Vinton County Football Coach
Re: Vinton County Football Coach
VC needs to look into the peewee league to try to find a coach. That way they can compete with Belpre next season. If that doesn't work, then go find a good used car salesman, again to stay stride for stride with Belpre and some other schools in that area.
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MTSWNGRVSG
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1974Viking
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Re: Vinton County Football Coach
mtswngrvsg wrote:Congrats to Coach Burleson! Good Luck!
http://www.thetelegramnews.com/main.asp ... cleID=9421
mtswngrvsg, Do you know Coach Burleson very well? Can you tell us anything about him? I want to wish him the best. I sure hope he can change things around for the Vikings. Also hope he is given the time and support to build the program. All of us in Vinton County know we can again have a team to be proud of and make it mean something to be a Football Player here again. I am not going to belittle Coach Yates in any fashion. He was and still is my friend. I am sure that no one wanted things to turn out different any more than Nolan. I don't mean to over look the kids that have been playing over the last several years. I have the utmost respect for them. They are all winners in my mind. That is in the past. Now is the time to get behind our new Coach Burleson, welcome him to our community, and support him, and get onto the road to recovery. It will not happen over night, but it will happen. Welcome Coach Burleson, and good luck. From an Old Proud Viking
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MTSWNGRVSG
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Re: Vinton County Football Coach
He will big about the weight room and very organized. I figure the offense will be option based like he said in the article. He runs a 43 defense. He will turn boys into men if given the time and his teams are always very physical. If the people get behind him the program will make progress. Yes I know him and have for many years.
I look forward to the time when the Vikings are back in the playoffs!
I look forward to the time when the Vikings are back in the playoffs!
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1974Viking
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Re: Vinton County Football Coach
mtswngrvsg wrote:He will big about the weight room and very organized. I figure the offense will be option based like he said in the article. He runs a 43 defense. He will turn boys into men if given the time and his teams are always very physical. If the people get behind him the program will make progress. Yes I know him and have for many years.
I look forward to the time when the Vikings are back in the playoffs!
Thank You for your input and info on our new coach. Sounds like we have landed agreat coach. Look forward to the getting back to the playoffs. It sure does bring a community together. Will have to look you up and buy you a hot dog and drink. From one Viking to another Viking, Thanks
Re: Vinton County Football Coach
Sounds like a good offense for VC...In the lst few years the Vikings went from spread to run.. I think with Ward at QB (which im sure he will be) VC will be able to throw the ball a good bit. Ward maynot be able to throw the ball 80 yards, but with some work, and some good receivers to throw at, I think the passing part will be good. Running the ball will more than likely be the strongest part of the offense this coming season with Meachum coming back..He did very well in the games he got to play last year...if he (and the rest of the Vikings) can stay healthy, I think VC could surprise some people this season. Coach Burleson has a good resume and playing at Tenn. he knows the game. I am very excited about this coming year...he Vikings will be back.
VC ahas the kids, they just havent played in recent years...I look for them to come out this year.
VC ahas the kids, they just havent played in recent years...I look for them to come out this year.
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Keyser_sozeThrice
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Re: Vinton County Football Coach
The report on Coach Burleson's hiring here.
Good luck to Coach Burleson and the Vikings, seems like a real good guy and I look forward to working with him.
Enjoy.
Burleson hired as new Vinton County coach
By PAUL BOGGS
Sports Editor
McARTHUR — Justy Burleson basically built the South Gallia High School football program.
He’s going to be asked to rebuild the program in Vinton County.
That’s because Burleson, after weeks of strong speculation, was officially hired on Monday night by the Vinton County Local Board of Education as the Vikings’ new head football coach.
Burleson received a supplemental contract for the 2010-11 academic year, and was also hired as a teacher at Vinton County High School for the Retail and Marketing program.
He leaves small-school South Gallia for the much larger Vinton County, as the Rebels are an independent program competing in Division VI.
The Vikings are three divisions larger, but Burleson welcomes the challenge of building the VCHS program into a winner once again.
“If you really want to move up in coaching around this area (Southeastern Ohio), there are only a few schools where you can do that. Vinton County is one of them,†said Burleson in an interview on Tuesday. “Vinton County has tremendous facilities that are well taken care of, and the administration and I have discussed some of the changes that need to be made. They are committed, as am I, to building the type of program that fans can be proud of here. I’m excited about the opportunity to coach and teach here, and I look forward to being here for a long time.â€
He replaces four-year head coach Nolan Yates, a former VCHS standout and assistant, who resigned at the end of last season following a second consecutive 1-9 campaign.
The Vikings have been beset by an overwhelming amount of injuries, overall inexperience at the varsity level, and dwindling numbers in the program.
Burleson — regarded as a disciplinarian who emphasizes team unity and building from within — believes he can build the numbers back up, and improve the team’s strength and conditioning.
He views the Vikings’ state of strength and speed as a key concern.
“The strength program has to improve, first and foremost,†said Burleson. “A main reason for injuries is because your strength levels are low. Improved strength doesn’t prevent all injuries, but it prevents a lot of them. I’m big on the weight room and strength and speed. That has to get better, and I’m going to make sure it does.â€
He started at South Gallia with little of a weight room, and has increased the Rebels’ numbers from upwards of around 35 for a Division VI team.
“When we first took over at South Gallia, weightlifting was almost not-existent and we didn’t have much of a weight room. It all starts with the strength and speed levels. Because we made a commitment to that, our footwork got better, we were physically stronger and quicker and were more competitive. We didn’t win every game, but weren’t getting physically hammered all the time anymore either.â€
And getting physically overpowered early on in high school pushes players away from the game.
The Vikings’ varsity roster this past season hovered between 35 and 40 players.
That meant an incomplete junior varsity schedule, and no freshman squad.
Many of the younger Vikings played full-time varsity this past fall.
“We have to get the numbers back up to where we first have a consistent JV team. There are a lot of those young kids, especially freshmen, who really shouldn’t have been playing varsity. They need to be playing JV ball, so they can develop confidence and not get beat up by juniors and seniors right off the bat,†said Burleson. “You play kids at JV to get them ready for varsity.â€
Especially against the Vikings’ Tri-Valley Conference Ohio Division schedule.
This will be Burleson’s first season as a head coach in a league, as South Gallia — despite joining the TVC-Hocking Division next academic year — has been an independent since the school’s inception in the fall of 1996.
Burleson spent nine seasons at South Gallia, including as head coach the past seven.
He leaves the Rebels as the school’s all-time winningest coach, with an overall record of 29-42, including back-to-back Division VI, Region 23 playoff appearances in 2005 and 2006.
Burleson guided South Gallia to a best-ever record of 5-5 his first season, then started a reserve program for the first time in school history a year later in 2004.
What followed was the back-to-back state playoff berths, and a 14-8 overall record, including a school-best 8-3 mark in 2006.
An 8-3 tally has been the Vikings’ best record in the past six seasons, as Vinton County qualified for its second-ever playoff appearance that year (2004).
“We were better physically and competitively at South Gallia the last few years than the first two. I feel like I’m leaving the program there in better shape and I’m proud of what we were able to accomplish,†said Burleson.
Burleson is a graduate of the defunct Southwestern High School, which was a member of the defunct SVAC.
He played for two seasons at the University of Tennessee, before transferring and playing his final two seasons at East Tennessee State.
He graduated with his bachelor’s degree from ETSU, and was actually out of football for nine years until he joined River Valley as an assistant in 2000.
After two years as an assistant at SGHS, he was promoted to head coach.
Burleson believes in a “gap control†4-3 defense.
“We want to control gaps. That philosophy develops your defensive line. Your defensive line controls the offensive line and allows your linebackers to run up and make tackles,†he said.
Burleson also said he plans to keep an option-based offense in place.
The Vikings are well-known for their wishbone-style running attack.
“I’m a believer in option football, and we’re going to run the option. We’ll run a lot of pro sets out of it, and we want to have the ability to throw the ball 15 or 20 times a game given say 60 offensive plays,†he said. “By running effectively, you set up the pass and that allows for the potential home-run ball (deep downfield pass attempts). Eight or nine guys stacked in the box means one-on-one coverage on the outside.â€
Burleson acknowledged the Vikings’ youth and athleticism in the younger grades.
“I have heard that we’ve got good eighth grade, ninth grade and sophomore classes coming through and they are good athletes,†he said. “If that’s the case, then we’re playing catchup on strength and speed, which develop confidence. We want to get our numbers out and keep them up at all levels. Football is a game that you can develop young men to play. You teach fundamentals in football, where other sports like baseball you either have the skills or you don’t. I’m going into this with an open mind and fully expect to play quite a few kids. I don’t expect to play just 15. I want to play 35 or 40, with 20 on offense or defense and another 15 or 20 on special teams.â€
With March now upon us, time will pass quickly until it is soon August and the beginning of two-a-day practices.
Burleson attended Tuesday night’s Vinton County at Meigs boys basketball game in an attempt to meet some of his prospective players for next football season.
He expects to have a first formal team meeting next week.
He is also in the process of building a coaching staff, which he said will likely include one or perhaps two of his South Gallia assistants.
The remainder he expects to include from those in the Vinton County community.
“I’m not going to drop any names, but I expect the staff to include a good mix of individuals from Vinton County or around the area and one or two from my staff at South Gallia,†said Burleson. “We’re working on that right now. We want to have a good staff that we’re confident in.â€
And speaking of confidence, Burleson expressed his thanks to the Vinton County community and district administration for showing trust in him — void of any notable Vinton County ties — to rebuild the Viking program.
“Vinton County has a proud football tradition, and it’s our goal to restore that,†he said. “Right now, our focus is on setting up the entire organization, improve the strength and speed program and build our numbers back up.â€
sports@timesjournal.com
Good luck to Coach Burleson and the Vikings, seems like a real good guy and I look forward to working with him.
Enjoy.
Burleson hired as new Vinton County coach
By PAUL BOGGS
Sports Editor
McARTHUR — Justy Burleson basically built the South Gallia High School football program.
He’s going to be asked to rebuild the program in Vinton County.
That’s because Burleson, after weeks of strong speculation, was officially hired on Monday night by the Vinton County Local Board of Education as the Vikings’ new head football coach.
Burleson received a supplemental contract for the 2010-11 academic year, and was also hired as a teacher at Vinton County High School for the Retail and Marketing program.
He leaves small-school South Gallia for the much larger Vinton County, as the Rebels are an independent program competing in Division VI.
The Vikings are three divisions larger, but Burleson welcomes the challenge of building the VCHS program into a winner once again.
“If you really want to move up in coaching around this area (Southeastern Ohio), there are only a few schools where you can do that. Vinton County is one of them,†said Burleson in an interview on Tuesday. “Vinton County has tremendous facilities that are well taken care of, and the administration and I have discussed some of the changes that need to be made. They are committed, as am I, to building the type of program that fans can be proud of here. I’m excited about the opportunity to coach and teach here, and I look forward to being here for a long time.â€
He replaces four-year head coach Nolan Yates, a former VCHS standout and assistant, who resigned at the end of last season following a second consecutive 1-9 campaign.
The Vikings have been beset by an overwhelming amount of injuries, overall inexperience at the varsity level, and dwindling numbers in the program.
Burleson — regarded as a disciplinarian who emphasizes team unity and building from within — believes he can build the numbers back up, and improve the team’s strength and conditioning.
He views the Vikings’ state of strength and speed as a key concern.
“The strength program has to improve, first and foremost,†said Burleson. “A main reason for injuries is because your strength levels are low. Improved strength doesn’t prevent all injuries, but it prevents a lot of them. I’m big on the weight room and strength and speed. That has to get better, and I’m going to make sure it does.â€
He started at South Gallia with little of a weight room, and has increased the Rebels’ numbers from upwards of around 35 for a Division VI team.
“When we first took over at South Gallia, weightlifting was almost not-existent and we didn’t have much of a weight room. It all starts with the strength and speed levels. Because we made a commitment to that, our footwork got better, we were physically stronger and quicker and were more competitive. We didn’t win every game, but weren’t getting physically hammered all the time anymore either.â€
And getting physically overpowered early on in high school pushes players away from the game.
The Vikings’ varsity roster this past season hovered between 35 and 40 players.
That meant an incomplete junior varsity schedule, and no freshman squad.
Many of the younger Vikings played full-time varsity this past fall.
“We have to get the numbers back up to where we first have a consistent JV team. There are a lot of those young kids, especially freshmen, who really shouldn’t have been playing varsity. They need to be playing JV ball, so they can develop confidence and not get beat up by juniors and seniors right off the bat,†said Burleson. “You play kids at JV to get them ready for varsity.â€
Especially against the Vikings’ Tri-Valley Conference Ohio Division schedule.
This will be Burleson’s first season as a head coach in a league, as South Gallia — despite joining the TVC-Hocking Division next academic year — has been an independent since the school’s inception in the fall of 1996.
Burleson spent nine seasons at South Gallia, including as head coach the past seven.
He leaves the Rebels as the school’s all-time winningest coach, with an overall record of 29-42, including back-to-back Division VI, Region 23 playoff appearances in 2005 and 2006.
Burleson guided South Gallia to a best-ever record of 5-5 his first season, then started a reserve program for the first time in school history a year later in 2004.
What followed was the back-to-back state playoff berths, and a 14-8 overall record, including a school-best 8-3 mark in 2006.
An 8-3 tally has been the Vikings’ best record in the past six seasons, as Vinton County qualified for its second-ever playoff appearance that year (2004).
“We were better physically and competitively at South Gallia the last few years than the first two. I feel like I’m leaving the program there in better shape and I’m proud of what we were able to accomplish,†said Burleson.
Burleson is a graduate of the defunct Southwestern High School, which was a member of the defunct SVAC.
He played for two seasons at the University of Tennessee, before transferring and playing his final two seasons at East Tennessee State.
He graduated with his bachelor’s degree from ETSU, and was actually out of football for nine years until he joined River Valley as an assistant in 2000.
After two years as an assistant at SGHS, he was promoted to head coach.
Burleson believes in a “gap control†4-3 defense.
“We want to control gaps. That philosophy develops your defensive line. Your defensive line controls the offensive line and allows your linebackers to run up and make tackles,†he said.
Burleson also said he plans to keep an option-based offense in place.
The Vikings are well-known for their wishbone-style running attack.
“I’m a believer in option football, and we’re going to run the option. We’ll run a lot of pro sets out of it, and we want to have the ability to throw the ball 15 or 20 times a game given say 60 offensive plays,†he said. “By running effectively, you set up the pass and that allows for the potential home-run ball (deep downfield pass attempts). Eight or nine guys stacked in the box means one-on-one coverage on the outside.â€
Burleson acknowledged the Vikings’ youth and athleticism in the younger grades.
“I have heard that we’ve got good eighth grade, ninth grade and sophomore classes coming through and they are good athletes,†he said. “If that’s the case, then we’re playing catchup on strength and speed, which develop confidence. We want to get our numbers out and keep them up at all levels. Football is a game that you can develop young men to play. You teach fundamentals in football, where other sports like baseball you either have the skills or you don’t. I’m going into this with an open mind and fully expect to play quite a few kids. I don’t expect to play just 15. I want to play 35 or 40, with 20 on offense or defense and another 15 or 20 on special teams.â€
With March now upon us, time will pass quickly until it is soon August and the beginning of two-a-day practices.
Burleson attended Tuesday night’s Vinton County at Meigs boys basketball game in an attempt to meet some of his prospective players for next football season.
He expects to have a first formal team meeting next week.
He is also in the process of building a coaching staff, which he said will likely include one or perhaps two of his South Gallia assistants.
The remainder he expects to include from those in the Vinton County community.
“I’m not going to drop any names, but I expect the staff to include a good mix of individuals from Vinton County or around the area and one or two from my staff at South Gallia,†said Burleson. “We’re working on that right now. We want to have a good staff that we’re confident in.â€
And speaking of confidence, Burleson expressed his thanks to the Vinton County community and district administration for showing trust in him — void of any notable Vinton County ties — to rebuild the Viking program.
“Vinton County has a proud football tradition, and it’s our goal to restore that,†he said. “Right now, our focus is on setting up the entire organization, improve the strength and speed program and build our numbers back up.â€
sports@timesjournal.com
Re: Vinton County Football Coach
Matt Queen would be a great assistant coach. Hes been in the trenches and has several TVC titles in his resume. Just an idea.
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Rebels on 3
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Futurebkstar
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Re: Vinton County Football Coach
I know Coach Burleson although he is a few years younger than me. The Burleson's are a top-notch family in our community and certainly no strangers to hard work. I think that VC got themselves a good man. If, for some reason, it does not work out, it will not be from a lack of trying. I am also pleased to see the positive comments from the SG posters. I hope that both he and the program benefit from the move. Good luck Coach Burleson.
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PIGSKIN JUNKIE
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Jake Roberts
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Re: Vinton County Football Coach
Good luck, Coach Burleson. Will he be keeping any of Coach Yates' assistants? Will Coach Games or Coach Dunn be helping out? Also heard former VC coach, Jeff Downs, was going to help out this coming year. Any truth to that?
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Orange and Brown
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Re: Vinton County Football Coach
Good luck coach.
You have talent on the horizon. The future looks bright. should be a quick turn around!
If the rumor about Coach Downs wanting to be on your staff is correct; he is a great person and coach which you will eventually find out.
You will love being at Vinton County. The other coaches will encourage boys to play football or other sports. It won't take you long to see VC coaches are like family to each other.
GO VIKES
You have talent on the horizon. The future looks bright. should be a quick turn around!
If the rumor about Coach Downs wanting to be on your staff is correct; he is a great person and coach which you will eventually find out.
You will love being at Vinton County. The other coaches will encourage boys to play football or other sports. It won't take you long to see VC coaches are like family to each other.
GO VIKES
Re: Vinton County Football Coach
Best of luck to coach Burleson.
Vinton does have some nice facilities, especially their weightroom.
Vinton does have some nice facilities, especially their weightroom.
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bump in the road
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Re: Vinton County Football Coach
Has anyone heard if Coach Downs is in the mix to be an assistant coach for Vinton Co. Football?????????
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just_a_fan_24
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Re: Vinton County Football Coach
good luck to the new coach, i here nothing but good things about him. hopefully he can bring the vikes out of the hole they were driven into by the last coach.