‘Fabulous.’ Tates Creek recognizes former coach at first game in new Nolan Barger Gymnasium
Tates Creek High School hasn’t yet decided where to hang the case containing his old maroon sports coat, but they did take a moment Tuesday to recognize the man who wore it and led the Commodores to 540 wins during his career.
Nolan Barger was on hand for the last boys’ basketball game at the old gymnasium that bore his name last February, so, of course, he had to be there for the first boys’ game at the new Nolan Barger Gymnasium, built as part of the $84.5 million new school.
“It’s fabulous,” Barger said of the facility, a considerable upgrade from the one previously named for him in 1999 upon his retirement. “There’s memories lost in the old one, but the old one’s gone, and we’ve got the new one, and the new one is good.”
Barger clearly has a soft spot for the former school where he worked as a history teacher for 30 years and head basketball coach for 28.
He admitted coming out to see the campus a few times during the construction of the new and demolition of the old. The old school began being demolished shortly after the last bell of the spring semester. Parking lots sit in the old school’s former footprint and, after several months, the new Tates Creek High has begun to look like it should, rather than a construction site.
The Tates Creek girls’ team suffered a narrow 54-52 defeat under first-year coach Jana Costner, but the boys’ team delivered a 66-39 victory over Carroll County.
Barger was recognized between games. Tates Creek Coach Jarrod Gay was the first to shake his hand during his introduction. Gay is Tates Creek’s fifth boys’ coach in the 23 years since Barger’s retirement.
Included in Barger’s 540 wins were the 1991 11th Region Tournament championship and subsequent Boys’ Sweet 16 runner-up finish for a team led by all-state star Darrin Horn, who’s currently the head coach at Northern Kentucky University.
Barger also coached Dom Fucci, 1975’s Mr. Basketball, who later became Tates Creek’s baseball coach and has the school’s baseball/softball facility named in his honor.
“I had a lot of times up here, and I have good memories,” Barger said. “But things change. And this is nice.”
This story was originally published November 30, 2022 at 7:37 AM.
