New Union Bears head coach Jamie Harless let’s hear your thoughts

[Gridiron60]

Chop chop gentlemen, if we can keep this banter going we may be able to pass the torch from Chris Aker to Jamie Harless! 😂 What an honor for Coach Harless that would be in his inaugural year in Class 2A , Region D 🏆 We only need 10 more pages. 😂

 

[Gridiron60]

4 hours ago, Pickett said:

What were LB's team passing statistics under Harless in 2025?  I was under impression he was about 90/10 run?

He is a pretty run heavy coach but maybe he’s going to mix it up more at Union. 

[Union_Fan]

4 hours ago, Pickett said:

What were LB's team passing statistics under Harless in 2025?  I was under impression he was about 90/10 run?

I could not find much at all, but it does look like the QB passed for around 900 yards. No idea what ratio that is to rushing yards.

[Real Sasquatch]

8 hours ago, CriticalNoise said:

A 7-10 minute drive to work vs. a 60 minute drive to work for his parents. 

Hear me out, 4-6 of Unions starting 11 next season will be from Botetout, Lebanon and maybe 1 from Lee High. 

Everyone else is recruiting, we may as well join them. 

They had better come without being "under suspicion of transferring for sports"....or they will be sitting out for 365 days.  That's not just for Union, but for everybody.   Also, who in their right mind would move from the Roanoke area to Big Stone Gap for their kid to play football for somebody....Salem is 30 minutes away... LCA....Heritage, etc.....why go to Big Stone Gap.  They would need their head examined.  They might land a Lee kid or 2....but they had better move with their parents....their old home sold and the whole family unit move.  Who in their right mind does that for High school football and end up at Emory and Henry or UVA-Wise anyway?  There aren't a ton of James Mitchell's  or Ahmad Bradshaw's coming.  

[Union_Fan]

54 minutes ago, Wolf1207 said:

I’m surprised Union, Central , and Ridgeview haven’t lost talent to KY schools. The recruiting is pretty rampant over there. Maybe we are just far enough away from the Ky powerhouses, but it is a bit surprising. 

I do think Union is a little too far from KY, and Central thinks they're at the best school already.

Union has lost at least 1 player to Burton and 1 to Dobyns Bennett. If anyone else has left, I didn't notice.

[Gridiron60]

22 minutes ago, Union_Fan said:

I do think Union is a little too far from KY, and Central thinks they're at the best school already.

Union has lost at least 1 player to Burton and 1 to Dobyns Bennett. If anyone else has left, I didn't notice.

Bluefield has Union beat. They lost three last season to Princeton in one swoop. 

[jeffro]

30 minutes ago, Gridiron60 said:

Bluefield has Union beat. They lost three last season to Princeton in one swoop. 

I think Bluefield may have everybody beat. 

[redtiger]

3 hours ago, Unchained said:

Not as long as folks seem to think. Poliers and Satterfield are the ones who made an impact. Chandler's dad played for BSG and many of these kids lived in the in-between area. Why go to Lee when the program at Union was much better? To be honest though, it's being done everywhere. Robin Dotson has loaded his squads up for years with girls from other places.

There are several: 2 Poliers, Saterfield, Early in Middle School(but thats another story), several linemen, etc.  Also a few in Baseball. While all of them weren't necessarily great players for U they played and helpd U be what they are.  But thats true of all great programs that last.

 

Its nothing new and im not going to say its wrong. Polier due to not being used at all as a Freshman on a not great Lee team, Saterfield idk why but probably just to be at a better program, Lee has been a mess for most of its existence and its hard to blame kids for leaving.

[Union_Fan]

55 minutes ago, Gridiron60 said:

Bluefield has Union beat. They lost three last season to Princeton in one swoop. 

It has been interesting to watch the changing dynamics with Princeton's emergence.

It was only 10 or less years ago that the focus was on Richlands for recruiting. Then it shifted to Graham and now Union.

We'll do our best to carry on the tradition and keep the crown as long as possible. Lol

[Gridiron60]

2 minutes ago, Union_Fan said:

It has been interesting to watch the changing dynamics with Princeton's emergence.

It was only 10 or less years ago that the focus was on Richlands for recruiting. Then it shifted to Graham and now Union.

We'll do our best to carry on the tradition and keep the crown as long as possible. Lol

If you haven’t, Union will have to get 4 in one season or Princeton reigns supreme  👑

[JDHoss]

1 hour ago, Gridiron60 said:

If you haven’t, Union will have to get 4 in one season or Princeton reigns supreme  👑

Four? Those guys are amateurs. Last year, West Boca Raton had 30+ guys on their roster from Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties who were taking online courses through something called (IIRC) Rise Prep. Since we moved here, West Boca has gone from everyone's homecoming game to back to back state champions in 6A. Of course, they aren't the only ones. The privates like Chaminade, Cardinal Newman and St Thomas Aquinas reel them in regularly, but the publics like Miami Northwestern, Miami Central, Vero Beach, Palm Beach Central and others are big predators as well. 

[Gridiron60]

23 minutes ago, JDHoss said:

Four? Those guys are amateurs. Last year, West Boca Raton had 30+ guys on their roster from Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties who were taking online courses through something called (IIRC) Rise Prep. Since we moved here, West Boca has gone from everyone's homecoming game to back to back state champions in 6A. Of course, they aren't the only ones. The privates like Chaminade, Cardinal Newman and St Thomas Aquinas reel them in regularly, but the publics like Miami Northwestern, Miami Central, Vero Beach, Palm Beach Central and others are big predators as well. 

Florida the big leagues compared to SWVA & southern WV. We’re mere amateurs. 😂😂😂

[jreed97]

Here in the DMV Freedom High became Hayfield High became The St. James Academy over the course of 4 seasons. Folks were raising hell

[Real Sasquatch]

Im interested to see if the VHSL will enforce the rules put in place about sitting out a year or not.  I think the Principals and A.D.'s / Guidance Departments need to be on their toes and make sure that all bases are covered before letting a kid play sports 

[Gridiron60]

Any word on who Coach Harless has assembled for his staff? 

[Union_Fan]

20 minutes ago, Gridiron60 said:

Any word on who Coach Harless has assembled for his staff? 

After the initial rush of information, things have gotten very quiet again.

I do keep hearing that B.I. Salyers, currently at RC, will be assisting.

[Gridiron60]

https://www.wsls.com/sports/2026/04/09/leftwich-tabbed-as-next-lord-botetourt-football-coach/

Coach Harless’s replacement named for Lord Botetourt. 

[UnionGuy2017]

7 hours ago, Gridiron60 said:

https://www.wsls.com/sports/2026/04/09/leftwich-tabbed-as-next-lord-botetourt-football-coach/

Coach Harless’s replacement named for Lord Botetourt. 

Really good backfill! 

[Gridiron60]

13 minutes ago, UnionGuy2017 said:

Really good backfill! 

I agree, very solid hire for LB. Now we’re all on pins & needles waiting for Tazewell hire to be announced 😂. 

[THS6805]

On 4/10/2026 at 4:34 PM, Gridiron60 said:

I agree, very solid hire for LB. Now we’re all on pins & needles waiting for Tazewell hire to be announced 😂. 

Probably Jme Harris unfortunately.

[Real Sasquatch]

9 hours ago, THS6805 said:

Probably Jme Harris unfortunately.

Should know by Tuesday Morning.