‘Who ya with?’ Boyle County hires new football coach for Title Town.
Boyle County, one of the most decorated high school football programs in Kentucky, has tapped a former rival as the next head coach for “Title Town.”
Corbin’s Justin Haddix confirmed his new position Sunday evening in a phone call with the Herald-Leader moments before Boyle County’s football Twitter account posted a “Welcome to Big Rebel Nation” announcement.
“Any time you talk Boyle County you think, it’s a big-time football school and community. They’ve obviously been very successful. It just made it very attractive,” Haddix said Sunday. He said he made the decision Sunday afternoon about 3 p.m. after a weekend of speculation on social media that he’d been offered the job.
Haddix takes over for Boyle County coaching legend Chuck Smith, who retired after leading the Rebels to the last year’s Class 4A state finals. In two separate stints as Boyle’s head coach, Smith led them to six state championships, including five straight from 1999 to 2003.
Boyle County has won eight state titles overall, tied for seventh most in Kentucky high school football. Its last crown came in 2017 in Class 3A, a 40-21 win over Haddix’s Redhounds.
With a winning tradition and an enthusiastic and devoted fan base known for its rock jugs and “Who ya with?” catchphrase, Boyle County would be a hard gig to turn down.
“We’ve played against them and competed against them. When I was in high school (at Breathitt County), we played against them,” Haddix said. “They’ve had some great runs since 1999 and a lot of great players come through there. I’m just excited to get there and get to work.”
In six seasons at Corbin, Haddix went 64-18, making back-to-back Class 3A state championship appearances and four straight trips to the state semifinals.
The Redhounds suffered a number of close losses in 2019 and finished 6-5, exiting the playoffs in the second round, their quickest ouster under Haddix.
Leaving Corbin was the hardest part of the decision, Haddix said. He spent much of Sunday afternoon trying to reach players and let them know.
“It was a tough decision just with my family and, you know, Corbin’s a great place. They’ve got a lot of great kids here,” Haddix said. “I just felt like it was best for me and my family to go (to Boyle County).”
Prior to Corbin, Haddix coached four seasons at Perry County Central with a record of 26-20.
Haddix played high school ball for Breathitt County, leading them to a state title in 2002 in a 51-0 victory over Corbin. He then went on to play quarterback for Western Kentucky where he threw for 7,918 yards and 50 touchdowns over a career spanning from 2003 to 2006.
