Change of heart: He left for Highlands last week. He’s back at Franklin County now.
Eddie James, who on Sunday was introduced in Fort Thomas as the new head football coach at tradition-rich Highlands, on Tuesday announced his decision to stay home and continue to lead the Franklin County Flyers’ program.
“To people on the outside, this is — I’ve read the words ‘career suicide’ — but I believe in the work that we’re doing here and the kids here and the impact that it’s having on them. It’s been heavy on my heart. I’ve really struggled with ‘Am I gonna be Eddie James, the football coach, or am I gonna be Eddie James, the mentor, who’s made an impact on these kids’ lives.
“And I think I want to be the latter.”
James and his family, wife, Nikki, daughter, Ava, 6, and son, Jax, 3, traveled to Fort Thomas for their official introduction as the new first family of the Bluebirds, a program that is one of the tops in the nation in total victories and has 23 state championships, second only to Louisville’s Trinity.
“Now, don’t get me wrong, every single person that I was involved with at Highlands was amazing,” James said. “That’s an amazing place and somebody’s going to do a fantastic job there. But I believe I’m called to work here with these kids and in this district.”
James called Highlands Principal Matthew Bertasso on Tuesday to let him know of the decision.
“(Bertasso) was very respectful of everything that I said. He didn’t like it for obvious reasons, but he was very respectful,” James said. “It’s hard for them, and I understand that.”
Franklin County welcomed James back.
“We know this has been a difficult week for Coach James and his family,” Franklin County Athletic Director Tracy Spickard told The State Journal. “He has our full support in his decision to stay home and continue to lead our program.”
James is a 2005 graduate of Franklin County High School and his ties and his family’s ties to the community run deep with his players and their students also feeling like part of the family, James said. Eddie and Nikki James are both teachers in the school district. It was after making a stop on what was seemingly a farewell tour visiting one of his closest relations that James began to question the decision and talking again with his wife about it, James said.
“There’s a kid here that means a lot to my family and we met there, and that was when it really started kind of kicking in,’ James said. “Sometimes, we as humans, we feel like we’re supposed to be doing something, and we think it’s right, but sometimes you just get pushed in another direction.”
James led the Flyers to a district and region championship and the program’s first appearance in a state championship game in 2020. He returns to continue to build on that success.
“I want to be a mentor for these young men in Frankfort, especially with what we have and what we’ve built,” James said. “I want to build this on my own terms and I feel like I’ll be able to do that here.”
