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Top ten coaches in SWVA history


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Who are some of the best coaches from our area. Do you have to win a state championship to get in or not.

 

Carlock- yep

Robbins- yep

Colabro- not sure about the spelling Yep

Ragsdale- yep 

Hicks or Mance- Maybe and yep

 

As a Richlands fan I would say Hicks because of his impact on so many people in the Richlands area, even though he didn't win the state. Mance has won the state, and his recruiting ability, lol. Carlock was special and he was a recruiting expert also, maybe the original. Gate City you can pull a name out of a hat. Robbins had some great talent which is still there. Clintwood had a hard nose tradition. Haysi had a crazy don't knoe where its coming from tradition. Giles has the single wing over achievement style. J. I. Burton had some good years. Tazewell in the 80's was mean.  

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Wow I am going to raise some eyebrows here.

 

Need to list these coaches:

 

Harry Fry - Gate City

 

Dave Rider - Tazewell & Elizabethton

 

Burrhead Bradley - Graham & Virginia High

 

Ralph Cummins - Clintwood

 

 And should also mention Merrill Gainer  who coached at Big Creek High & Bluefield High  on the WV side. His record at those 2 schools alone was a combined 166-22-5 with I don't know how many WV State championships. 

 

Did you see that -- went old school on you !!! LOL

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Does Phil Robbins' ego come before or after Phil Robbins' the actual person on the coaching list?

He occupies 2 spots  

 

Colley goes on the list. THE most innovative coach is SWVA. Took a weak Haysi program and made the big boys nervous(knocked them off a few times too)

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Roger Rife, coached Garden to their only state-championship appearance and is the Godfather when it comes to coaching in Buchanan County. I'm almost certain that he coached at every high school in the county as well except for maybe Council at some point. 

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Roger Rife, coached Garden to their only state-championship appearance and is the Godfather when it comes to coaching in Buchanan County. I'm almost certain that he coached at every high school in the county as well except for maybe Council at some point.

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Sorry guys but a top 5 or top 10 that doesn't include Steve Ragsdale is a joke...i may be biased but his numbers stand for themself...well over 200 wins and 3 state championships....not knocking anyones list but come on guys this guy took over a program that before him was lucky to win 3 games a year and in his 3rd season brought home the 1980 AA state championship by going 14-0 and beating a team with future NFL player Allen Pinkett on it.

 

Yes i'm biased and not ashamed to admit it but Steve Ragsdale is #1 on my list

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Hokiebird07,

I made my top 10 selections from coaches I had the pleasure of watching their teams play. I am sure Coach Ragdales would have been in my top 5 , if I had included all coaches from Roanoke to Lee county. I am sure from reading his record at Giles High School ( you provided ), he was much deserving of the honors bestowed on him......especially having the stadium named Ragsdale.

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If you going to include Ragsdale then you would have hard time not including Lindenburg from Radford. Spelling of his name could be wrong.

 

This falls back into the whole, "Is Radford really a SWVA team" debate that nearly everyone has a different view on.

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In no particular order:

 

Robbins, Carlock, Turner, Colobro, Mance, Ragsdale, Riggs, Harry Fry, Cummins

 

As a PV grad, I'll admit that Robbins has an ego. Sure there was a ton of talent at PV when Robbins coached. Robbins still found ways to coach the team to wins without it. You can't ignore the wins PV gained under him.

 

Under Carlock, Graham was a perennial powerhouse.

 

Ragsdale was a great coach.

 

 

Look at what Turner did at Appalachia. 

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Some Coaching records FYI :

315-160-9   Norm Lineburg, 45 years: 14-15-1 at William Byrd 1962-64; 18-27-2 at Fieldale-Collinsville, 1965-69; 283-118-6 at Radford 1970-2006

 

167-67-7  Dave Rider, 24 years: 6-3-1 at John Battle, 1965; 67-29-6 at Tazewell 1966-75: 94-35-0 at Elizabethton Tn. 1976-1988

 

301-97-1  Joel Hicks 36 year : 91-28-1 in West Virginia 1967 - 1978; 210-69-0 at Pulaski County 1979-2002

 

267-90-14 Ralph Cummins 35 years, all at Clintwood, 1953-1987

 

259-89-1  Nick Colobro, 29 years: 24-11-0 at Tazewell, 1980-1982; 235-78-1 at Gate City 1989-2008

 

255-88-2 Steve Ragsdale 30 years all at Giles 1978- 2007

 

244-119-1 Glynn Carlock 32 years all at Graham 1973 to 2004

 

205-106-4 Tom Turner 26 years all at Appalachia 1980-2005

 

185-93-4 Don Williams 25 years: 66-37-3 at Pennington 1970-1979; 13-16-1 at Coeburn 1980-1982; 54-18-0 at Pennington 1983-1988; 37-13-0 at Lee County 1989-1992: 15-9-0 at Lee County 1997-1998

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