Enough is enough and it's time for a change

[Cougs]

I have more than supported all the coaches for many years. Just because everyone else is doing something, I'm not going to do it. I'm not going to pat someone on the back just because everyone else is. I am looking out for the welfare of my son. He is my 1st and last priority. And if that makes someone mad...oh well. I'm not going to apologize for it. I've not said that the coaches are bad people cause they're not. I want to see my son have a senior yr he can be proud of. He busts his butt every single day to get where he's at. He works for it and isn't handed anything. And he deserves better. As long as my son is a Cougar I will be behind them.

[disgruntledcougar]

I am not saying Coach Wells is a bad person. I like the guy as a person, not as a coach. Your talking about him taking teams to the playoffs and all that, but lets be realistic for a second. One, their isn't a Chris Johnson walking around in the halls. Two, you don't have a Coach Wampler defense walking around that had I believe six shutouts in a year while Coach Wells offenses didn't put up great numbers. If you want me to post numbers I can. You got kids leaving for several reasons. Mostly because they don't want to play in that system and also because they don't like Wells because of his attitude thinking he don't have to ask anyone to come out. For this program to succeed its goin to take a young and energetic coach to come in and take control. When I mean turn around I am not talking undefeated. I'm talking six or seven wins a year(which is possible). Think about it.

[springsvalley]

I have seen the enemy...and the enemy is us.

[Rhino]

Friday nights game was a disgrace. Whether or not it was a feeling out game, trying to see what would or would not work. I feel bad for the kids. That was the most ill-prepared team CC has put on the field in a long time. We had linebackers still trying to get in position when the ball was snapped. Yes we are undersized in the secondary, but when you only have 30-40 kids out and 8 freshmen it kind of limits you. Mine could be playing LB, safety, QB, or running the ball but isn't. He is playing where he is needed. Loudon did go to the semis last year and didn't lose much from that team. When you give up a score 7 seconds into the game it kinda takes the air out of you. I was told alot of the boys quit trying after that happened. When there is no threat of loosing your position for lack of hustle you will get that alot. Coach Wells is a good guy and coach, but needs an offensive coordinator to allow him time to do what he needs to, such as ensuring everyone is pulling their weight, coaches included. Having been a freshman coach I can attest to the effort that is put into this program and was told by my own wife to take a sleeping bag with me. I can also say that Coach will leave when he wants to and not before, regardless of what you might think you can do. Yes something needs to change but not the way most think.

[bystander]

I'm certainly no expert either and I've said time and again that I like the man and I especially like the role model he is for the team and the way he always includes prayer.

[springsvalley]

Perhaps Coach Wells is caught between a rock and an immovable force. Kids have a tendency to quit nowadays when pushed by an authority figure (such as a coach) to be better. Competition for spots is great if kids will STAY AND COMPETE! Most give up though at the first sign of trouble. Hence the previous observation that the kids "gave up" after the first touchdown vs. Loudon last Friday night. Are you kidding me?! If kids won't persevere past the first minute of a game in which something bad happened, who thinks they'll come to summer workouts if not assured of the starting position? I promise you folks will blame Coach Wells though when numbers drop even further due to an increased level of accountability. Some people on this board have even blamed him for not recruiting the hallways and "asking" kids to come out. Does anybody seriously think that you can win with kids you have to beg to play? If they wanted to play, they'd already be out there. Asking kids to play puts a program on a very slippery slope. You'll end up making promises to a bunch of non-committed "players" who will not be there anyway when times get tough and you need them.

[disgruntledcougar]

So your sayin don't ask kids to play. So you are saying that when people from AC come up here and convince kids to come down there that they would win regardless if they had those kids or not? Come on wake up and smell the roses. Yes its hard to win at CC. Yes Wells is a good man, but the guy is not a coach. When we made the playoffs we won on talent alone besides the first year. but if you look at the numbers that year, Wells offense wasnt that spectacular besides Johnson. You had three games that year where if you hadnt had shutouts then you would've lost. And who was behind the shutouts, thats right Coach Wampler. In three games we won 6-0, 6-0, and 6-0. Better example the year before they went 4-6 and with an offense they could've easily been 7-3. You lose to Scott I believe 13-12, Science Hill 3-0, Sevier Co. like 17-13. That might be there year we lost to Bearden 12-0 too. So don't sit there and tell me Wells is a good coach. Look at those numbers. We need a change now before we lose more and more to other schools. Get a coach in here that is enegetic and he will keep kids here instead of them goin other places.

[pressman]

First off springsvalley or should I call you Coach Wells!!! Wells did not have a winning season his first year. His first season was 2001 he went 1-9 then again in 2002 1-9 2003 3-7 2004 7-4 so get you rfacts straight. #2 yes we have been to 3 play off appearances but 2 of those seasons ended at 5-6 thats still a losing record. Most would argue that a 5-5 team shouldnt even be in the play-offs. Yes he had one good year, but that was due to Chris Johnson & David Wampler. I heard rumor that Wells ran Wampler off because he felt threatened. So yes let us make a change!!

[springsvalley]

Do you folks honestly think AC is "asking" the leftovers to come play for them? They cherry-pick the best ones- yes, the very ones Coach Wells would LOVE to coach. It's easy to criticize the home team and its coach and glamorize the team and the school down the road. They have a name for it- it's called the "greener grass" syndrome. Our warts are there for all the locals to see. Those same locals don't see or don't want to see AC's problems. Also, you can't say Coach Wells won with "talent" or because of an assistant coach but then blame him alone for the losing. That's called having your cake and eating it too. I'm not here to defend Coach Wells. He's plenty capable of taking care of himself. I'm just trying to steer people away from the typical knee-jerk response to a disappointing loss by blaming the coach for everything. There are many factors involved here. Be careful what you wish for. How many times has CCHS changed coaches before (in 30 yrs)? Have those changes produced a winning tradition? Or just more instability and dysfunction? Has any other coach won at CCHS like Coach Wells has? Just a few thoughts to consider.

[disgruntledcougar]

I never said they asked the "leftovers" to come down there and play. I just said they convince kids to come down there by asking them. Also you can say he won on talent and that assistant. The assistant's defense had four shutouts while Wells offense scored no more than 7 points each of those games. So without that assistant's defens you lose those four games. Yes their is many factors involved in this. If you go by winning percentage of all the coaches then Wells isn't the most successful coach we have ever had. As far as changing coaches goes, the reason the "tradition" hasn't changed is because we haven't went out of county but once and that was for Coach K. We have got to get an energetic coach with a lil attitude of I don't give a crap who you are. I would love to see someone like Tony Lambert or someone with that type of attitude. Plus someone like that would work his tail off to keep kids on the county. Face it, their needs to be a change whether you like it or not.

[Rhino]

The vast majority of CC kids at AC are there because of their parents.

[springsvalley]

Agreed. What is truly the height of hypocrisy is the number of these parents who work in the Campbell County School System (including administrators) while sending their kids to AC or other schools outside the system. Or those who send their kids to AC or the Gap while running for political office or otherwise involved politically here in Campbell County. They have no stake in the success and/or failure of Campbell County Schools. That's certainly not the kind of vested interest it takes to improve things. Especially concerning those who draw a paycheck from any public trough in Campbell County- if CC is good enough to employ you...it's good enough to educate your kids.

[operator]

I played for Wells on his first team and after 3 years of Coach K he was a breath of fresh air. He is by far the most successful coch in Cougar history. He has coached on the college level and is now caochiung his hometown team which he very much cares about.
It would be a shame if they fired him.

[disgruntledcougar]

No one is questioning him being a great guy. Like I said Ilike him as a person, but as a coach, he doesn't cut it. Yes he has been somewhat successful, but never at the college level for one, and his oddense has never done much. He is not a good coach. We need someone new.

[disgruntledcougar]

You are partial right Rhino about the whole kids thing, but alot of the kids go to other schools because their parents don't want their kid playing for Wells. I don't know how many times I've heard the saying "my kid won't go to CC Wells is still there"