KY HS BBALL - Wayne County - Coach Rodney Woods Fired

[Creed Bratton]

You all got me curious so I went to Riherds Scoreboard and looked it up. Their last Sweet 16 appearance was 2014. Since then they made the Region tournament every year but one and of those years they won 1 game in 2015, 2017 & 2019. So 3 region tournament wins in 9 tournaments. I also looked and since that Sweet 16 tournament their overall record is 183-124 for a 59% win percentage. I mean we have a lot of fans wanting rid of Cal for the same things. 🤷‍♂️

 

[Creed Bratton]

As I said earlier I don't care either way as an outsider looking in but I wonder how many of the people who are upset are also upset at UK over not firing Cal.

 

[DaytonKat]

So you all got me curious so I went to Riherds Scoreboard and looked it up. Their last Sweet 16 appearance was 2014. Since then they made the Region tournament every year but one and of those years the won 1 game in 2015, 2017 & 2019. So 3 region tournament wins in 9 tournaments. I also looked and since that Sweet 16 tournament their overall record is 183-124 for a 59% win percentage. I mean we are all wanting rid of Cal for the same things. 🤷‍♂️

I'm not one who can put a high school coach who works with kids 14 - 17 years of age, most who don't play beyond high school, in the same pressure cooker as a coach of one of the premier college programs (I'd argue the premier program).

A high school coach can have a very big influence on the "life education" of young teen boys that extends well beyond basketball.

 

[Catfan2226]

I'm not one who can put a high school coach who works with kids 14 - 17 years of age, most who don't play beyond high school, in the same pressure cooker as a coach of one of the premier college programs (I'd argue the premier program).

A high school coach can have a very big influence on the "life education" of young teen boys that extends well beyond basketball.

I doubt the high school coach makes 8.5 million a year lol.
No comparison with being the coach at UK.

 

[Creed Bratton]

I'm not one who can put a high school coach who works with kids 14 - 17 years of age, most who don't play beyond high school, in the same pressure cooker as a coach of one of the premier college programs, (I'd argue the premier program).

I'm not saying it's an apples to apples comparison. I am more saying it would be easier to justify being let go for not performing at the same level of his earlier tenure when you see those numbers. Again, one of the downfalls of setting expectations so high I guess. It sounds like Woods, just like Cal, had success that got people accustomed to winning and at least one person felt it wasn't up to par and decided to move on unlike Barnhart. Or maybe it was a vendetta like Woods claims, who knows for sure? With all that said he deserved to go out on his own terms IMO.

 

[TucsonCat]

The Superintendent has declined to comment and has refused to meet with parents and players. Here's the subsequent statement from the School:


“Wayne County Schools has made the decision to go in a new direction with some of their athletic programs. At the beginning of this school year, Superintendent Don Neal and the Board of Education gave all the coaches in the athletic department raises, in an attempt to be more equitable towards the many sports programs at Wayne County Schools.”

Wayne County Schools

This makes it sound like there was more than just the basketball coach let go.

 

[Ripcord65]

I'm not saying it's an apples to apples comparison. I am more saying it would be easier to justify being let go for not performing at the same level of his earlier tenure when you see those numbers. Again, one of the downfalls of setting expectations so high I guess. It sounds like Woods, just like Cal, had success that got people accustomed to winning and at least one person felt it wasn't up to par. With all that said he deserved to go out on his own terms IMO.

I tried to read all of your posts in this thread before writing this: Your comments are utter nonsense. The problem is, you equate the stature of the Wayne County HIgh School basketball program, within the realm of all of KHSAA high school basketball, with the stature of University of Kentucky basketball within the realm of all of NCAA basketball. That is an absurd construct, on its face !

U.K. has won eight NCAA Championships, is tied with UCLA and UNC for most appearances in the NCAA Championship title game, and has the most wins of any team in the history of NCAA basketball. And you deign to compare Wayne County High School's KHSAA record to the legendary University of Kentucky Wildcats ? ! ?

Setting up that ridiculous construct seems to me to indicate that either (1) you're a buddy of Superintendent Don Neal, whose vendetta against Coach Woods got him fired, and you're trying to justify the firing, or (2) you're a Calipari Sunshine Pumper seeking to justify the fact that Calipari wasn't fired, notwithstanding his recent abysmal performances in the NCAA Tournament. (But, strangely, I haven't heretofore recognized you as a Sunshine Pumper.)

Whatever ... what a vacuous, mind-boggling post !

 

[DaytonKat]

This makes it sound like there was more than just the basketball coach let go.

Yeah, that "new direction" comment sure does, but it's then followed up by stating "all" got raises.

Interestingly enough, in an interview with Coach Woods, he mentioned that he was fine with not having received a raise when the others did; to ensure that others' had their pay moved upward.

 

[DaytonKat]

I'm not saying it's an apples to apples comparison. I am more saying it would be easier to justify being let go for not performing at the same level of his earlier tenure when you see those numbers. Again, one of the downfalls of setting expectations so high I guess. It sounds like Woods, just like Cal, had success that got people accustomed to winning and at least one person felt it wasn't up to par and decided to move on unlike Barnhart. Or maybe it was a vendetta like Woods claims, who knows for sure? With all that said he deserved to go out on his own terms IMO.

I get what you're saying.

That said, I'd proffer that it was the success of a guy named Adolph Rupp who set expectations high at Kentucky, not John Calipari.

Both Rupp and Woods have had basketball gyms named after them where they've coached. Not sure about Coach Calipari on that one

 

[Blueworld_3.0]

Wayne County is not a very big county and population is pretty small. Years ago Wayne consolidated with Monticello HS and now there is only the one HS there. So, what success they have had seems to be almost entirely while Coach Woods was at the helm. Doesn't seem like a smart move to toss him out in such a frivolous manner. I'd say there are some deep-seated grudges at play behind the scenes.

The 12th region isn't what it used to be however. Before realignment, Wayne, Pulaski, Lincoln, Boyle/Danville and Laurel County made it a solid region. Lots of talent with some very exciting tournaments. Sadly, those days are gone.

 

[Creed Bratton]

I don’t care what they do, who they fire and therefore am not enraged by it. I am giving my opinion as a disinterested 3rd party that has no ties to anyone and thus not looking thru tinted glasses like some close to the situation may be.

Most here would have been okay with Cal being let go for the teams decline including me. I could also see if someone thought that based on the stats from the last 10 seasons that I found earlier was justifiable for this situation as well. However, I said he deserved the opportunity to go out on his own terms for what he accomplished.

I’m going to bow out of the conversation because it’s obvious some people have pretty close ties and feelings to Wayne Co basketball and I’m not trying to upset anyone. Hopefully you all can come to a reasonable solution for all parties down there.

 

[Ripcord65]

I have been in Wayne County once in my life, on business. It seemed like a nice place and I was well treated. That is all I know about Wayne County.
I saw Don Frye play for Monticello High School in the 1960 KHSAA State Tournament at Memorial Coliseum on the UK campus in Lexington. Don was 6' 5" and a two-time All-State player. He made the All-State Tournament team in 1960. Don was the leading scorer in the Championship game with 24 points but, alas, Monticello lost the Championship game to Louisville Flaget. Don Frye was elected to the KHSAA Basketball Hall of Fame. He played college basketball at Furman in South Carolina. That is all I know about Wayne County basketball.
None of that has anything to do with my criticism of the vacuous, mind-boggling post about which I commented in this thread !

 

[Catfan2226]

Other than watching Wayne play the circuit in 12th region play, I have no strings attached to the school or community. I've been to Monticello and the people are great.
I just know from watching coach Woods over the years that his teams were well coached and disciplined.

 

[DaytonKat]

Speaking of the old Monticello High School, a young E.A. Diddle started his coaching career there and took the Trojans to the 1921 state semifinals.

 

[yoshukai]

Played softball against him back in the day . Really good player .

 

[yoshukai]

Speaking of the old Monticello High School, a young E.A. Diddle started his coaching career there and took the Trojans to the 1921 state semifinals.

Other than watching Wayne play the circuit in 12th region play, I have no strings attached to the school or community. I've been to Monticello and the people are great.
I just know from watching coach Woods over the years that his teams were well coached and disciplined.

I used to love that little Monticello Gymn ! Wonder if they still use it .

 

[Catfan2226]

I used to love that little Monticello Gymn ! Wonder if they still use it .

I have no idea if its used or not.

 

[Rockford]

Wayne Co. 24-8 this season
Won District
Lost in first round of Region

 

[DaytonKat]

He coached John Wheat, the current Middlesboro coach, at Wayne County.

“I’ve stayed in contact with him through the years, and I look up to him in more ways than just basketball,” Wheat said. “We talk all the time, he’s been the person I’ve talked to after my father died. He’s a special coach for what he does to help players. That’s what I want to try to be myself as a coach.”

Kentucky prep coaching legend back home for games at MHS

MIDDLESBORO — It’s been 53 years since Rodney Woods starred for Lone Jack High School, but there’s little question he’s one of the all-time greats in Bell County hoops history. Woods was back home, or at least close to it, on Saturday as he brought his Wayne County Cardinals to Middlesboro to...

harlancountysports.com

 

[DaytonKat]

 

[Midway Cat]

Any attempt to compare this situation to Kentucky Basketball is ridiculous on its face.

Also, it seems the new superintendent had a grudge against the coach and his wife because she didn’t recommend him for the job ten years ago. She didn’t have a grudge; he did. Not sure how that was so confusing.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

What a petty little man this superintendent sounds like.

Here's what the superintendent looks like. He just oozes smugness.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Yeah I've saw those reports but he said the wife had a grudge.

It wounds like it was the other way around. Sounds like Neal disliked her because she blocked him a decade ago from getting the same job.

 

[CatFanInIlliniLand]

Total little man syndrome

 

[JumperJack]

Also, it seems the new superintendent had a grudge against the coach and his wife because she didn’t recommend him for the job ten years ago. She didn’t have a grudge; he did. Not sure how that was so confusing.

💯

 

[DaytonKat]

Appears former players (some who are parents of current players) are inviting everyone to a rally to reinstate Coach Woods this coming Tuesday.

 

[nickhorvathsuxazz]

In a move that reeks of a personal vendetta, the new Wayne Co. Schools Superintendent terminated popular Head Basketball Coach Rodney Woods. Anyone there on the ground in Wayne Co. with more insight and an update?

Rodney Woods speaks out after being fired from Wayne County head coaching job

Rodney Woods had been the boys basketball head coach at Wayne County High School for 38 years, winning over 800 games and reaching multiple state tournaments.

fox56news.com

Somebody tell barnhart he's available

 

[Wildcatfanatic64]

Someone told me they saw on social media that Wayne Co is 2-9 since their last Sweet 16 appearance back around 2014 or 2015. Sounds like it could have been performance based. I mean people want Cal fired for the same things.

Just as unimaginable.

 

[Soupbean]

I have been in Wayne County once in my life, on business. It seemed like a nice place and I was well treated. That is all I know about Wayne County.
I saw Don Frye play for Monticello High School in the 1960 KHSAA State Tournament at Memorial Coliseum on the UK campus in Lexington. Don was 6' 5" and a two-time All-State player. He made the All-State Tournament team in 1960. Don was the leading scorer in the Championship game with 24 points but, alas, Monticello lost the Championship game to Louisville Flaget. Don Frye was elected to the KHSAA Basketball Hall of Fame. He played college basketball at Furman in South Carolina. That is all I know about Wayne County basketball.
None of that has anything to do with my criticism of the vacuous, mind-boggling post about which I commented in this thread !

My Dad played with A Frye at Monticello in 53-54 but can’t remember which one. Dad and his team were #6 in the state in the Louisville Litkenhouse ratings then pretty good for a school of maybe 200.. All of them were inducted into the Monticello High School Hall of Fame.

 

[Stretch98]

Played softball against him back in the day . Really good player .

A heck of an athlete and tough as nails competitor. At 5'10", started all three years at point guard for Tennessee and led the SEC in assists.

 

[DaytonKat]

They've got the bloodhound, Alan Cutler, tracking this story down...

 

[_ukcat]

I know Rodney back from his days of Coaching at Corbin. My favorite story was from his UT days with Bernie, Ernie and Coach Ray Mears. If you remember the game where UT switch players and the wrong player shot the foul shots. After the game Mears pulled Rodney,Bernie and Ernie aside and asked them if they switch players for the foul shot. They yes they did to which Mears replied " Deny it" and laughed!

 

[DaytonKat]

Here's a recording/podcast of the "No Filter" Alan Cutler Show where Alan speaks on the firing of Rodney Woods by the Superintendent and then interviews one of the current players, Seth Farmer, who is currently a sophomore at Wayne County High School.

You can skip ahead to the 21.15 mark to go directly to where Alan starts speaking on the Rodney Woods firing.

4/1/24 – The NO FILTER Alan Cutler Show

NO FILTER on the Reds walk-off win AND a gripe with Cal! Seth Farmer joins the show to talk about the firing of his former coach, Rodney Woods! Anna Tarullo LIVE in studio and she is MORE no filter than Tod Lanter! Andy Furman on the phone and he is always NO FILTER!

www.wlxg.com

 

[mrs. stg]

The firing of Woods was handled about as poorly as it could have been. Every one from Rex Chapman to Hoops Weiss have latched on to the story and how terrible Woods was treated and as a result of that narrative, Wayne County looks like quite the bunch of fools. The superintendent is a small little man that was hired in the most crooked way possible and the three board members that hired him operate like they share the same half brain. This is ALL true. There are more truths out there that isn't in the Woods narrative.

While it's true that Wayne has won a lot of games under Woods including 9 regional titles, as Creed Bratton pointed out above, the last 10 seasons have been pretty mediocre. A 59.6% winning percentage over 10 years would get a lot of coaches replaced. The last 5 years have produced a 55% wp.

Wayne had one of the best athletes in the state come through their halls a few seasons ago. He's now a running back for Eastern but he was also a very talented basketball player. He couldn't play in Wayne's basketball program because of Woods' haircut/no facial hair policy. A policy that requires a shorter haircut than Woods sported at UT. I wonder what Rex and Cutler would do with a story like that?

If you look at Wayne's roster over several seasons, you will nearly always find 7th and 8th graders. The 22-23 season boasted a starting 8th grade point guard along with 3 other 8th graders and a 7th grader on the varsity roster. JV is filled with 7th and 8th graders almost every year. Why can't Wayne, a school with close to 1,000 students, fill a Varsity and JV roster with high school kids? Is Wayne County Middle School producing that many varsity and JV studs? Most in Wayne County feel these are very valid questions. Especially those kids that have been pushed out the door in favor of the next greatest thing.

 

[Catfan2226]

The firing of Woods was handled about as poorly as it could have been. Every one from Rex Chapman to Hoops Weiss have latched on to the story and how terrible Woods was treated and as a result of that narrative, Wayne County looks like quite the bunch of fools. The superintendent is a small little man that was hired in the most crooked way possible and the three board members that hired him operate like they share the same half brain. This is ALL true. There are more truths out there that isn't in the Woods narrative.

While it's true that Wayne has won a lot of games under Woods including 9 regional titles, as Creed Bratton pointed out above, the last 10 seasons have been pretty mediocre. A 59.6% winning percentage over 10 years would get a lot of coaches replaced. The last 5 years have produced a 55% wp.

Wayne had one of the best athletes in the state come through their halls a few seasons ago. He's now a running back for Eastern but he was also a very talented basketball player. He couldn't play in Wayne's basketball program because of Woods' haircut/no facial hair policy. A policy that requires a shorter haircut than Woods sported at UT. I wonder what Rex and Cutler would do with a story like that?

If you look at Wayne's roster over several seasons, you will nearly always find 7th and 8th graders. The 22-23 season boasted a starting 8th grade point guard along with 3 other 8th graders and a 7th grader on the varsity roster. JV is filled with 7th and 8th graders almost every year. Why can't Wayne, a school with close to 1,000 students, fill a Varsity and JV roster with high school kids? Is Wayne County Middle School producing that many varsity and JV studs? Most in Wayne County feel these are very valid questions. Especially those kids that have been pushed out the door in favor of the next greatest thing.

These are a just a few of the things that never come up when discussing Woods. I didn't get into how Woods was actually hired (in the back of a grocery store) at Wayne or why he needed to get out of Corbin. Sure, he's nice to refs and the media and is a great interview, but thing aren't always as they seem on the surface.

I follow 12th region basketball and I will admit that I don't live in Wayne and don't follow the goings on in the community but there are several schools in the Region that use 7th and 8th graders on varsity teams and most would love to have a 59 percent winning percentage over a period of time.
Regardless, if he was fired over a grudge then that's just pitty and spiteful because in my opinion, Woods deserved at least the opportunity to go out on his terms this season but like I said, I'll let the good people of Wayne County be the judge.

 

[DaytonKat]

A coach that has a team policy of short hair and no facial hair? That's just downright awful; borderline abusive. That's right up there with the repressive policy of requiring a shirt and shoes to get service at some restaurants and grocery stores!

On 2nd thought, I'd love for my boy to play for Coach Woods.

 

[DaytonKat]

Appears former players (some who are parents of current players) are inviting everyone to a rally to reinstate Coach Woods this coming Tuesday.

View embedded media

Due to the severe weather that went thru the area this past Tuesday, the rally to reinstate Coach Woods was moved to this evening.

Anyone there in Wayne Co. that will be attending?

 

[DaytonKat]

Wayne Countians rally to reinstate Coach Woods...

Wayne County rallies to reinstate former coach Rodney Woods

The firing has become quite a talking point in Monticello, with Rodney Woods’ current and former players coming out to defend the legendary coach.

fox56news.com

 

[UK90]

Wayne had one of the best athletes in the state come through their halls a few seasons ago. He's now a running back for Eastern but he was also a very talented basketball player. He couldn't play in Wayne's basketball program because of Woods' haircut/no facial hair policy.

Bullshit. Of course he could. Just get a haircut. Problem solved.

That kid had pretty messed up priorities if he was willing to give up HS basketball just to avoid shaving or getting his hair trimmed.