Rock Hill 2024 Tony Love New HC

[Ohio1979]

Rock Hill could be a great program to find success with. The facilities are nice. You are not too far from 52, so this could help in attracting new students/athletes into the district. I am not sure how things are now but when I traveled to watch teen ovc football games RH always had good numbers in their youth league. I know Ironton is currently where these kids and parents want to play but with the right staff and correct approach, RH could catch lightning and have something special out there on The Hill.

If a guy with the last name LUTZ cannot attract players to the Hill then I am not sure exactly who in that area can. JS

It does not matter if you can attract players if you have a horrible offense and horrible defense year in and year out. The issue at Rock Hill has been coaching, not lack of talent.

[gridironfan]

Rock Hill could be a great program to find success with. The facilities are nice. You are not too far from 52, so this could help in attracting new students/athletes into the district. I am not sure how things are now but when I traveled to watch teen ovc football games RH always had good numbers in their youth league. I know Ironton is currently where these kids and parents want to play but with the right staff and correct approach, RH could catch lightning and have something special out there on The Hill.

If a guy with the last name LUTZ cannot attract players to the Hill then I am not sure exactly who in that area can. JS

It does not matter if you can attract players if you have a horrible offense and horrible defense year in and year out. The issue at Rock Hill has been coaching, not lack of talent.

I am not sure if the last name LUTZ matters much now these days (it's not like the old RH coach was Bob Lutz himself). No disrespect is meant when I type that. Kids today just don't know the history of Coach Lutz at Ironton. And yes, RH probably needs an upgrade from the current approach of the old time Ironton offensive and defensive schemes. I think they even still use the same terminology used from Coach Lutz at Ironton from the 80's and 90's.

[Tri_State79]

Rock Hill could be a great program to find success with. The facilities are nice. You are not too far from 52, so this could help in attracting new students/athletes into the district. I am not sure how things are now but when I traveled to watch teen ovc football games RH always had good numbers in their youth league. I know Ironton is currently where these kids and parents want to play but with the right staff and correct approach, RH could catch lightning and have something special out there on The Hill.

If a guy with the last name LUTZ cannot attract players to the Hill then I am not sure exactly who in that area can. JS

It's almost as if people look at the product and results instead of a last name then utilize critical thinking huh?

[osu 77]

Has the job been posted yet? Or are they going to make the mistake again hiring within.

Lutz wasn’t from within. He came from Ironton. lol
The Job was posted on the OHSAA

Yes he was, he was teaching at the school when he was hired.

[PerfectionInPurple]

I think they should try to win one for the Knipper

[RJShifko]

I think some of the issues have already been addressed. When you line up in a wing t backfield most of the game and run power and iso with a counter and an occasional play action pass off the boot or waggle action the defense can build an effective game plan to make execution harder on the offense.
Kids don’t want to line up and bang bodies across the line for 48 minutes on Friday nights.

For Rock Hill they can still use a offense heavy on power and lead blocking but kids need to feel they have a chance on Friday nights and I think most nights they line up feeling defeated before kick off has even occurred because they know they are going to come out with this basic scheme.


Rock Hill can find excitement and generate interest in the programs with the right kind of coach. Someone who can install confidence in the program that they have a chance when they line up. Rock Hill has all the facilities and backing to be successful just need someone with a vision on how to get there to make it happen

[osu 77]

I think some of the issues have already been addressed. When you line up in a wing t backfield most of the game and run power and iso with a counter and an occasional play action pass off the boot or waggle action the defense can build an effective game plan to make execution harder on the offense.
Kids don’t want to line up and bang bodies across the line for 48 minutes on Friday nights.

For Rock Hill they can still use a offense heavy on power and lead blocking but kids need to feel they have a chance on Friday nights and I think most nights they line up feeling defeated before kick off has even occurred because they know they are going to come out with this basic scheme.


Rock Hill can find excitement and generate interest in the programs with the right kind of coach. Someone who can install confidence in the program that they have a chance when they line up. Rock Hill has all the facilities and backing to be successful just need someone with a vision on how to get there to make it happen

Go outside the four walls of the school hire a young coach that is hungry. In addition get your board out of the hiring process. Put some people together that can interview coaches and don't have a agenda. Then present to the BOE to approve !

[Stevie Janowski]

Rock Hill is very unlikely to be a remotely competitive program until you get all the connected mommies and daddies out of the decision making process. From coaching hires, to who starts and where they play on Friday the entire situation is untenable for a winning program. It's been that way since the inception of Rock hill back in the day, a few families throwing their little bit of weight around so their kids can cosplay as a starting football player. Until that happens wins will be sparse unfortunately, regardless of who they hire.

[paulwheeler]

Any word on the Rock Hill job?

[Ohio1979]

Any word on the Rock Hill job?

Knipp is the guy from what I am hearing

[RJShifko]

Wow that’s interesting Knipp leaving Chesapeake to go back to Rock Hill would be interesting on several levels

[REDMEN95]

Wow that’s interesting Knipp leaving Chesapeake to go back to Rock Hill would be interesting on several levels

I truly hope that the School Board does better than that! I don’t think he had not 1 winning season while at Chesapeake and Rock Hill had beat them every year that he was there. COME ON SCHOOL BOARD!!

[redmen32]

any update on the board meeting?

[OVC]

Tony Love (former Ashland Coach) was hired. A home run hire in my book. He led Ashland to state in 2020.

[OVC]

Rock Hill has hired Tony Love as their head football coach. Coach Love was Ashland’s head coach for nine seasons posting an 81-29 record, including a state championship in 2020. He retired in 2021. I’m glad Rock Hill went out for this one. This seems like a home run hire in my opinion.

[Geronimo]

Looks good on paper.

[Redmen89]

Hope they made the best choice. There were a few younger guys with very good resumes who were committed to revamping the program from the bottom to the top. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

[mattash]

I think this is a home run. With Ironton out of the OVC its going to get real good just like in basketball.

[redmen32]

Hope they made the best choice. There were a few younger guys with very good resumes who were committed to revamping the program from the bottom to the top. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

With the groups of kiddos coming up through the ranks at RockHill this could be the start of something special.

[Redmen89]

Hope they made the best choice. There were a few younger guys with very good resumes who were committed to revamping the program from the bottom to the top. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

With the groups of kiddos coming up through the ranks at RockHill this could be the start of something special.

For sure, there is a ton of potential. I just worry about how long he plans to stay. Major changes need to be made with the culture around the program and that's a big task to take on if someone isn't in it for the long haul.