Virginia preps regarding Phil Robbins

**imported_neutral** · November 29th, 2005, 08:22 PM

The Facts as they really are. Sorry but true.

Phil Robbins is a good coach, however when he came to Big Stone Gap he more or less walked into an ideal situation as far as coaching high school football goes:

* Powell Valley had just won their first state championship the year before his arrival.
* A strong feeder (little league) program had already been put into place by those who came before him.
* Powell Valley was by far the largest school in Region D.
* Big Stone Gap was pretty much a hub for business/job opportunities, so the place to live in or near abouts was Big Stone. For the most part as far as Wise County goes, this still holds true to this day. Bottom line - more families in the area = more talent to choose from.

I personally would give the community more credit than they currently are given.

Robbins was a head coach for 12 years before becoming the head coach of Powell Valley:

1971 - 1976 John Battle (15-42-3), 25% winning percentage

1977 - 1982 Christiansburg (32-28-1), 52.4% winning percentage

1983 - 2005 Powell Valley (228-55), 80.5% winning percentage

Again, Phil Robbins is a good coach no doubt. But Big Stone Gap/Powell Valley made Phil Robbins a winner, not the other way around.

Follow him into hell. Well you probably will.
But most a few years after their away from the God of PV Football.
Well they realize the truth. All they were was a part of the program. Big difference, when your forgotten your forgotten. Don't give me a title, why do i need to know you.
That is the difference in a coach and a coach with their ego on their sleeve.

Oh and make every excuse you can for Coach Robbins. But in reality there is none.
He makes his own problems. And honestly i bet he can't name 15 former players.
Give it a shot and see. At PV your taught from the crunch bunch up. This is how it is. That is all the kids know. Look at what is said on here. I think you can tell. None form their own opinions till their well away from the program and the man or God of PV football.

**LPDBlueDevils** · November 29th, 2005, 08:35 PM

I don't personally know Coach Robbins, but I just wanted to share a little story with you guys. A friend of mine was selected to play in the VHSL All Star game, and before the game the players walk out with their coaches and families, well a certain Coach for whatever reason wasn't there to walk out with my friend, so Coach Robbins walked out on the field with him. To me that is a class act. What he said in the paper, well that was wrong, but I hope he just said them out of frustration and he truly meant no harm towards anybody. Yes he is a great coach, and yes he has been fortunate to have the level of players he has had, but it is his X's and O's that puts the numbers on the board. It is sad this has happened, but it in no way takes away what he has accomplished as a coach.

**imported_mega** · November 29th, 2005, 08:37 PM

If Haysi loses by 2 touchdowns or worse this week, I think his comments will be treated with more respect.

**Gotch** · November 29th, 2005, 08:39 PM

Since you must think that list is the ends all to the issue let's take it one point at a time.

<blockquote>In reply to:<hr />
Powell Valley had just won their first state championship the year before his arrival.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep, and they had 43 players on that team, nearly half were seniors. Phil took over a team that had won 1 district title in 25 years and that returned 3 total starters on both sides of the ball and won the schools 2nd district title in his first year.

<blockquote>In reply to:<hr />
A strong feeder (little league) program had already been put into place by those who came before him.

[/ QUOTE ]

Some truth here, but I played the first two years that the peanut program existed in BSG. Two other coaches had plenty of player come out of that feeder system. Between those two coaches they won 1, that's one (1) district title between them.

<blockquote>In reply to:<hr />
Powell Valley was by far the largest school in Region D

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually I think Kelly usually had about the same or slightly more students most years.

<blockquote>In reply to:<hr />
Big Stone Gap was pretty much a hub for business/job opportunities, so the place to live in or near abouts was Big Stone. For the most part as far as Wise County goes, this still holds true to this day. Bottom line - more families in the area = more talent to choose from.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is really just the previous arguement restated in a different manner. I will point out that prior to Phil taking over the average PV team sported about 35 players, since Phile it's about 55 players. There's a reason for this and that reason is Phil.

<blockquote>In reply to:<hr />
1971 - 1976 John Battle (15-42-3), 25% winning percentage

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep, a rookie coach in a down-trodden program paying his dues.

<blockquote>In reply to:<hr />
1977 - 1982 Christiansburg (32-28-1), 52.4% winning percentage

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm no expert on Christiansburg football, but seems I remember reading that Phil led them to their first winning season since sometime in the iceage.

**imported_neutral** · November 29th, 2005, 09:21 PM

Well Gotch here is the facts.
And no but the issue is pretty clear and so are the results.
Read them again.
And then consider, i know most think Robbins as the God of PV Football, but it's the kids and the program that make the man.
No matter what Phil did at CB. He wasn't a winner until he until he inherited, the program at PV.
Face it.
I know it's hard for those who swallow and follow Phil, to believe, but the facts are the facts.
Honestly in breaking it down you just proved the points, that not my post, but someone else's post even proved. Sorry guy but that is the truth.
Not hard to coach a program that is already in place.
And especially when you have 2 All-Americans for how many of those State Title years, and how close back to back, and how many titles since they graduated.
Oh well why cry over spilled Robbins spirts of the mouth.
He has had it made at PV. And should for the next 2-3 yrs. Then he will retire.
Like i said ask him to name 15 players who have played for him over the past 10 yrs. I bet he can't name many past the Jones brothers.

Again.

The Facts as they really are. Sorry but true.

Phil Robbins is a good coach, however when he came to Big Stone Gap he more or less walked into an ideal situation as far as coaching high school football goes:

* Powell Valley had just won their first state championship the year before his arrival.
* A strong feeder (little league) program had already been put into place by those who came before him.
* Powell Valley was by far the largest school in Region D.
* Big Stone Gap was pretty much a hub for business/job opportunities, so the place to live in or near abouts was Big Stone. For the most part as far as Wise County goes, this still holds true to this day. Bottom line - more families in the area = more talent to choose from.

I personally would give the community more credit than they currently are given.

Robbins was a head coach for 12 years before becoming the head coach of Powell Valley:

1971 - 1976 John Battle (15-42-3), 25% winning percentage

1977 - 1982 Christiansburg (32-28-1), 52.4% winning percentage

1983 - 2005 Powell Valley (228-55), 80.5% winning percentage

Again, Phil Robbins is a good coach no doubt. But Big Stone Gap/Powell Valley made Phil Robbins a winner, not the other way around.

Follow him into hell. Well you probably will.
But most a few years after their away from the God of PV Football.
Well they realize the truth.
All they were was a part of the program.
Big difference, when your forgotten, your forgotten.
Don't give me a title, why do i need to know you.
That is the difference in a coach and a coach with their ego on their sleeve.

Oh and make every excuse you can for Coach Robbins. But in reality there is none.
He makes his own problems. And honestly i bet he can't name 15 former players.
Give it a shot and see. At PV your taught from the crunch bunch up. This is how it is. That is all the kids know. Look at what is said on here. I think you can tell.
None form their own opinions, till their well away from the program, and the man or God of PV football.
Good coach yes. But how hard is it to coach at school that is set up for you, crunch bunch to varsity?
Now be honest. And was already setup before you got there.
Honestly now.

**Ghetto_Heisman** · November 29th, 2005, 09:32 PM

If Haysi does win though, people will just look at how much Robbins likes to wine and try to ignore it

**mike_jones** · November 29th, 2005, 09:42 PM

<blockquote>In reply to:<hr />
"I've got sophomores who don't have much lead in their britches.

[/ QUOTE ] he don't mean they arent good enough, he means the sophmore linemen were outsized

**somersetvol** · November 29th, 2005, 09:45 PM

Neutral, I couldn't have summed it up any better. I will disagree with you on one point. Phil can name almost any player that ever started for him from 1983 on, he just doesn't care to.

**Gotch** · November 29th, 2005, 09:58 PM

You're clearly confused and rambling now. That sure was alot of typing to say absolutley nothing new.

I've already addressed your "list" and if you think I proved your point then you are also delusional.

I don't know how many former players Phil can name but I know two of them. My two sons, one who played one full year and another who played about 1/2 a year. He has asked about them, so I'm pretty sure he remembers them.

Now I realize that losing to PV under Phil year after year after year breeds discontentment but at least try to spew that venom into a coherent sentence or two.

<blockquote>In reply to:<hr />
Well Gotch here is the facts.
And no but the issue is pretty clear and so are the results.

[/ QUOTE ] [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] What?

**imported_Sportsman** · November 29th, 2005, 10:45 PM

Some of us oldtimers remember some of the talent PV had before Poss Bolling became coach. Ever since I can remember PV has had tremendous athletes. They won their first state title in 82, but there were several teams in the 70's that had more talent and were as athletic as the teams that the Jones played on. Coaching was their downfall back then, so great athletes cannot usually overcome poor coaching. Coach Bolling brought stability to the program. To say that Phil is not a good coach is absolutely ridiculous. He has won state titles with less talent than was there in the 70s. Coach Robbins best attribute has been to surround himself with the best assistants available. Much of Gate City's success over the years can be attributed to the same thing.