Rodrick Rhodes: Coming back to the bluegrass…To coach?

The story of the day (for me anyway) is the odd story of two schools I played in high school, Owlsey County and the Harlan County Green Dragons are courting a former University of Kentucky player, Rodrick Rhodes.

Now, this story will probably be rehashed and rehashed over the course of the decision of Rhodes, but I still think it’s very interesting considering I live about 20 minutes away from Harlan County and I literally played them every year in high school (one year I hit three, threes against them late in the game to bury them after being down the whole entire game, but that’s another story for another time).

You may know Harlan County Independent, not to be confused with the new Harlan County high school, from a former Kentucky all-American in two sports, football and basketball. Wallace “Wah-Wah” Jones played for the Green Dragons and his name still hangs in the rafters to this very day.

I find it interesting that Rhodes wants to coach deep in the heart of coal country in more ways than one. I understand he’s looking to get his foot in the door of coaching, but why not in Lexington? Why not somewhere else in the bluegrass? I’ll tell you why.

Nobody loves basketball more than the people of south eastern Kentucky.

Just look at the documentary that ESPN did on the history of basketball in the south eastern region and you will hear names like “King” Kelly Coleman and Wah-Wah Jones. People just care more in this part of Kentucky it seems, maybe that’s why Rhodes has courted with both of these schools.

The same goes for Owsley County. I can’t name any alum right off hand, but the town is as small as any you’ve seen before. It’s a “you blink and you miss it” type of town where they have no football team and basketball means EVERYTHING.

Rhodes has a decent job right now. He’s working as an assistant coach at Texas Pan-American. It’s safe to say that whichever school can offer him what he’s looking for, that’s where he is going because he has the credentials.

Rhodes told Alan Cutler’s mustache that it would be an honor to coach somewhere in Kentucky, such as Harlan or Owsley county and I for one can’t wait to see where he goes.

I may have to buy Harlan Green Dragons season tickets next year….

Here’s the full story from my local paper, the Harlan Daily Enterprise: http://harlandaily.com/bookmark/13875554

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