Catching Up- a great time of year and thankful for the great people God puts in your life

Not surprisingly, it has been several days since I posted this blog. We have our 1st Sunday staff meeting after church today and I will work this in before our family goes to church.

Thank you to Rex Lardner for publishing in the latest issue of American Football Monthly, LONG HOURS, HARD WORK- Do You Spend Your Time Doing What Matters the Most?  Anytime my work can be associated with Rex Lardner and AFM I am very pleased and proud. Rex is first-class. He has been great to me and my family.

We had our first scrimmage at Mercer County versus Louisville Waggener, coached by Jordan Johnson, who was a freshman defensive lineman my first season at Mason County, 1996!  Jordan had his guys ready and is doing a great job. He also took them on their college weekend trip. He goes above and beyond to help his kids. I could not have been more proud of him the night we scrimmaged.

Another former Royal, Scott Stamm, made the trip to Harrodsburg with his family. Scott and his wife Sarah run the little league at Mason County. He was a sophomore my first season as a Royal, so he and Bulldog are teammates. What a great reunion!

Yesterday I moved my son, John Combs Buchanan, into Centre College. He will be helping with video and I appreciate Coach Andy Frye allowing him to be part of the team. It has been tough since he played his last snap of football in October of 2014, but I am incredibly proud of how he handled the entire situation. As I mentioned in an earlier column, when you coach your son, he becomes your right arm because you are always together. It will be a tough adjustment for me... he will do great!  But, I am thankful for the great time we had when he was growing up, we have many more great days ahead of us, and I know God has much bigger plans for my son than hanging out with me the rest of his life. And, to be honest, ever since Caroline came into the picture, his time with dad has decreased dramatically!  :)

Finally, Happy Birthday to the first and the real "Coach Buchanan", John Buchanan, my dad. One of my dad's former players, Mark Huffman, is on my new staff at Mercer. I enjoy hearing the old stories.  I am very proud of my dad.  He was the first head coach at Mercer County to have a winning season, and he did that twice. That was pre-merger!

My dad in his first football uniform and picture, on the first football team at London HS, in London, Ky, 1958.

My dad and Robert Allen Yankey on the sideline at Centre College, where JCB will go to college. It was 1969 and they were defeating the Danville Admirals, 8-6.  The two guys in this picture have inspired, motivated me, and been a role model for me my entire life. Everyday, I want to be the man that Robert Allen would have been, and that my Dad is daily.

Good luck as the 2015 season gets going. Put the kids first, this is THEIR time!!


 Colossians 3:23

Crossing Paths with a Giant.... the Impact of Great People......Coach Bill Arnsparger

With John Combs & Coach Arnsparger after he spoke to our 2005 KY All Star Team. One of the greatest honors, ever, for our family, was when John Combs played the piano for Coach Arnsparger's funeral. 

30 years ago it was the summer of 1992. I was a first year head football coach at Paris HS. Stephanie and I had just been married that May. Our summer days were to get up and leave Lexington every morning and drive to Paris. I would work til dark and she would look for a house. I was replacing a very popular head coach and my former boss in Roger Gruneisen who had just become the head coach at our rival, Bourbon County HS.  We had around 25-29 kids in grades 9-12. To say I was on edge would be an understatement.

In late July/early August we were getting ready for the Greyhound Hall of Fame Banquet. Bill Arnsparger was in town and I got to meet him for the first time.  During those few days, he came by our fieldhouse and practices. I had the incredible opportunity to visit and talk with the greatest defensive coach of all time.   

I can't remember all that we talked about, but I do know this.... I was in a much better frame of mind after our time together. It was a couple things. One was that the way Coach Arnsparger treated others, he could inspire confidence. He certainly did that for me. The other thing it did for me was it reinforced how special it was to be a Paris Greyhound.  Coach Arnsparger being around our kids those few days helped all of us appreciate even more that we wore the orange and black.  For lack of a better term, the positive vibe he brought to the fieldhouse and our football program right before the season was a difference maker for all of us.  Bill Arnsparger was a Greyhound. We were Greyhounds. 

After a 1991 season of 2-8, the 1992 Greyhounds were 7-4.  We had some big victories with a team of mainly sophomores and juniors.  We had very good teams in 93 & 94 as well.

I can't imagine how the past 30 years would have gone without the start we had in 1992.  Coach Arnsparger was a huge part of helping me and our program believe we could do it. I think he had that kind of effect on most everyone that came into contact with him. 

In the summer of 1995, we were getting ready for a primarily defensive practice. I notice a car parked off to the side of Garrard Park. Paranoia is my best thing... I walk toward the car to see who is spying on us. As he emerged from the car, I said, "Hello Coach!" It was Coach and Mrs. Arnsparger!! Coach was kind enough to speak to our team before we began our work. He then watched our defensive practice that day. Here is the BEST defensive coach in the WORLD watching us practice defense... our fundamentals, reads, terminology, drills, etc. Forget about nerves for a ballgame, that was about as big as it gets when it comes to coaching.  But, what a GREAT experience for a young coaching staff and a HS football team! I will never forget that day and will always be thankful that it happened. 

Coach Arnsparger has gone on to be with His heavenly Father, who he loved and served on this earth. Hard to believe it has been seven years since he passed away. But, one thing that I am 100% sure of..... the positive impact and the way he touched the lives of others will live on and cannot be measured because of it's magnitude.

I thank God that I was one of those people that crossed paths with Coach Arnsparger.  Thank you coach and God Bless the Arnspargers.

Colossians 3:23 

The greatest book written on defense, by the great defensive football coach in the history of the game. 

Made My Day!!!

I got a great surprise yesterday when I found out Jonathan Thomas, Erica, & Keshaun were going to be in Harrodsburg. I got to show them our Sports Complex and facilities. 

Jonathan played for me, we coached together, and he is the new head football coach at Mason County HS.  

It was cool getting a picture of Keshaun in the football office in front of the article naming his dad as the head coach at Mason County.  

Trosper & Keshaun had fun getting to play and hang out together again. 

I am very proud of Jonathan and am I so glad he is the guy that replaced me. He loves Royals football and those kids. He is doing a great job already running the program!

I like the article with Jonathan, Keshaun in his ragin royal, my 94 Paris seniors, and the Mercer Titan hat, all in the same picture. To me, this is all one big family!

Miami Herald- Miami Dolphins defensive icon Bill Arnsparger dies at 88

A great man and coach has gone on to be with his Heavenly Father. God Bless the Arnspargers.

Miami Herald-Former Miami Dolphins defensive icon Bill Arnsparger dies at 88

Terrence Commodore , new position with EKU basketball

Congratulations to Terrence Commodore and his new position with EKU Men's basketball. In the fall of 2001, Terrence intercepted a pass at Fleming Co. to seal the first football region title in school history. Then that spring, he intercepted a pass against Montgomery County at the Fieldhouse to win the first basketball region championship in several years.  He is a champion on and off the floor/field.  Congrats T!


http://courtsidewithdannyweddle.blogspot.com/2015/07/terrence-commodore-named-director-of.html

Corey Jett- NASA!

One of my former players is living in Huntsvulle, Alabama, working for NASA! Corey Jett played WR at Mason County and was a part of the 2003 Region Championship team.

I asked him for details and got this reponse:


 I am in training currently but I will be overseeing and managing the flow of data up to the International Space Station and the flow of data back down to Earth. 


Congratulations Corey!

Getting focused to start the season: A Yearly Ritual

Coaches-

I always like to start the season by reading a book through the preseason to help me focus on the coming season, what things are most important, and why I coach. The two books that I usually read are Vince Lombardi's Run to Daylight and Wes Neal's Handbook on Coaching Perfection.

Because it is about GREAT coaches, Black Shoes & White Shoestrings might be a book that would serve the same purpose for some coaches. Here is a description of the book:

This book was written by a HS football coach, who"s father was also a HS football coach. It is a collection of football and life lessons learned from a variety of coaches at the HS, collegiate, and professional level. Leadership, the RIGHT kind of leadership is also addressed through out the book.

Bill Arnsparger, Blanton Collier, Chuck Smith, Dale Mueller, Mike Archer, Bill Walsh, Ed Rall, Vince Lombardi, Larry French, Ivan McGlone, Alvis Johnson, Tony Dungy, Steele Harmon, Joe McDaniel, Raymond Webb, Tom Duffy, Sam Harp, ShaDon Brown, Corky Prater, Ted Purcell, Jack Eicher, Ray Graham, and Leon Hart are some of the coaches included in this book.

Boyle County Rebels, Highlands Bluebirds, Centre College Colonels, Mason County Royals, Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins, Green Bay Packers, Kentucky Wildcats, Paris Greyhounds, Danville Admirals, Ashland Tomcats, Russell Red Devils, Harrodsburg Hogs, Mercer County Scotties.

You can purchase this book with the buy button at the top of this blog. Enjoy the great game of football this season!