Belpre's new basketball coach is....

[mister b]

Jordan Thornhill.

He was officially hired at the BOE meeting last night. Link to story provided below.

http://www.newsandsentinel.com/page/con ... /Thornhill

Todd Engle, long time coach at Fort Frye, will be Jordan's asst coach.

Best of luck to Jordan, his staff and team. Looking forward to watching the Golden Eagles in action this fall.

LETS GO EAGLES!!!

[Ironman92]

Good Luck to him! It's sometimes tough for the local sports star to take over a program.....but it can always be made to work.

He's just 22 years old but Leesburg Fairfield hired their coach Matt Carson when he was just 20 years old I believe and I think he will be coaching his 5th season this upcoming year......they have had way better than average success with a couple of good tournament runs.

[danicalifornia]

Good luck to him! It could take some time, so hopefully the folks in Belpre can be patient. I think having Coach Engle by his side is going to make things much easier on him as well.

[NYBuckeye96]

I remember reading about him in the local newspapers when he was a player at Belpre and was setting all those records. If he coaches as good as he plays, Belpre will be dominating in basketball again very soon.

[amazinghocks]

Don't forget how much he shot.

[FANOSPORTS]

Belpre used to have a fine bunch of athletes in the not so distant past who were playoff representatives in multiple sports but do they even have enough kids now where they can become competitive again. I don't know what's happened (been away for too long) but they must be losing jobs up around P'burg / Belpre area is all I can figure as the school keeps getting smaller and smaller. Can someone enlighten me on what's happened in the last 15 years or so and why the big downhill slide ?

[Eaglepapaw]

Don't forget how much he shot.

Don't forget how many he made.At the time he played he was Belpre's best chance to score and he was expected to shoot.Good luck Jordan.

[amazinghocks]

Oh he had Eric Lynch, Derek Harris, A young Mark Tate, Micah Pealigrah. If I recall Reggie Sims was there but didn't play much. That team could shoot.

[underthemound]

What's with the negativity hocks? This forum was made to celebrate a young man who is trying to turn a program around. He will put everything he has into the program. Stay off his back for a little while, he's just starting. He must have burnt you or your team a few times in his playing days.

Good Luck Jordan

[amazinghocks]

I didn't think anything negative was being said about him running a program. I was simply giving credit to the player he had played with.

[newlex/sheridan]

you win with talent an they dont have much of that. hopefully he makes them competitive again, they do play in a not very strong tvc so they will have chances at wins

[justlookin]

Congratulations Jordan!!!!!




LET'S GO EAGLES!!!!!!

[The Ultimate Lancer]

The question remains:

1. can he defend "THE WHEEL"?

I doubt he has even seen it in his young life. An early prediction:

federal hocking 8
Belpre 4

The newspaper writeup will be so easy. Federal will get the tip and will hold the ball running their vaunted new offense. Just before the fist period buzzer, they will use the backdoor pass from this play and go into the break leading 2-0. Belpre will inbound the ball, run a quick play and tie the score ten seconds into the 2nd quarter. fed will again employ their offense and grind out the remainder of the quarter. Belpre defenders will get frustrated and will foul just before the half when fed repeats their backddor pass. The lancer player will sink two granny shots and give fed the lead 4-2 at the half. At the half, belpres young coach will decide to try to quicken the pace of the game by usiing some trick play off the inbounds to start the second half. The paly works and the sore is tied at 4. Howie once again will take the air out of the ball and will run the clock down in the 3rd before taking a layup with 15 seconds left in the quarter and will give the lancers a 6-4 lead. Belpre will try to heave up a 3 pointer just before the quarter break but will miss. Feds new and improved defense will get a steal at the start of the 4th and the lancers will grind the clock down. Belpre will foul and the lancers will hit two more granny shots to seal the win.

I can see it now.

[Eaglepapaw]

The question remains:

1. can he defend "THE WHEEL"?

I doubt he has even seen it in his young life. An early prediction:

federal hocking 8
Belpre 4

The newspaper writeup will be so easy. Federal will get the tip and will hold the ball running their vaunted new offense. Just before the fist period buzzer, they will use the backdoor pass from this play and go into the break leading 2-0. Belpre will inbound the ball, run a quick play and tie the score ten seconds into the 2nd quarter. fed will again employ their offense and grind out the remainder of the quarter. Belpre defenders will get frustrated and will foul just before the half when fed repeats their backddor pass. The lancer player will sink two granny shots and give fed the lead 4-2 at the half. At the half, belpres young coach will decide to try to quicken the pace of the game by usiing some trick play off the inbounds to start the second half. The paly works and the sore is tied at 4. Howie once again will take the air out of the ball and will run the clock down in the 3rd before taking a layup with 15 seconds left in the quarter and will give the lancers a 6-4 lead. Belpre will try to heave up a 3 pointer just before the quarter break but will miss. Feds new and improved defense will get a steal at the start of the 4th and the lancers will grind the clock down. Belpre will foul and the lancers will hit two more granny shots to seal the win.

I can see it now.

You been smoking that good Stewart cow manure weed again?

[shoelace]

Sounds like he may have a few kids give up football for full time basketball

[Steely Dan]

Jordan is a fine young man and will do just fine, as long as he has the full support of the community, and the school administration. Having Engle along as his assistant will take some of the heat off, as he is capable of blocking and deflecting the detractors that will certainly try to derail a young coach. It will happen, guaranteed, but Todd, by his side, Jordan should do just fine.

I've known this young man since he was in 3rd or 4th grade, and he's outstanding. I have been and will be a supporter of his, even though my known association is with Fed Hock. I wish him absolutely nothing but the best.

[WHSwarrior]

Thornhill is a superb, innovative candidate for this job. It's true that Belpre lacks the numbers or talent that they had when Thornhill was a player, but who better to stick around for awhile to help Belpre rebuild it's program than the hometown hero? Short of Joe Garrett, this is the best person to fill this Belpre job.

To the comment above, yes, the Pburg/Belpre area is losing skilled and plant jobs annually. And without jobs that provide a full living, people leave the area. Belpre has also seen a pretty consistent flow of kids to Warren district, because the athletic programs in Vincent are a little more solid. That may change as Warren's facilities and community continues to deteriorate due to the rancor over the bond issue and repairing/rebuilding facilities and finances.

[teach123]

WHSwarrior,
I agree with your assessment concerning the job situation in the area and Warren's athletic program be more solid. The question that needs be addressed is why is Belpre's athletic program been on the downslide. How did they, in a short period of time, go from one of the strongest programs in the TVC to joining the small school division and canceling a footbal rivalry with Warren that goes back decades?!

I agree Jordan is a good young man but was he the best candidate for the job with only two years of girl's junior high basketball experience? And was the football coach (who is a community member) the best candidate out of the 30+ that applied?

I think the big answer to those questions lies within who's making the recommendations for the new hire of the head coaches? Maybe the solution and the answer is in the athletic administration...just a thought!

[ccrunner]

Somebody please list all of the Belpre kids who have came to Warren to play sports. I can only think of 1 off the top of my head. 2 problems I see at Belpre the town has turned into a retirement community and retired folks dont have kids in school so down goes your enrollment. I heard that Garrett would have taken the job if it wasn't for Belpres parent problem. Not all the parents are the problem but they have had a few over zealous parents both past and present that seem to think that their kid was or is going to play college ball. I dont think you can brag much when they end up playing at OVU. At least with Jordan he now has a foot in the door and hopefully they will give him a teaching job next year. I dont put much stock in a coach that coaches in 1 district but teaches in another. They usually dont last long either place. When a teaching job does open up at Belpre their board of education should start hiring teachers with successful coaching experience. That should help out and maybe they will find another Garrett or Holder.

[justlookin]

3 out of the last 4 basketball coaches at Belpre were not teachers. If somebody wants to coach at Belpre they have to want to really coach. Teachers at the high school aren't interested in coaching. The facilities are not the best and nothing seems to be in the works to change that for a while. It doesn't matter what you coach or where you coach there will always be parents coaching from the bleachers. Thornhill loves Belpre basketball and without a doubt he will work hard to make this opportunity work. What is really missing for Belpre ahtletics is excitement, this year it just might return.

P.S. Obviously some people have never watched OVU basketball.





LET'S GO EAGLES!!!!!