The guest on today’s Coach and Coordinator podcast is Chuck Smith, head coach of Boyle County High School in Danville, Kentucky. Boyle enters his fifth season, in his second stint, as head coach at Boyle County. The team is coming off a 14-1 record and a state championship last season. Since returning as the head coach, Smith holds a 42-10 at Boyle County. Before Boyle County, Smith worked as an assistant coach at the University of Kentucky, Smith’s alma mater. He worked eight years as a linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator for the Wildcats, and coached current Chicago Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan.

Smith’s legacy stems from his first time as the head coach of Boyle County from 1992 to 2004. During that time, Smith led the Rebels to five state championships in a row. From 1999 to 2002, Boyle County had the second-longest winning streak in Kentucky history (47). Smith had a 142-33 record during those first 13 seasons. Before coaching, Smith played linebacker at Kentucky and was one of the top tacklers on the team in his last two seasons.

On today’s show, Smith and host Keith Grabowski talk about the relationship between coaches and players, building tradition and establishing a championship-winning system.

Follow the Boyle County football team on Twitter: @BCRebelFootball

Show Notes

1:16 What made him want to be a coach

2:40 Learning from mistakes made as a young coach

4:50 Helping coaching staff build trust with players

7:22 Mentoring young coaches in connecting with players

9:27 Buying into the school’s tradition

12:50 Building tradition and purpose at a program

15:36 Developing strength and conditioning within the schools

19:18 Finding places to improve within success

22:15 Having a system to fit the personnel

24:24 The Winning Edge