Tough Lessons, SQR, Duality & Let It Rain : Year 33 into Year 34

 

photo by Bob Rose

Tough lessons are often the best ones, and that is what I am counting on. 

While Bearcat Football continues to improve, the results have been disappointing. And, as is the case when you are the head coach, the first place to look when the results are not what you want, is in the mirror. My two biggest mistakes going back to April of 2023:

1- I overestimated how much offense we could handle.

2- I underestimated how much structure we need.

We are already addressing both to make us better going forward. We are restructuring our offense to be simpler and to build off the things we do well and fit our skill set.  We are putting together program standards for the weightroom, classroom, workouts, practices & pregame. I realized in October of this season both mistakes I had made. We didn't wait until 2026 to start to address them. We started taking steps immediately and we are already better for it. 

One constant that has continued is the daily battle for the proper mindset. When my mind is on the process  and what I need to do today, to do NOW, I am in good shape. I enjoy what I am doing. When I think about the results.. not so much. I read Bill Walsh's book, Finding the Winning Edge in the spring of 1999. In 1998 we had started the season, 1-6, finishing 4-6. The book changed me as a coach and was a huge boost to my mental health. I realized there were alot of things that were under my control and it was up to me to do those as well as I could with my best effort. 

One area that continues to grow as a positive is I love football, kids & coaching more everyday. ACHS is alot like Boyle Co. HS, September, 1970. If I were to mix old Boyle, old Mercer, old Paris & old Mason County, it would be the building I walk into each morning.  Of the four, it feels most like old Boyle... but there are things that remind me of each school. I am thankful to coach in a great place with wonderful people.  I still cannot imagine a day that I will NOT want to coach football. I am hoping my body & mind can hold out until I reach that day. 

The daily mission to help others be the best they can be still gets me fired up each day. One of my favorite challenges.... honest conversations, that most people don't like to have, but are necessary for growth.... how can I do those conversations in the best way possible? In the most Christ-like manner? The more I have those conversations, the better I get at doing them well. And, the feedback of a young man, looking you in the eye, accepting the constructive feedback with a true desire to be their best...one of the greatest moments a coach can have. 

A huge benefit from the tough times the last 3 seasons has been a more proactive mindset in regards to what I anticipate each day. When I was a young head football coach, I use to HOPE we would have a good day and get mad when we did not. Now.... I KNOW we will have issues and problems to address. I know that is true for every HS football program across the country. The separator will be how we handle our problems. Now, I try to anticipate the problems we will have and how to address them, in a calm, cool, productive manner. When something comes up that surprises me, that is an obstacle that can make me better... even at 60 years old! It has become a challenge that some times I even will enjoy. And, I am committed to handling our issues better than anyone else can handle theirs. 

The podcast with Chuck Smith has helped me  be a much better coach and continue to grow & improve. It gives me  access to excellent coaches. The Tough Topics give me accountability for how I run our program and force me to think through what is the BEST way....not just, "this is how we have always done it. "

One practical change from the 2025 season I copied from my good friend, former EKU OC & Ashland Tomcat HFC, Leon Hart. I use our video and Hudl to take notes on the defense we just played while it is fresh on my mind. I save those thoughts in a playlist and add them to the next season (I created the 2026 season on Hudl in August and added that game for next season, each week,) This past season, all of those were completed by the following Monday. Previously, I did those in December. Now, I can move on to other tasks in December. And, the content is much better when it is prepared so soon after we played. I have also found that what I need to remember is much simpler than what I had been preparing in the past. 

Our November followed a similar format from the past two seasons but with an important tweak. We took one week to clean up. The next two weeks were devoted to SQR... Stacking Quality Reps. I sent the assistants home. They needed a break and we will hit it hard in January. Myself and some of our players that lead their position were in charge. In those two weeks, we were able to stack over 18,600 quality reps. All voluntary.  We are better now than when the season ended. That number (18,600) actually helps me sleep a little better. I can't handle a November moping around and pouting because we are not in the playoffs. The response to unsatisfactory results is a better plan and more quality work. We answered the bell and are well on our way to having a better football team in 2026. It was also great on the structure part that our guys needed. They had to do the same reps, fundamentals, over and over, and do them well...or it did not count. It is ok for young people to learn that they don't have to be entertained to do what they need to do and do it well. The SQR sessions were four of the best days, ever, as a football coach. 

The best way for struggling programs to close the gap with the top programs... continuity with quality &  consistent hard work. Most powerhouses had a stretch w/ the same coach or coaching tree for an extended period of time.   The more quality days we can stack at Anderson County HS, we will significantly increase our chances of extraordinary success in the future.  I hope when I am 70, 80 years old, I am still coaching football. Selfishly, my best chance of success, ceteris paribus, is that I am still at Anderson Co. and we are still on the same page, working together. 

Each day possesses a duality that makes moments more meaningful and bigger as I experience them.  Even if I am fortunate to coach until I am 80 (big & TOUGH goal), I know the end is near and that is not good. But, knowing that makes me appreciate what I am doing now and enjoy it more than I might otherwise. That duality makes a day on this earth at 60 more of an "event" than each day might have seemed when I was younger. I walk in each day with the sensation, "This is incredible! I still get to do this!"

This summer I was working on the podcast and went digging through some old pictures. I found this one, and remembered a bunch of these guys. 

photo by Larry Vaught

They were good to me and I am thankful they played for my Dad at Boyle County. As I am trying to figure out what music to put with this picture, I kept going back to 'Let It Rain" by Eric Clapton. A great song, but not one that I listened to often. Since that time, I have enjoyed listening to that song over and over. It makes me feel like it is an August day in central Kentucky, on a grass field, practicing football. Sort of weird, I have not been able to get that song out of my head all fall. Finally, after weeks of this tune playing between my ears, I looked up when that song was released. August, 1972. The photo, August, 1972. Crazy to me that the picture & song were connected somewhere in my brain from 53 years ago, but it was still there. And, I am glad they were. One of those moments that makes me feel connected to so many people I love from these past 6 decades. And, of all those people, the connection with my Dad is the best part. Good grief I miss him. And, I think that connection is one reason I don't want to walk away from this incredible experience called HS football. When I am at that HS, locker room, field, coaches office, with my players or coaches... it sure does feel like he is close by. 

It may not have the same effect for you, but.... give it a listen..... Let It Rain- Eric Clapton . Hope it works for you. I know this... a hot August day on grass, practicing football in central KY is a great place to be.  I have had a lifetime of days on those fields. And, I am not ready to see them come to an end. Not even close. 

The Coaches Office Podcast: Black Shoes & White Shoestrings Preseason Soundtrack

In the late 60's & early 70's, when the guys in black shoes & white shoestrings were getting ready for the season, these songs were on the radio. Every tune you need for the preseason, here in one spot.

Get Ready - Rare Earth

Aint No Mountain High Enough - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

I Was Made to Love Her - Stevie Wonder

More Love - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles

Sunshine of Your Love - Cream

This Guys In Love with You - Herb Albert & the Tijuana Brass

You're All I Need To Get By - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

People Got To Free - The Rascals

Stoned Soul Picnic - 5th Dimension

Grazing in the Grass - Hugh Masekela

Mississippi Queen - Mountain

The Love You Save - Jackson 5

Polk Salad Annie - Tony Joe White

Spill The Wine - Eric Burdon

Ball of Confusion - Temptations

Band of Gold - Freda Payne

25 or 6 to 4 - Chicago

Ride Captain Ride- Blues Image

Hand Me Down World - Guess Who

Mr. Big Stuff - Jean Knight

Too Late To Turn Back Now - Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose

Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get - Dramatics

Tighter & Tighter - Alive & Kicking

Treat Her Like A Lady - Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose

Smiling Faces Sometimes - Undisputed Truth

Stick Up - Honey Cone

Go Down Gamblin' - Blood, Sweat & Tears

Long Cool Woman - The Hollies

Kodachrome - Paul Simon

Long Train Running- Doobie Brothers

If You Want Me To Stay - Sly & the Family Stone

Live & Let Die - Paul McCartney & Wings

Layla - Derek & the Dominos

John Buchanan: FOUR TRUTHS my Dad on Earth Taught me about God, the Father

 

Boyle County Staff, 1973
Ron Spivey, my Dad, Ed Rall, Morris Allen Stewart

He claims me, and I  belong to Him, no matter what.  I was not much of an athlete. I said and did some stupid stuff... not just when I was little but even as an adult. My 15th birthday was spent cleaning up the locker room in the gym because of a poor choice...it was a Saturday. Once in HS, I screwed up so bad, I was grounded, indefinitely. My first varsity basketball game, he sat there and watched as I fouled out in less than a quarter. Took a sack so bad one Friday night, we had "4th & Richmond." Almost an hour before game time on a Saturday at Centre College, my Mom & Dad would be sitting in the bleachers to watch me, the scout team QB, run 2 pass plays and 2 run plays versus the first team defense. My first game at Mercer was the last game he saw me coach. Beyond ugly. So bad, it was tough for him. He just told me, "You'll be fine, but you got your work cut out for you."

But, I never once doubted that my Dad claimed me as HIS.  Nothing could change the fact that I was John Buchanan's son. There was nothing I could do to lose His love for me. When we have a relationship with Jesus Christ, we belong to God for eternity. 

There will still be TOUGH days, but He will walk with me during those times and help me get through them. The most memorable example of this was when my Mom's mental illness was so bad that she went to Our Lady of Peace in Louisville for the entire spring of 1977. I was shook, bad. I was embarrassed. I did not want anyone to know about it. That was a tough secret to keep. Now, I openly share about that time because I want others to understand, mental illness is a real issue and there is nothing to be ashamed of.  I remember walking over to the HS everyday from Mercer Elementary for track practice so I could be with my Dad.  When we would finally get home, the house was quiet and much different. The fear and uncertainty during that time was overwhelming for me, 11 years old. But, my wonderful Dad was with me every step of the way. I did not go through that awful time by myself. And, despite the unknown and the circumstances, I trusted my Dad that he would take care of me. Our Heavenly Father will walk with us through the toughest times. He will not abandon us. 

Whether I understand or not, I am better off to trust what He tells me and do what He says.  Walking to the UK-Tennessee game on a rainy day, November of 1973, I tell my Dad that I am going to pick a job that I can make alot of money. He tells me to pick a job that I love.  Once during a particularly tough stretch, my Dad told me, "David, you need a wife that will help you in life, not make it tougher." Considering my Mom's struggles, that was an intriguing comment. But, a few days later, I saw Stephanie for the first time. The Saturday morning after we beat Lafayette, 2002, he tells me that if I don't get my head out of my "tail", Stephanie is going to be done with me and I will lose everything. Ironically, Trosper was born 9 months after that conversation.   God's Word has more wisdom than John Buchanan. The more we read, listen, and put into practice what He tells us, the better off we will be. 

Remember what HE has done for you.  God repeatedly tells His people to remember what He has done for them, throughout the Old Testament. As I look back on my life, I remember what my earthly Father and my Heavenly Father have done for me. Without question, my Heavenly Father used John Buchanan to protect me, help me, mold me and ultimately draw me closer to Him. Sometimes, it is difficult to figure out / remember ..."Did my Dad do this, or was it my Heavenly Father?"  Often, the answer is "BOTH."

The last week of May, we were blessed to take all of our kids and grandkids to the beach. Trosper built our playlist for the beach. Some of it, was even the old music that I love.  He had one song that is on NONE of my playlists.

For most people, Hotel California - Eagles brings back memories of warm weather, the beach, summer on the horizon, good memories from the past, etc. 

Not for me. I remember that awful spring of 1977. For a long time, when I would hear that song, it felt like a knife in my chest. When I hear that song, now, I immediately thank God for my Dad and how he took care of me through that time. I thank God that I have had a a great life and have been blessed more than I could ever hope or deserve.  I thank God for the eternal life I have because of Jesus Christ and that in a matter of moments, I will see my Dad again. I would like to be a head football coach until I am 80. I am in no hurry to leave this life.  

But, I know without a doubt, THE VICTORY is won.  

John Buchanan's son...scars & all

Jimmy Sharpe: The Wise Old Coach on the Mountain

photo from 1974 Virginia Tech Media Guide

A few years ago I was looking through old UK football programs and found a picture of then-Virginia Tech head coach Jimmy Sharpe.

Coach Sharpe was in Bear Bryant’s first freshman class at Alabama. He later was an assistant for Coach Bryant before becoming the head coach of the Virginia Tech Hokies. I only heard Coach Sharpe speak one time, but it changed by life.

In the summer of 1986 I was a Huddle leader at the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) summer camp in Black Mountain, N.C. In the spring of 1986, I had completed an internship in the investment department at First Security in Lexington. As an Economics & Management major, I was looking at graduate school or possibly finding a job in finance or investments after getting my degree in the spring of 1987.

The fall of 1986 was going to be my last fall of football helping Coach French at Mercer County. And, I figured my last chance to go to FCA camp was also that summer, not knowing how things would play out after graduation.

My dad had been very active in FCA since becoming the head coach at Boyle County. Through FCA and our church, Steele Harmon and his family had become very good friends. Steele was the head football coach at Centre when we got to Danville in 1969 and would later be the head football coach at Danville. If you see an old coach walking out to see me before a game on Friday night, that’s Steele!

At FCA Camp, we had "buzz sessions." Those were a series of talks you could choose to go to, sit in and listen. There were a lot of choices. Coach Sharpe’s topic was something along the lines of building a championship team. That sounded like a good topic. I wanted to make the most of my last fall of football.

Coach Sharpe spoke as a man and a coach who had become wise through experience. As he shared with us where he had been and the things he had gone through, he really got my attention because of his sincerity and honesty. And, hearing him talk about Coach Bear Bryant kept all of us tuned in. The room was packed.

And, then, he got to the part of his talk describing the characteristics of a championship team. He told us, this is what all of the championship teams that he had been a part of had in common: the coaches loved the coaches, the coaches loved the players, the players loved the coaches, and the players loved the players.

I had been part of several teams that didn’t love each other. I knew what it was like to be part of a team that didn’t have the chemistry and togetherness that you would want. I raised my hand: "Coach Sharpe, how do you get that to happen on your team?"

His response was, "You love them first!"

I am not sure how to describe it, but at that moment I really felt like God was calling me to teach and coach. The calling was very clear and very intense.

As I look back on it, it seemed like every time I got away from football or tried to, I would get pulled back in. When I got back home, I immediately went to see my dad to tell him what had happened and that now I planned to coach and teach. He was not happy, but I don’t think he was surprised. I understood he wanted me to have a life he thought would be better and/or easier than teaching and coaching.

I was excited about the future and somewhat relieved because I finally felt like I was going in the direction God wanted me. Until I was going that way, I had this sensation that something was not right or was out of place.

Coach Sharpe has no idea how his talk changed my life. I think about that a lot: the words that come out of my mouth, will they be positive or negative in how they impact others?

But, even more than that, Coach Sharpe gave me the most practical guideline for being a football coach and working with people: "You love them first."

Someday it will be time for me to finally walk away from teaching and/or coaching. But I am thankful for Coach Sharpe and I am confident that God has had me where he wanted me since that night on the mountain.