LCA wants the respect, then join the TSSAA if there isnt a problem. LCA wants to do whatever it wants without having to worry about such a silly thing as rules. Girls Basketball isnt the only one. The previous football head coach tried to recruit around town as well.

[mboro]

Big difference bewteen a transfer or 2 and a whole team of kids that transferred to play there. If LCA wants the respect, then join the TSSAA if there isnt a problem. LCA wants to do whatever it wants without having to worry about such a silly thing as rules. Girls Basketball isnt the only one. The previous football head coach tried to recruit around town as well.

Ok, why would you be so worried about people going there to play if they arent considered good players? Thats the only thing I dont understand! If there was a team assembled with studs, I could see the argument, but you are complaing about girls that rode the pine at their old school, that makes no sense. But anyway, you have your opinion so that's cool!

[MidTennFootball]

Ok, why would you be so worried about people going there to play if they arent considered good players? Thats the only thing I dont understand! If there was a team assembled with studs, I could see the argument, but you are complaing about girls that rode the pine at their old school, that makes no sense. But anyway, you have your opinion so that's cool!

 

Personally, I wouldnt be worried, if a girl doesnt want to play at a particular program, not forcing her to stay. However there are rules and guidelines for going through with a transfer, rules that LCA doesnt have to follow, which gives them a competitive advantage over everybody else in the area. 

 

If this coach was as good as you let on, he would not be coaching at LCA. A coach cant develop talent that isnt there. Could any number of reason why a player was on the bench at the previous school (talented upperclassment in front of her, personality clashed with the coach, wasnt committed to playing defense, etc.).

 

I am not complaining about the players, I am complaining about the enviroment that LCA operates in that allows them to acquire those players. LCA is never going to get the benefit of the doubt until the become a TSSAA member and have their own feeder system to develop talent ( instead of poaching off other schools)

[mboro]

Personally, I wouldnt be worried, if a girl doesnt want to play at a particular program, not forcing her to stay. However there are rules and guidelines for going through with a transfer, rules that LCA doesnt have to follow, which gives them a competitive advantage over everybody else in the area. 

 

If this coach was as good as you let on, he would not be coaching at LCA. A coach cant develop talent that isnt there. Could any number of reason why a player was on the bench at the previous school (talented upperclassment in front of her, personality clashed with the coach, wasnt committed to playing defense, etc.).

 

I am not complaining about the players, I am complaining about the enviroment that LCA operates in that allows them to acquire those players. LCA is never going to get the benefit of the doubt until the become a TSSAA member and have their own feeder system to develop talent ( instead of poaching off other schools)

Man don't give me that rules and guidelines stuff when yes they are in place, but people are working the system to make it appear that a rule or guideline is being followed.  Again, how are is it poaching off other schools if the player is riding the bench.  Another thing, it's not free to attend, so even if the coach did ask a player to come, the parent would have to see the benefit in paying to go to school.  But I'm done, you do what you feel is best and I'll do the same.