Boone County’s search for their new head football coach did not have to take the administration outside of the building.
The Rebels named Dan Court their new head coach on March 14 and held an introductory press conference on Tuesday. Court is in his second year teaching Physical Education at the high school.
“What really stood out was his enthusiasm,” Boone County High Principal Stacey Black said. “Most days when he stops by the front office, what you see is what you get. He’s engaging. He’s personable. The kids are really going to look up to him.”
Court will now take on the tall task of continuing to build up and compete in the rugged Class 5A, District 5 that had Cooper and Highlands meet in the state semifinals last year with Dixie Heights winning their first round playoff game as well.
“The focus is on us to get better daily,” Court said. “Sure, we’re in a really tough district. We have to get more guys involved that enjoy playing football. We’re going to make football fun, but we’re definitely going to work hard. I’m going to try to develop a relationship with all the kids and get as many people playing football as possible. There’s power in numbers.”
Court is a 2008 Highlands graduate and helped the Bluebirds to the first of a state record six consecutive state championships his senior year as a wide receiver. He played under the guidance of legendary head coach Dale Mueller, finishing 15-0 in 2007.
“I really felt that his attitude – that hard-working, unselfish attitude was embraced by the whole team,” Mueller said. “In his senior year, I really felt his leadership led to us winning the state championship. I felt Dan as a role model was a big factor in those six straight state championships.”
Court then got into coaching, bringing 14 years of coaching experience at four different schools. Court started his coaching career as an assistant on Mueller’s staff in 2010.
“My job is to serve the players and that’s kind of how Dale did it,” Court said. “His vision was everything I can do to develop them as a wholistic individual and make them better men, he was going to do it and that’s my job – to meet them on an individual level and learn what makes them tick, what motivates them. I just want to motivate them to be great, to make this game fun.”
Court later assisted Stephen Lickert at Newport Central Catholic helping the Thoroughbreds to state semifinal appearances in 2020 and ’22. He most recently served as the defensive coordinator at Scott in the 2021 and ’23 seasons. Court credited Mueller, Lickert, current Campbell County head coach and former Highlands head coach Brian Weinrich and the three former head coaches at Scott in Steve Hensley, Eric Turner and Jake Owens for helping him develop as a coach.
“I definitely thank those six men, but there’s been so many more who have been part of my journey to this point,” Court said. “In 14 years, there’s been a bunch of different experiences, but this is the moment I’ve been doing all that stuff for.”
A number of players and their parents from the Boone County youth teams came to meet Court at the Boone County Performing Arts Center on Tuesday. Court gave them a number of words of encouragement.
“Right now, the focus is the current players. I have to make their experience the best possible, but the future is the youth,” Court said. “I have to be involved, show my face, show the youth at the Boone County elementary and middle schools that playing football is fun. It’s rewarding. We’re going to have a good time. We’re going to support each other. You’re going to grow as an individual. Not only in the football world, but also in the school sense, I want to show parents this is a great place to send their sons and even their daughters and build the school up as a whole. Football is just an aspect on top of that.”
Court is currently the head boys tennis coach at Boone County. Court said he will finish the season with the team, but he’s unsure what will happen after the season because of his new commitment.
The Rebels have lost 25 straight district battles, something Court said he’s fully aware of. The Rebels have not made the playoffs since their last season in Class 6A in 2018. They are 19-107 since their last winning season in 2011 when they drove to the Class 6A semifinals.
The good news is Court takes over a program in better shape than when the previous head coach Bryson Warner took over in 2019. The Rebels finished 13-36 in Warner’s five seasons as head coach after winning just six games the previous seven years including two winless campaigns.