Unaka at Greenback

[easttnwrangler]

When Bosken left Crockett he said part of it was because of how worthless his assistant coaches were and how they gave him no help.  That would make me wonder how good or reliable this kid is.  He doesn't seem like he's old enough to have been a coordinator on either side--I know Bosken brought in a new Defensive Coordinator every year at Crockett and ran the offense himself, so where did this coordinating experience come from?

 

After the total lack of discipline at Crockett football under Bosken and incident after incident embarrassing the team (the brawl at the Musket Bowl, players sexually assaulting freshmen, players constantly causing trouble at school, etc.) and Bosken's public comments on his lack of any coaches and help, I can't see why they'd trust an assistant with little experience from there to rebuild Unaka by himself.

I don't know the "kid" personally. I do know he's been around coaching a while in Alabama and Tennessee. Was an Offensive Coordinator at Sweetwater and Crockett This year.

[BULLRUSH]

They should get the new coach hired ASAP. Football season starts now. The kids are needing direction now in the weight room. Also getting kids to buy in to the program now. Not right before football season.

 

Probably not much longer they stopped taking applicants yesterday, so I would say within the next couple weeks a announcement will be made, I just hope the right decision will be made for the betterment of the program.

[creekerballer]

heard from someone yesterday that they were hearing it would be Carr, not sure if there was any truth to it, but if it's the case it pretty much tells me they got told no by several others they wanted.

[BlueDevil58]

I know they are two assistants from there that applied. I have heard of one name but not the other. The one heard of is Derrick Carr. I looked in ole reliable Murphy Fair Magazine and he was listed the last two years as OC. I do hope they move on with the process and get someone in there soon to get our boys started and hopefully more out. Nothing can be worse then what we had for the past couple of seasons. BTW hopefully whoever gets in puts our kids in Murphy Fair.

 

My source is now telling me it'll be Carr, too, but he's been wrong in the past so I'm not sure how much faith I have in him anymore.  He said they've not done any interviews yet, but all along he's said that interviews would just be a formality and they're going to pick who they want based on connections behind the scenes.  Again... he's not been very reliable through the whole process, though.  Weeks ago, he swore up and down they had someone in the system picked out and ready to go.

 

What they want is someone who's young and charismatic to get kids out to play.  Those are the main things.  Carr might fit that bill, but there are some questions about whether he's ready to be a head coach or to take on the kind of rebuilding project that Unaka's got ahead of it.

 

In digging a little bit, here's what I've found out on Derek Carr.  He just turned 27.  He played RB at Elizabethton and graduated in '09.  He's only got a few years of experience as a coach and I think that's all been at Crockett.  He's been at Crockett all 3 years under Bosken as the WR coach and is really close with him.  He was never at Sweetwater, to my knowledge, and I used to know the coaches at Sweetwater.  He definitely was not a coordinator there.

 

He works as an Instructional Assistant at one of the elementary schools in Washington Co. and has never been a teacher--may not even have a degree, which works against him.  The TSSAA says that you need to have 5 years of coaching experience or be a certified teacher in order to be a head coach and I don't know if he has either.  However, Unaka currently has an opening for a part time Distance Learning proctor who doesn't need to be a teacher, so they could get him in the building.

 

Bosken gave all of his full-time assistant coaches some kind of "coordinator" title at Crockett to make them look better.  Carr shared the title of "Co-Offensive Coordinator" along with another assistant coach, but David Crockett is a Tony Franklin System team who paid about $3000 a year to be told how to practice and run their offense and Bosken still called the plays in games, so I don't know that the "Co-Offensive Coordinator" means anything.  It sounds like a meaningless title to me and I don't know what you can tell about him being "offensive minded" from that.  From what I'm hearing, he was basically just a WR coach.

 

He's got some real strengths.  He gets along great with kids and they like him.  He's charismatic and energetic.  He works hard.  He'd recruit the halls to get kids out.

 

However, some people I've talked to tell me that he thinks he knows a lot more about football than he does.  One person I talked to who's coached with him said that he's a good guy, makes a good impression when you talk to him, and knows how to draw up plays on a board, but he would be in way over his head as a head coach and doesn't have a clue about how to teach blocking or defense, which have been two of the biggest problems at Unaka the past few years.  He's also not a disciplinarian at all.

 

Still, he's not the worst they could do.  He'd definitely be an improvement over Pink.  Just getting a guy in there who's willing to work and who kids want to play for would be big.

 

I hear there's another assistant from Crockett who wants it, too, but I don't know who.  I think that guy's also not a teacher.  All in all, my source tells me that over a dozen people have put in for this job.  The only one I know personally is the ex-TN High assistant and I think he'd be a great hire now after talking with him about it.

Edited January 7, 2017 by BlueDevil58

[BULLRUSH]

My source is now telling me it'll be Carr, too, but he's been wrong in the past so I'm not sure how much faith I have in him anymore.  He said they've not done any interviews yet, but all along he's said that interviews would just be a formality and they're going to pick who they want based on connections behind the scenes.  Again... he's not been very reliable through the whole process, though.  Weeks ago, he swore up and down they had someone in the system picked out and ready to go.

 

What they want is someone who's young and charismatic to get kids out to play.  Those are the main things.  Carr might fit that bill, but there are some questions about whether he's ready to be a head coach or to take on the kind of rebuilding project that Unaka's got ahead of it.

 

In digging a little bit, here's what I've found out on Derek Carr.  He just turned 27.  He played RB at Elizabethton and graduated in '09.  He's only got a few years of experience as a coach and I think that's all been at Crockett.  He's been at Crockett all 3 years under Bosken as the WR coach and is really close with him.  He was never at Sweetwater, to my knowledge, and I used to know the coaches at Sweetwater.  He definitely was not a coordinator there.

 

He works as an Instructional Assistant at one of the elementary schools in Washington Co. and has never been a teacher--may not even have a degree, which works against him.  The TSSAA says that you need to have 5 years of coaching experience or be a certified teacher in order to be a head coach and I don't know if he has either.  However, Unaka currently has an opening for a part time Distance Learning proctor who doesn't need to be a teacher, so they could get him in the building.

 

Bosken gave all of his full-time assistant coaches some kind of "coordinator" title at Crockett to make them look better.  Carr shared the title of "Co-Offensive Coordinator" along with another assistant coach, but David Crockett is a Tony Franklin System team who paid about $3000 a year to be told how to practice and run their offense and Bosken still called the plays in games, so I don't know that the "Co-Offensive Coordinator" means anything.  It sounds like a meaningless title to me and I don't know what you can tell about him being "offensive minded" from that.  From what I'm hearing, he was basically just a WR coach.

 

He's got some real strengths.  He gets along great with kids and they like him.  He's charismatic and energetic.  He works hard.  He'd recruit the halls to get kids out.

 

However, some people I've talked to tell me that he thinks he knows a lot more about football than he does.  One person I talked to who's coached with him said that he's a good guy, makes a good impression when you talk to him, and knows how to draw up plays on a board, but he would be in way over his head as a head coach and doesn't have a clue about how to teach blocking or defense, which have been two of the biggest problems at Unaka the past few years.  He's also not a disciplinarian at all.

 

Still, he's not the worst they could do.  He'd definitely be an improvement over Pink.  Just getting a guy in there who's willing to work and who kids want to play for would be big.

 

I hear there's another assistant from Crockett who wants it, too, but I don't know who.  I think that guy's also not a teacher.  All in all, my source tells me that over a dozen people have put in for this job.  The only one I know personally is the ex-TN High assistant and I think he'd be a great hire now after talking with him about it.

After reading your breakdown I really don't think Carr is the right choice maybe assistant for a few more years. To even get Unaka halfway competitive it will take discipline and someone hard nosed with experience at head coaching with backbone. If someone comes in and plays Mr. nice guy and is soft with the kids and let the parents run over him then its over before he starts. 

[creekerballer]

After reading your breakdown I really don't think Carr is the right choice maybe assistant for a few more years. To even get Unaka halfway competitive it will take discipline and someone hard nosed with experience at head coaching with backbone. If someone comes in and plays Mr. nice guy and is soft with the kids and let the parents run over him then its over before he starts.

I have to agree. I'm sure he's a good guy and might be a pretty good coach at some point, but not sure if Unaka is the place or now is the time. I've also seen some conversations he's had. He believes the Unaka rebuild can be the same as what Crockett did. I think he has to release 1. Crockett has many more students to pull from than Unaka. 2. Crockett was helped out by transfers there for a few years. Unaka doesn't get those transfers in.

[uknoit2]

Creeker, we play Unaka this coming season...Due mainly to the fact that it was hard to schedule games.

I hope whoever comes in does so with a fire and has those boys ready to play.

Region 1 needs stiff competition BADLY

[creekerballer]

Creeker, we play Unaka this coming season...Due mainly to the fact that it was hard to schedule games.

I hope whoever comes in does so with a fire and has those boys ready to play.

Region 1 needs stiff competition BADLY

glad to hear that games back on the schedule. Makes much more sense than traveling 2 hours to play someone like Harriman. I'm hoping we hear an announcement within the next week.

[Ranger1983]

Does he have connections to anyone up here BlueDevil or Creeker? Any more rumors going around lately or any names? Hopefully they do something soon. I did hear similar rumors about him with a few different details BlueDevil from also someone who said they worked with him there. Said the disciplinarian rumor was not what you had to worry about. Said I would worry about him telling people what he thought. Pointed out same strengths your source told you. Work ethic was unreal he said. Like i said though I hope this process doesn't drag on until too much longer. Im sure our kids are wondering the same we are. 

Edited January 10, 2017 by Ranger1983

[creekerballer]

Does he have connections to anyone up here BlueDevil or Creeker? Any more rumors going around lately or any names? Hopefully they do something soon. I did hear similar rumors about him with a few different details BlueDevil from also someone who said they worked with him there. Said the disciplinarian rumor was not what you had to worry about. Said I would worry about him telling people what he thought. Pointed out same strengths your source told you. Work ethic was unreal he said. Like i said though I hope this process doesn't drag on until too much longer. Im sure our kids are wondering the same we are.

He's From Elizabethton but don't think he has any connections to anyone at Unaka.

[BULLRUSH]

He's From Elizabethton but don't think he has any connections to anyone at Unaka.

Any word yet?

[creekerballer]

Any word yet?

nope, haven't heard anything. Tennessee will name an AD before Unaka can name a coach at this rate.