Top five active coaches in Southeast Ohio

[vchoops]

I agree 100% gahs. Longevity counts for a lot when judging a coach. Now a days, its hard to last very long in any one place. That's why what people like Osborne, Jordan, VanMetre, etc.. have accomplished is so impressive.

[Out of Bounds]

Great post G4ever. Everyone of these coaches deserve to be mentioned. But my top 5 are in no order:

Larry Jordan
Jim Osborne
Rick VanMetre
Gene Ford
Tom Barrick

I don't know what Barricks numbers are, but he sure coaches them up. He does it the old school way to. No BS. He will sit his best player in a heart beat. Another guy that does it the right way is Buchler at Eastern Brown.

Persin has to get out of Athens one of these days to move up the ladder in my book. Still a good coach.

[TheMalteseFalcon]

Mark Lafon of Ironton definetly would have to be mentioned.

OK, you mentioned him. Now, let's move on and get realistic.























jess kiddin'

[Zanes-Vegas]

Sure we can't expand these "boundaries" just a little bit, so I can argue for just one guy?

However, I did see Gene Ford's name creep in here, and I will contend that Cambridge HS (even the old one) is farther north of 70 than ZHS is!

[pfloyd]

Coach Aronhalt would be right at the top of the list imo ZanesVegas ... "he does it right" ...

[RANDOMGUY]

What about Lietke @ Fort Frye, 300+ in Beverly

[O.R.prep]

Here is a easy one if you are talking southeast Ohio.

1. Rick VanMetre
2. Tom Barrick
3.Norm Persin
4.The legend Larry Jordan
5.Gary Kellough

[trojandave]

Rick Van Matre of Greenfield McClain is my #1. Very simple.....for over 25 years, he has been doing more with less than anybody else in SE Ohio. And I believe that he has a winning record head to head vs. virtually every other coach listed that he has coached against.

McClain has I believe at least 7 district titles under his tenure, and has advanced to the Elite 8 three times. It seems like most of his teams feature one really good player(Bill Cullom, Dante Jackson) and a supporting cast of role players who get in your face on defense. Some years he put together a good team without one star.....and yet year in and year out this is one program that doesn't seem to change. Most consistent winning program in SE Ohio over the last 25 years, along with Chesapeake and Wheelersburg.

[trojandave]

Tom Barrick of Wheelersburg has 3 state appearances in 12 years, which is very impressive and puts him in elite company statewide, but I still think what Van Matre has done is remarkable. I just don't think that he has had as much talent to work with as Barrick has had.

Van Matre also lost 3 regional final heartbreakers, the first one in 1986 to Enon Greenon 71-67 in 2 OT, then lost to Columbus DeSales(eventual state champion) 52-51 in the 1987 regional final, then lost for a third time to Cambridge 52-48 in the 2000 regional final.

And I think that another point for Van Matre is that look at what McClain was before he came.....a program that was not very good, and yet he turned them around almost immediately. I remember watching McClain vs. Coshocton in the 1983 regional with Rob Munyan as the Tigers sharpshooter.

Wheelersburg was good before Barrick arrived, and he has kept that winning tradition going, to his credit.

[fuzzhead]

It's probably worthwhile to throw Randy Ward's name into the mix... although a good deal of his wins came across the river at Greenup County, Ky... He had some very tough teams at Clay and he's nearly won more games at CG so far this year than the Hornets did the previous 2 years combined...

[JIMMY THE GREEK]

Tom Barrick of Wheelersburg has 3 state appearances in 12 years, which is very impressive and puts him in elite company statewide, but I still think what Van Matre has done is remarkable. I just don't think that he has had as much talent to work with as Barrick has had.

Van Matre also lost 3 regional final heartbreakers, the first one in 1986 to Enon Greenon 71-67 in 2 OT, then lost to Columbus DeSales(eventual state champion) 52-51 in the 1987 regional final, then lost for a third time to Cambridge 52-48 in the 2000 regional final.

And I think that another point for Van Matre is that look at what McClain was before he came.....a program that was not very good, and yet he turned them around almost immediately. I remember watching McClain vs. Coshocton in the 1983 regional with Rob Munyan as the Tigers sharpshooter.

Wheelersburg was good before Barrick arrived, and he has kept that winning tradition going, to his credit.

Agree with Trojandave!

Upcoming young coaches.....Stiverson, Combs, Lisath, LaFond

[bogo]

I agree with Randomguy, Lietke of Fort Frye has to be in the top 5 in SE Ohio, he gets more out of his players than anyone I've seen in a long time.

[AmericanPie]

I would include Fort Frye Coach Dan Liedtke.

[Competitor]

1. Tom Barrick
1. Howie Caldwell
1. Carl Wolfe

If you noticed, all are numbered 1. Get to the STATE and you go on the list!!!!!!! League, Sectional and District Championships can all be "excused" off as being lucky or getting a good draw. Get in the Final Four, you can COACH!!!!!!

[bogo]

If you have to make it to the final 4 of the state tourny to get on the list then Liedtke is on the list, put a #1 next to Dan Liedtke

[nickle back]

I like everyones list but if we are going to have a #1 based on trips to the final four Larry Jordan at Southeastern would have to be considered. Over 560 wins, 3 trips to the final four, twelve 20 win seasons in 35 years is impressive.

[Competitor]

And then there were 5. I knew I would miss someone.

[RANDOMGUY]

Nickle Back,

I will agree with your points only if your name is a football reference and not a wannabe hard rock band reference!!!

[Sports 101]

Nothing about Jeff Lisath from Piketon.