Coach Profiles

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

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 4

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.