Coach Profiles

Slow Motion Replay: William Kean, Central High, Floated like a Butterfly and Stung like a Yellowjacket @CHSJacketFB, @MuhammadAli, @KyChamber, @KyHighFootball, @khsaafootball, @bigassfans, @minguabeefjerky

May 8, 2025 Fletcher Long 0

Bill Kean coached at Central High in Louisville at a time when the Yellowjackets, because of the segregated school systems in Kentucky at the time, wouldn’t let Central compete with the “white” schools. Kean won five (5) Kentucky High School Athletic League (KHSAL) titles, and won four (4) National Negro High School titles and his 856-wins in basketball, coupled with his 225-wins in football, may make Bill Kean the winningest coach in the history of Kentucky high school sports. Enjoy this look at a guy who was posthumously inducted into the KHSAA Hall of Fame in 1988, thirty years after his death.

Friday Night Fletch

Slow Motion Replay: Jim McKee knows two things, farming and football @cards_football, @HLpreps, @ScottCoSports, @_claymckee7, @KyHighFootball, @khsaafootball, @minguabeefjerky, @bigassfans

May 7, 2025 Fletcher Long 1

Jim McKee is a farmer. He is he son of a farmer. His kids like farming. Now, I don’t know much about farming, but my dad was one generation off a working farm. My granddad farmed and for a living. There are similarities between the practices which successfully harvest a bountiful yield and the practices which harvest a well trained and effective football team. McKee would know all about it, that it why he is approaching 300-wins and winning at a rate close to 80%. Enjoy this look at another of Kentucky’s greatest all-timers in the football (KHSAA) industry.

Friday Night Fletch

Slow Motion Replay: A salute to ‘yesteryear’ and the great coaches from ‘way back,’ stand and cheer for Ralph Mills and Preston Ty Holland @murrayhighFB, @MurrayTigers, @MurrayQBClub, @HopHighTigers, @HopkAthletics, @minguabeefjerky, @bigassfans, @khsaafootball, @KyHighFootball

May 6, 2025 Fletcher Long 3

I remember when I was a lawyer every town, no matter how small, had a big-timer amongst its people “before the bar.” There are hometown heroes in every small high school and there are former “greats” tied to every football program across the commonwealth. Today, we salute two coaches of whom you possibly have never heard but two guys (nevertheless) who had a ton to do with the programs which still exist and compete today. Ralph Mills was a guy for Hoptown in the 40s on an incredible “heater” and Preston “Ty” Holland won Murray its first title and the stadium is named for him. Enjoy this feature about two men who deserve being remembered and honored.

Friday Night Fletch

Slow Motion Replay: Dixie Jones may have been among the best defensive coordinators the KHSAA has seen and was dad-burn competent in the head job too @bigassfans, @minguabeefjerky, @KyHighFootball, @TriggFootball, @TriggCoAD

May 6, 2025 Fletcher Long 1

We were compiling a list once of the men we thought were the finest five defensive coordinators the KHSAA has ever known. On our list was Jeff Hester, Chuck Smith’s DC at Boyle County; John Paul Chapman, Mike Holcomn’s DC at Breathitt; Mark Spader, Kevin Wallace’s DC at BGHS and now its head coach; Jim “Red Dog” Daughtery, the DC for several years for Dale Mueller at Highlands, and (of course) Dixie Jones, who was the DC for some of Craig Clayton’s more formidable teams in his first run at Hopkinsville High. If we were compiling a list of powerlifting coaches, we might list Dixie five times, as he is the best the sport has ever known. Enjoy this look at an all-time “lifer” in this sport we all cherish and love.

Friday Night Fletch

Slow Motion Replay: “Mr. Mojo” had his teams Risin’ @OwensboroSports, @1027TheGame, @bigassfans, @minguabeefjerky, @khsaafootball, @KyHighFootball, @CoachEdge11, @OCath_Football, @HCCols_Football

May 5, 2025 Fletcher Long 0

His name was James Hollowell. He was from Henderson, Kentucky. He played high school football for Barrett Manual High and later for the University of Louisville. He was a teammate of Johnny Unitas at Louisville. He coached the great Sam Ball in high school who would later star for both UK’s Wildcats and the NFL’s Baltimore Colts. Everyone called him “Mojo,” and Mojo Hollowell brought good fortune, good luck, and good “Mojo” every coaching stop along his career path. Enjoy this look back at a guy who was among the better guards to ever lace them up in the KHSAA (or its forerunner) and to ever blow a whistle, or call a play, on a KHSAA sideline. Get your Mojo Risin’

Friday Night Fletch

Kinnett Willis bringing a Magic set of Skills to the Mighty Lakers! @kinnett_wills_, @RC_MightyLakers, @Frenchie564, @KYEXPOSURE, @KYHighFootball,  @bigassfans, @minguabeefjerky, @khsaafootball

May 5, 2025 Fletcher Long 0

Kinnett Willis plays for the “Mighty Lakers” from Russell County High. Russell County went 5-6 a year ago but were in the thick of things in all but two of its ball games. Head Football Coach, Steven French, is at the helm of a rebuild and is doing a fine job. Then again, he is a “French (Larry French’s son).” Willis is hoping to bring along a little “Magic” to his ball club over the course of his senior season. Should he, it may look a little like “Show Time” in Russell Springs, KY my friends. Enjoy the feature.

Friday Night Fletch

Slow Motion Replay: Marshall Ray Graham was Dedicated to the Fight and Devoted to the Victory @grahamfam1975, @Doug_Preston1, @LCAEAGLESFB, @MSUEaglesFB, @minguabeefjerky, @bigassfans, @KyHighFootball, @khsaafootball

May 3, 2025 Fletcher Long 3

Most of Marshall Graham’s friends call him “Ray,” or so we are told. We are also told Ray Graham is a coach who made a penchant for doing more with less. As far as X’s and O’s, there is just no one in the KHSAA who is much better than Coach Graham. Overall, Graham won 252-games. More importantly, Graham, a very devout man, believed his coaching football was a “calling” and Graham answered God’s call and lived his faith everyday of his coaching career. Graham came up with “DTF-DTV” which stands for Dedicated to the Fight/Devoted to the Victory. Graham’s kids played both with dedication and devotion and they both finished and proved themselves victorious in more games than not. Graham got the very most from their physical capabilities much of Graham’s career. Enjoy this feature about a Kentucky High School football coaching icon, a “lifer” as those of us similarly afflicted are prone to pronounce.

Friday Night Fletch

Slow Motion Replay: Mark Spader evincing the characteristics consistent with his high school nickname @CoachSpader, @spadermom, @CoachKWallace, @bigassfans, @minguabeefjerky, @khsaafootball, @KyHighFootball, @BGHSPurplesNews, @PurplesFootball

May 1, 2025 Fletcher Long 1

We called him Bruno in high school. One of the reasons was at 5’8,” 180-pounds, he was still tough enough to move out to tackle and man the post well enough to help the team get to the title game at the fairgrounds in Louisville, KY against Danville High in 1984. Bowling Green’s Mark Spader was a smart player. It only tracks he would make a fine coach. He certainly has. Spader is a winner. Spader has won (big time) at BGHS. Spader has three titles and a runner up under his belt right now. No telling how many he ends up with if he continues on the present arc. We believe him a future Hall of Famer, so we wrote about him in the series we have for such coaches. Enjoy the feature.

Friday Night Fletch.

Slow Motion Replay: Maybe all I know about Mike Yeagle, in the end, is he was a fine football coach @bigassfans, @minguabeefjerky, @khsaafootball, @KyHighFootball, @BeechwoodFB, @beechwood_tiger, @BeechwoodA

April 26, 2025 Fletcher Long 1

Mike Yeagle was as fine a football coach as the KHSAA has ever known. He coached football for 15-years, winning 183-games and losing a scant 27-times. Yeagle took over a Beechwood team which had one title prior to his being hired (1984) and turned the same Tiger squad into the KHSAA team of the 90s (7-titles in 10-years). At the end of the day, we have no idea how many titles nor games he might have won had he not retired when he did nor passed when he did. Sixty-two years old is mighty young to be passing on to your reward. Still, the Lord takes us when He is ready for us and when He thinks we have our best chance of redemption. In the end, Yeagle is missed and will never be fully replaced. Enjoy this feature.

Friday Night Fletch

Slow Motion Replay: The late Bob Schneider could orchestrate an attack and diagram a sentence with equal alacrity @TBredsFB, @NKyTribune, @minguabeefjerky, @bigassfans, @CountyMustangs, @KyHighFootball, @khsaafootball, @EddieEviston

April 25, 2025 Fletcher Long 0

We (perhaps) have never been any more excited nor anxious about this particular feature. You see, we are professional writers and are enamored with the overall craft of writing. Sure, Bob Schneider retired from coaching the KHSAA’s all-time wins leader, when he stepped aside in 2009. Sure, Bob Sneider was inducted into both the Norther KY HS Sports (1991) and the KHSAA (Dawhares) Halls of fame (2006). So why the anxiety? Well, because he taught English at Newport Central Catholic for 50-years. This would be a terrible time for splitting infinitives. Enjoy this look at one of the KHSAA’s all-timers and let’s pray my verb tenses remain consistent throughout each paragraph.

Friday Night Fletch