What we believe to be the “Hot Board” at Trigg for its vacant HFC position…

Let’s just start out with this. We haven’t discussed this matter with the present Athletics Director at Trigg County High School and we don’t really know in which direction or directions the school is looking to replace outgoing Colby Lewis. That being said, we know a few people around the area and the commonwealth and we are generally well informed.

We have heard various names mentioned for the vacancy and we consider the job, with the roster talent returning and the tradition of winning football the Wildcats have played throughout its history, to be a top-flight job. A top-flight job attracts top-flight candidates. All of the candidates we will discuss here fit that definition.

Two guys presently on the coaching staff…

Rusty Goble…The first guy who should certainly get a look is present offensive coordinator Rusty Goble. Goble is a well experienced football coach having coached at high levels of competition for nearly 30-years. Frankly, for this career assistant and well-respected offensive guru, it is his time to get a job like this.

Under Goble, especially with the talent coming through the pipeline at Trigg County, they would play a very exciting brand of football which would pack the stands and coffers with money, always a consideration. Rusty is a decorated educator and fully licensed so his gaining employment on the academic side of the house would be a solid hire for reasons other than football.

If Trigg County doesn’t lock him down with a head coaching position, they will lose him. There is a lot of interest in this candidate.

Dixie Jones…Coach Jones has 27-years of Head Coaching experience including 20-years previously at Trigg County. He is presently the defensive coordinator and as a strength and conditioning coach, he is legendary.

Now, Dixie Jones has a track record and that doesn’t always work to the favor of a coach. Dixie won 140 games, losing 161, in a 27-year career as a head coach (10-3 at Madisonville North-Hopkins; 97-121 at Trigg; 33-37 at Hopkinsville High). Jones only won 97-games (97-121) in his 20-year stint the last time around heading the helm in Cadiz.

You won’t find a coach more respected or better thought of by the men who formerly played or worked under him and he runs a squeaky clean program so those definitely swing the pendulum in his favor. We have no idea if Dixie has any desire to head up a program any longer and he may be well suited to stay on as a defensive coordinator and continue to run the strength program.

His name consistently gets bantered about when discussion of the opening is discussed. He is an amply licensed and well respected educator.

An undeniable up and comer

Adam Dowland…Adam Dowland’s considerable talents were misused at Hopkinsville High School. He is frankly, like Rusty Goble, a well experienced assistant and former coordinator who won’t be around too long as he is also a hot coaching commodity.

Adam Dowland is the best strength and conditioning coach at the high school level I have ever seen. The kids who actually bought in and participated at Hoptown developed into powerful, explosive, football players with literally no local peer. At Trigg County, where weight training is stressed and compulsory, there is no telling what some of these kids would look like if developed in the Dowland system.

Dowland has already been offered a head coaching job this offseason in a neighboring state he passed on to stay in the western Kentucky area. He would be a really solid hire. He would win a lot of games with the talent on Trigg’s roster we wager.

Two “Big-Splash” guys...

Marty Jaggers…When your surname is “Jaggers” you are born a splash-hire at the Kentucky High School football coaching level. The son of a coach who won two state football titles at Trigg County, five overall, and was the commonwealth’s winning coach in history when he retired, this is a guy who needs no introduction. After all, he retired as the school’s AD just 4 or so years ago.

Jaggers coached Lincoln County to a runner-up and then led Mercer County, in 2006, to a State Football Championship. He also shepherded the school through the merger with Harrodsburg. Marty also served on Sam Harp’s staff for a time at Danville where his son, Josh, was an all-state lineman. Josh’s senior year Danville was a runner-up (1998).

Jaggers won 85-games in 10 seasons as a head coach going 36-14 at Mercer County before winning another 49-games coaching at Lincoln County. He is retired and we don’t believe he has any desire to get back in the classroom. He would be a solid hire if the Wildcats wanted to go the Larry French/Craig Clayton route. This is an admitted long-shot but this would be a “big-splash” hire.

Mark Peach…Speaking of your “big-splash” hires! This is a name being mentioned in almost every posted opening, why not here. Mark Peach attended and played at Campbellsville with present HC/AD at Christian County, Steve Lovelace and has a really close relationship with present Hopkinsville Head Coach, Craig Clayton.

While we recognize Peach got pushed out at Anderson County and that 2019 was a nightmare season for him, it would be error to not look at the remainder of his body of work at the helm of Anderson County. Coach Peach had a wonderful tenure for the Bearcats and took the program to unprecedented heights over the course of his career there. He was 114-63 at Anderson County with a trip to the Championship game (2011) and a trip to the Semis (2013).

Don’t be surprised to see this name explored. Don’t be surprised to see him apply for the opening if he hasn’t already. He is a well-licensed and well-respected educator too making his gaining academic employment at the school an easy get for him.

This is Coach HB Lyon, reporting for KPGFootball, and we’re JUST CALLING IT LIKE WE SEE IT!

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About Henry Lyon 1210 Articles
Have coached at the high school and middle school level. Have worked in athletic administration. Conceal my identity to enable my candor on articles published by this magazine. Only members of the editorial board are aware of my true identity.

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