By Dennis Read
Dennis Read is an Associate Editor at Coaching Management.
Coaching Management, 12.10, November 2004, http://www.momentummedia.com/articles/cm/cm1210/winningthemover.htm
When Chuck Smith, Head Football Coach at Boyle County High School in Danville, Ky., is asked why his teams have been able to win five consecutive state titles, he points in one direction: recruiting. He’s not talking about recruiting players away from other schools. He’s talking about convincing students in his own school district to embrace the sport of football.
"The program wasn’t too successful when we started here in 1992," he says. "Our plan to change that involved, first of all, getting the best athletes in the school to play football. At that time, they were focused on basketball and baseball—football just wasn’t important to them. Since I felt the kids in the high school had already made up their minds, I started recruiting out of our own school district by having youth camps for kids in the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grades as well as middle school."
It took a while for Smith’s plan to work. The Rebels went 18-16 with only one winning season during his first three years on the job. But they followed with 32 wins over the next three years. And in 1999, Boyle County went 15-0 and won its first state title. They repeated as Class AA champs in 2000 before moving up to Class AAA and winning state titles in 2001, 2002, and 2003. Their five consecutive state titles are a record in Kentucky.
"It was a long, hard battle, and it didn’t happen overnight," Smith says. "The plan also required hiring a good coaching staff and getting the community more involved in our football program. It was also important that we had a supportive administration. Fortunately, it all came together."
Smith has had two key members of his coaching staff, Assistant Head Coach Chris Pardue and Strength and Conditioning Coach Chuck Miller, with him throughout the entire 13 years. Offensive Line Coach Chris Mason has been with the team 11 years.
"The longer you’re together, the more you know about each other," Smith says. "They know what’s expected of them as assistant coaches, and they know what to expect from me as a head coach. We’re all really good friends, and that also helps a lot. We respect each other and share the same philosophy about how the game of football should be played."
For Smith, one of the keys to keeping a consistent staff is giving his assistant coaches a lot of responsibility. "I like to give my assistants the freedom to coach," Smith says. "We talk about philosophy and what we want to accomplish in terms of plays and strategy, and I expect them to show results. Since we share the same goals, and they expect it of themselves, I don’t have to push them. I’ve never had a problem with one of them not carrying their load."
The numbers show the success Boyle County has enjoyed. During their five-year title run, the Rebels went 73-2, including a 47-game winning streak that was snapped three games shy of the state record. The Rebels have twice averaged more than 50 points per game for a season (53.1 in 2000 and 50.9 in 2001), and the 2000 team averaged 476.9 yards per game, second best in Kentucky history. In 2001, quarterback Jeff Duggins was named Kentucky’s Mr. Football after throwing for 2,524 yards and 40 touchdowns.
This kind of success makes the Boyle County game the biggest one of the year on most opponents’ schedules. "Everybody is out to get you," Smith says. "We watch a team on tape from their two previous games, and say to ourselves, ‘This team isn’t doing "X" very well,’ but when they play us, they do ‘X’ very well. It’s because they’re playing their best game. That’s a challenge for our kids to face, but it makes us better down the road."
How else does Smith ensure his players don’t take winning for granted? "We stay on them a lot if we think our players are getting overconfident," Smith says. "Our practices are tough, and when they’re not meeting the challenge, they do a lot of extra running. As a coach, I try to make them understand that everybody is going to play their best game against us, so we have to play our best game. And each year, we’ve had a bunch of good seniors who have responded to that."
Smith spends a lot of time developing those seniors into leaders. "We really allow the seniors to guide the team," he says. "We discuss how to respond to certain things, like a difficult practice. We also talk about how the other players are looking to see how they react when a coach gets on them. Fortunately, we’ve had some very good leaders, and that’s why we’ve been successful."
One of the senior leaders of the 2004 team is quarterback Brandon Smith, Chuck Smith’s son. "Some people have a difficult time coaching their sons, but I’ve really enjoyed it," he says. "It’s allowed me to gain a whole new respect for him, because he has really worked hard and made himself into a very good player. The difficult part can be separating the Dad from the Coach, and that’s where I’ve relied on the other coaches in evaluating him and helping him develop.
"The other thing I’ve tried to do is not bring anything home from the football field," Smith continues. "It’s tough sometimes, because I’m a coach at heart, and I like to comment on things. I’ve really bitten my tongue over the past four years."
Whether there are more state championship games in the future, only time will tell. But with five trophies in his office, Smith certainly knows how to prepare for a title game. He has found the week leading up to the game to be chock full of distractions, so he works hard to develop a set routine for his players.
For example, Monday and Tuesday practices follow as close to the regular season schedule as possible for his players since those are their main preparation days. On Wednesday, the team hits the road to practice on a synthetic turf field similar to the one at Papa John’s Cardinals Stadium at the University of Louisville, where the championship game is played. "If you schedule your time and make sure you’re staying as routine as you possibly can," he says, "the coaches and kids will focus."
School: Boyle County High School
Location: Danville, Ky.
State Championships: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
Head Coach: Chuck Smith
Assistant Varsity Coaches: Chris Pardue, Assistant Head Coach; Chuck Miller, Strength and Conditioning Coach; Chris Mason, Offensive Line; Jeff Hester, Linebackers; Frank Crossman, Defensive Backs.
Junior Varsity Coaches: John Hodge, Chris Lemonds, Sean Baker.
Notes: First two titles were in Class AA, the next three in Class AAA ... Boyle County is the first Kentucky high school to win five consecutive state titles ... The Rebels have gone 73-2 during their five-year title streak ... The Rebels had a 47-game unbeaten streak from 1999 to 2002 ... Smith was a linebacker at the University of Kentucky, graduating in 1981.
Title Game Memories: "They were all special in their own way, but I remember the first one [a 29-6 win over Glasgow High School] more than the others. We scored on a blocked field goal to go up and that was a big play I’ll always remember."
Advice: "Don’t assume the kids know anything. Don’t leave any I’s undotted or T’s not crossed. If you assume they already know something, then they may not be ready."