Rusty Richards is officially the next HC of the Nelsonville-York Buckeyes!

[Go Bucks]

The Bucks will be senior heavy with a good bit of Juniors playing also. Don't see them being young. Coach Richards will do a great job and he will pick a good staff just give him time. As long as they stay healthy I can see 8 to 9 wins. Buckeye fans have to get behind the coach and kids. Go Bucks!

[tomcat fan]

I would take those two so called pee wee coaches any day.Two of the top players to ever played at Trimble and also played in college.That's what I call a good hire.Hope Richards does well at NY.except for 1 week out of the year.I think that's what most Trimble faithfully want for him.I personally am glad of the change its the best for all party's.Things was getting out of control and to heated.But you NY people think Phil's two new guys are not capable of doing the job your wrong.Not going to be stupid on here and say Trimble will pound NY next year because with the talent they have coming back would be .But after next year their should be about 4 to 6 years of some good old smash mouth football between these two schools.Don't expect it to be like the 90s like one poster said on here just because of your new coach.

The Cats record the past 3 seasons was 37-4. I am not sure what is so out of control about that. I'll give you until about week 2 and you will be trashing on the new coaches just like you trash the old ones. Its real easy to coach from the stands like you do.

A winning record doesn't mean there couldn't be tension behind closed doors does it? I doubt anyone is gonna be upset after week 2. Trimble has some big shoes to fill player wise this year but they'll be ok, and probably still win the league

[Nybucks70-80]

http://www.athensmessenger.com/sports/l ... ef021.html

[Irish Dawg]

Caribbean Jerk:
I was wondering the same thing. I know in the past there are occasional players that went over the hill from both schools.

[NYBuckeye96]

http://www.athensmessenger.com/sports/l ... ef021.html

Richards looks to continue winning tradition at N-Y

By Kevin Wiseman Messenger sports editor

NELSONVILLE — It’s been nearly 15 years since Rusty Richards last led a football program.

Richards started his coaching career as the head coach for the Southern Tornadoes in 2000 and 2001.

The Nelsonville-York School Board gave Richards the opportunity to be the head man again, as he becomes just the fourth full-time head football coach of the Nelsonville-York Buckeyes. The board approved the hiring on Wednesday.

“If you’re a competitive person you always want to do things your way,” Richards said. “I got that itch again to try it.”

Richards is far from an inexperienced coach though. He, along with Dennis Osborne, coached the Trimble Tomcats’ defense during their highly successful run of the last four seasons.

The Tomcats won nine playoff games the last four seasons, including playing in the Division VII state championship game in 2013. Richards got the opportunity to coach in numerous big games, making him more than qualified to take over the Buckeyes’ program.

Richards said the Buckeyes have the pieces in place to not only win league titles, but compete for playoff victories.

“We need to get back to not just be happy to be there, but we’ve got win,” Richards said. “Get over that next hump, and I think with what we have coming back that should be one of our goals: win the league and let’s get in there and advance. Don’t be happy.”

Dave Boston Sr. (1966-1992), Kevin Meade (1993-2002) and Dave Boston Jr. (2003-2015) have been the only full-time head coaches in the history of the Buckeyes’ program. All three had a tremendous amount of success.

Nelsonville-York has won the most TVC titles in football of any school with 20. The Buckeyes have also made the playoffs 15 times, going 7-14 all-time while winning the 1981 Division IV state championship and a regional title in 1982.

“Hopefully with a new staff and a fresh start we can get back to the tradition and build off of what coach Boston Sr., Kevin and Davey himself, they’ve all done a great job,” Richards said.

Richards was an assistant coach with the Buckeyes and head coach Kevin Meade for the 2002 season. He took two seasons off, then joined Phil Faires’ staff at Trimble in 2005.

Richards is also in his 14th school year as a 7th grade history teacher at Nelsonville-York. Perhaps none of the 48 applicants for the job knew the Buckeyes’ personnel better than Richards did. He’s taught all of the current players in school, and game-planned against them for the annual Trimble-Nelsonville-York season opener.

“With the rivalry and so forth that was a tough week,” Richards said. “Kids asking me, why am I not coaching here? That kind of thing. That was always a tough question to answer back to the kids. Phil’s been there for a long time, he’s still got plenty of years ahead of him. The timing was perfect. What a better job to have in southeast Ohio, with the tradition.”

The Buckeyes are coming off a 1-9 season, and 0-6 record in the Tri-Valley Conference Ohio Division. Richards said the pieces are in place for the Buckeyes to make a turnaround after a difficult string of events sidetracked a promising 2015 season.

He cited rising seniors quarterback/defensive back Hunter Edwards, fullback/linebacker Noah Andrews and tailback Alex Mount as pieces to build around. All three played when they were freshmen.

“We’ve got three kids in the backfield that have been doing that for a long time,” Richards said. “I’m looking forward to working with them, find out what our strengths are, our weaknesses are. Offensively, I can’t tell you what we’re going to run. Just see what meets our needs.”

Richards said the Buckeyes will likely employ the 50-base defense he used with the Tomcats.

“You think of Nelsonville-York, you always think of great defenses, going back to the (assistant coach Tom) McLaughlin days. Power running game, just being tough, football kids. Lot of correlation to Trimble. Lot of tough kids, football players.”

Richards is a 1994 graduate of Trimble High School. He was the TVC-Hocking MVP in 1993, the same year Dave Boston Jr. was the TVC-Hocking Coach of the Year at Alexander.

Richards was also the Southeast District MVP in football his senior year. He graduated as the school’s all-time leader in passing yards with 3,595 yards. He also stared in basketball and baseball.

Richards went on to be a four-year letterman playing football at Otterbein College. He was voted team captain his senior season.

The hiring sets up a yearly Week 1 battle between Richards and Faires when the Tomcats and Buckeyes play.

Richards said Faires sent him a congratulatory text message upon his hiring. Richards also noted that the Buckeyes’ season opener against the Tomcats is just 197 days away.

“He said he hopes I go 9-1, I said same to you,” Richards said. “He said it will be fun. It will be a fun atmosphere. I’m sure he’ll give me every trick he has and I know I’ll give him every trick in the book that I’ve got.

“I coached with Phil for the last 11 years, tickled to death with what he allowed me to do. Me and coach Osborne ran the defense for the past eight or nine years.”

Richards will meet with the team next week. Getting the program back to winning league championships and competing in the playoffs is the immediate goal. He talked about watching the Buckeyes compete in a first-round playoff game against Valley in 2014, noting that many of the returning seniors played as sophomores in a tightly-contested defeat.

“It’s now or never for these seniors,” Richards said. “A lot of it’s going to be up to them. I’m going to put it in their hands. How do they want to be remembered? It’s their time to take the torch so 20 years from now they can look at the wall and put some more paint on that thing.

“We need to get back to winning and competing for league championships here and I think we should have a good shot.”

[doubleplay643]

Good article, something makes me think Week 1 and Week 10 next year is going to be fun to see. Twenty (20) is a lot of TVC titles, sounds like there are more to come.

Good luck to Coach Richards.

We will get to see them in action for the Jamboree/Scrimmage here in Jackson this year I believe.

[Copay]

I heard that Jackson and Nelsonville-York are not scrimmaging this year

[sum_it_up89]

Trimble lost Rusty. But not only did they pick up another good coach but they picked up two great football coaches.
90% of the time Rusty never called the plays. I've been told the 2013-2014 teams called there own plays. Not the coaches.

Called their own plays? You buddy, are a complete idiot!

[Caribbean Twerk]

Trimble lost Rusty. But not only did they pick up another good coach but they picked up two great football coaches.
90% of the time Rusty never called the plays. I've been told the 2013-2014 teams called there own plays. Not the coaches.

Called their own plays? You buddy, are a complete idiot!

Go back and watch the films of 2013. Don't call anyone an idiot until you know facts.

I thought they looked a little slow on film

[CATillac]

Does Coach Ferris still snore through films like he did when I played? That dude can break down film in his sleep

[sum_it_up89]

Trimble lost Rusty. But not only did they pick up another good coach but they picked up two great football coaches.
90% of the time Rusty never called the plays. I've been told the 2013-2014 teams called there own plays. Not the coaches.

Called their own plays? You buddy, are a complete idiot!

Go back and watch the films of 2013. Don't call anyone an idiot until you know facts.

Well you said you have been told! So did you break down film or did someone tell you that.

[Stan_Marsh]

Congrats and Good luck to Coach Richards and the Nelsonville-York Buckeyes this season!

[Caribbean Twerk]

Does Coach Ferris still snore through films like he did when I played? That dude can break down film in his sleep

Everyone in glouster knows koondogger has always been the brains behind the operation. He told me he breaks down all the film and writes out the gameplans for the staff.

[noreply66]

In India we break down film with computer

I can just see those reel to reel hanging on your computer

[TRENCHFOOT]

[SEO Football Fan]

You guys crack me up. Talk down on Trimble in every way possible but by God when you get a Trimble coach he's the greatest thing since sliced bread, yet everyone else is a peewee coach. Brady Trace and Roger Bingman will do just fine replacing, and time will show that. Rusty is coming into a good situation at NY because everyone knows they will be loaded. If they win, it's not because Trimble lost the greatest coaches of all time and this and that. Also, the coaches didn't quit, they were both let go, and reasons to that. Best of luck to everyone, going to be an interesting few years.

[Bugsy blake]

Amen boy

[Bugsy blake]

Mean broooooo

[noreply66]

this topic is about NY and coaching

[Bobby Boucher]

I'm glad to see we took trimble top assistant off their staff. Should be an advantage week 1. Can't wait. Welcome aboard coach Richards. We only have one way to go and that is up Go Bucks