Coach Profiles

Slow Motion Replay: Marvin Dantzler has made a career doing the hard right over the easy wrong and winning the day!

April 18, 2025 Fletcher Long 0

We talk often about the versatility of the player we feature on this site. How about coaching versatility? Coach Marvin Dantzler has won a KHSAA title (Central, 2018) to go with two OSSAA titles at John Marshall High in Oklahoma City (2010, 2011) in Track & Field. In football, to go with the title in 2018, Dantzler’s teams have made six (6) semis, won six (6) regions, and made 13-playoff appearances. Dantzler has been the Oklahoman COY twice, Regional COY, OTCA COY, Tulsa World COY, and a four (4) time KHSAA District COY. If he isn’t one of Kentucky’s all-timers, he soon will be. We think the time for him is RIGHT NOW! Enjoy this feature.

Friday Night Fletch.

Slow Motion Replay: Coach Smith went to Boyle County, skipping his trip to Washington @coachclsmit, @ChiefSmoke10, @BCRebelFootball, @minguabeefjerky, @bigassfans, @khsaafootball, @KyHighFootball, @CoachJeffHester

April 7, 2025 Fletcher Long 3

Chuck Smith co-hosts a popular podcast on Spotify with his long time friend, David Buchanan. The show is called, “The Coaches Office” and boasts a dais of of KHSAA coaching icons, one a second generation high school coach (Buchanan) and the other a six (6) time KHSAA state titleholder (Smith). Chuck Smith is one of the greatest to ever walk a sideline in the KHSAA and the first coach to ever win 5-consecutive titles. Far cry from an All-State linebacker from Jeffersontown, KY. Enjoy this feature as we drop another installment of our “Slow Motion Replay” series.

Friday Night Fletch

Slow Motion Replay: The Fabulous Morris Men. Jack and Joe Morris led ‘Mighty Mayfield’ for nearly 50-years @MHSCards1, @MayfieldSchools, @Coach_Croft12, @mhscoachjoe, @BlakeSandlin, @khsaafootball, @CountyMustang, @bigassfans, @minguabeefjerky

April 6, 2025 Fletcher Long 2

There was a Ron-com musical called “The Fabulous Baker Boys” which was released to much fanfare in the 80s. While these guys were playing and singing there way across Hollywood, and chasing Michelle Pfeiffer all over hither, tither, and yon, the Fabulous Morris Men were winning games and championships in tiny, little Mayfield, Kentucky. Whatever Mayfield is or isn’t, it is the product of the labors of its two long-time coaches, Jack and Joe Morris, father and son. Enjoy this look at a Kentucky legend built by them for us. Enjoy the feature.

Friday Night Fletch

Slow Motion Replay: David Buchanan (@ChiefSmoke10) just when he thought he was out, he got pulled back in; and we’re all thrilled @minguabeefjerky, @bigassfans, @CountyMustangs, @KyHighFootball, @khsaafootball

April 5, 2025 Fletcher Long 0

David Buchanan announced his retiring from football on January 26, 2022. Then he got pulled back in by the Anderson County job and his very popular podcast. Yep, just when Buchanan thought he was out; he got pulled back in…and we couldn’t be any happier about it. Enjoy this look at a guy who is in the midst of what we believe to be a Hall of Fame career. With 234-wins and counting, a title or two to cap it off would cinch a deal which may not need cinching. Also, be sure to catch his podcast, we have linked to it several places in this feature. Enjoy it!

Friday Night Fletch

Slow Motion Replay: Kenneth Ray “Ken” Barrett, Russellville High @khsaafootball, @KyHighFootball, @minguabeefjerky, @bigassfans, @CountyMustangs, @RVKPanthers

April 4, 2025 Fletcher Long 1

I remember when Russellville High owned western, small enrollment, Kentucky, high school football. Of course, they always had to contend with “Mighty Mayfield;” but, the two of them seemed to yearly contend for supremacy both on the western end of Kentucky and, generally, in the commonwealth. Ken Barrett was the coach of most of those fine, fine Russellville teams. We decided to feature him today. No legitimate discussion of the greatest all-time high school football coaches in Kentucky would be complete without featuring the man known simply as “Coach.” Enjoy the feature.

Friday Night Fletch.

Storm Warning: Albert Jackson giving back to his alma mater @HopkinsCentral, @CountyMustangs, @bigassfans, @minguabeefjerky, @_CoachManning

April 3, 2025 Fletcher Long 1

There may never have been a finer athlete play any sport in the pantheon of Hopkins County Central history. Albert Jackson signed with the Georgia Bulldogs and had a productive and noteworthy college career playing hoops in the SEC. Jackson played overseas for quite a while before coming back to his home and teaching and coaching kids and serving as the Mayor of Earlington. Ladies and gentlemen, we are proud to feature today the Honorable Albert Jackson, Mayor of Earlington, KY and assistant coach for the Storm’s FB program. Enjoy the feature.

Friday Night Fletch.

Slow motion replay: Old Coach Holc, revolutionized mountain football @bigassfans, @minguabeefjerky, @BreathittFB, @khsaafootball, @KyHighFootball, @MCentral_FB, @ChiefSmoke10, @HalMumme, @coachtf

March 29, 2025 Fletcher Long 3

Sometimes the featured photo with our articles is a bit fuzzy. We will never sacrifice the image which best captures our story for “a clear picture.” We are a magazine which focuses on “the written word.” We’re story-tellers, not photographers. We just use any old photograph. There isn’t a darn thing fuzzy about Mike Holcomb and his ability to coach a high school football team. This guy is a coaching genius who was running Mumme-like offense in the Appalachias, where power run schemes go to die, before Hal Mumme ever got to UK. This guy’s inside zone play, out of the spread, hits the line as fast as a fullback belly dive. Enjoy this feature.

Friday Night Fletch

Slow Motion Replay: Hillard Howard from Pikeville High @PikevilleHSFB, @PikevilleSports, @PHS_CoachMac, @khsaafootball, @KyHighFootball, @CountyMustangs, @minguabeefjerky, @bigassfans

March 28, 2025 Fletcher Long 1

Hillard Howard is a mountain coaching legend. He was a Kentucky “Golden Gloves” title holder, a two-time title holder in West Virginia, and the national “Golden Gloves” title holder in 1970. He retired from coaching with a 244-69-1 overall record and a 3-2 mark in state title games. Before retiring to Florida, he started the program at Letcher County Central and posted 10-1, 10-2, and 11-3 his last three seasons. The guy was just a winner as assuredly as I live in the “Pennyroyal” region of the commonwealth of Kentucky. Enoy the feature.

Friday Night Fletch.

Slow Motion Replay: Hoover Niece, walked 14 miles out of Cane Holler straight into the KHSAA, Dawahares Hall of Fame @EstillAthletics, @LCC_Football, @mjholcomb24, @minguabeefjerky, @bigassfans, @khsaafootball, @KyHighFootball

March 22, 2025 Fletcher Long 2

There were counties in Tennessee where winning a criminal defense case as an attorney was next to impossible. There were counties where the defendant enjoyed a perceived advantage over the government as the constitution intended. The difference between a sway back mule and a thoroughbred was “geography” in most instances. The same may be said about football. There are places where you get good talent and you routinely contend. Then there are places where exceeding .500 is near miraculous. Homer Niece coached at such a place and his efforts there, over a 27-year span, put him in the Hall of Fame and rightfully. Enjoy the feature.

Friday Night Fletch.

Carson Powers, from Ohio County, is the @bigassfans Kentucky Comfort Creator this Week @minguabeefjerky, @KyHighFootball, @khsaafootball, @ohiocofootball, @OCEagleFootball

March 21, 2025 Fletcher Long 0

Ohio County struggled through an 0-11 campaign in 2024. That doesn’t mean the Eagles won’t be significantly improved in 2025. Matter of fact, we believe the prospects for the Ohio County Eagles are considerably rosier than this time a year ago. One bright spot was the play of Carson Powers and he returns. Enjoy this feature about a kid whose performance made the unbearable heat a tad more bearable and who hopes his performance brings comfort to the home fans around Hartford, KY over his senior year. Let’s keep it comfortable out there, Kentucky, and allow us to help you out in that regard.

Friday Night Fletch