The quality of Kentucky high school baseball has improved dramatically over the last couple decades, and if you’re looking for somebody to pat on the back for that, start with Pleasure Ridge Park Coach Bill Miller and Harrison County Coach Mac Whitaker. They made their programs standards of excellence, prompting a lot of schools to upgrade their commitment to the sport to keep up with the Panthers and Thorobreds.
In the past couple weeks Miller and Whitaker each reached 800 career victories, a plateau occupied by only two other coaches — Green County’s Larry Gumm (1,006) and Madison Central’s Don Richardson (952).
Miller and Whitaker have much in common. They can be brusque at times, they are ultra-competitive (remember their famous dust-up in the 1993 title game between PRP and Harrison County when the coaches nearly came to blows?), and they demand a lot out of their players as they push for perfection. Their teams pretty much owned the 1990s, combining for six state championships in a row. Harrison County won state titles in 1993, ‘97 and ‘98 after runner-up finishes in ‘84 and ‘87. PRP won consecutive crowns in 1994, ‘95 and ‘96. The Panthers were runners-up in 1982, ‘85, ‘93 and ‘99.
Miller is in his 26th season at PRP and has an overall record of 806-211 (79%). Whitaker is in his 30th season at Harrison County and has an overall record of 802-236.
May 1, 2007 at 11:30 am |
Thanks for the comments. A few others that have had a lot to do with the growth of H.S. Baseball in Ky.
1. Sports writers such as Mike Fields and Bob White
2. Ron Herrington , former Harrison Co. assistant coach,who got the coaches poll and Mr. Baseball started for our Coaches Association.
3. Keith Madison, former UK Baseball coach who helped get our Coaches Association started.
They all need a pat on the back also.
March 30, 2008 at 10:27 am |
Not to take anything away from Coach Miller and PRP….but the accomplishment of Mac Whitaker at Harrison County… a small rural county school with only 600 students at the high school level…is unbelieveable…Harrison County at times plays 8th graders in the starting lineup….800 victories, 3 state titles, 2 runner-up finishes, year after year in the state play offs, national rankings in USA Today…county pride in generations of players….
…there is no comparison to Mac Whitaker’s coaching accomplishments….and will not be repeated at this level of high school ever.
…and the icing on the cake is….Mac has just been honored for his coaching success at the recently completed basketball tournament….”for his coaching of girls high school basketball”….
…not sure if Kentucky has or will ever have another coach like Mac Whitaker