New Coaches, Athletic Director Named at Ballard

Ballard County Schools has some new faces in its coaching ranks for 2015-16, and some familiar faces taking on new challenges.

Ballard Memorial High School’s head football coach, John Elliott, has taken on the added duties of district athletic director this year. 

“I’m looking forward to working with the coaches in continuing to build our Bomber athletic program. It will be an exciting year, due to several coaching changes,” Elliott said.  

Elliott has been BMHS football coach since 2011, and serves as the instructor of in-school detention in the middle and high schools. He has 40 years of coaching experience at both the high school and college levels.

Marla Cooper will be the high school boys’ basketball coach. 

“I've been coaching this group of boys since seventh grade, and I have always wanted to coach at the varsity level,” she said. 

Cooper is a business teacher at Ballard, and has been a teacher or instructional assistant for 20 years. 

“I've also been coaching in some capacity for more than 20 years,” she said, all in the Ballard County school district. 

“I am looking forward to coaching a great group of boys,” she added. “They really enjoy playing together as a team. I plan to focus on defense and communicating on the floor. We must play as one on the court.”

Rudy Carrico will be the high school girls’ basketball coach. He will be the new health at PE teacher at Ballard County Middle School this year. Carrico started as a teacher and coach at Fulton County Middle School in 1981. 

“I was their only coach,” he said, working with boys’ and girls’ basketball, as well as football. He moved to St. Mary Schools in 1985, where he coached freshman and junior varsity boys’ basketball, and was assistant varsity boys’ coach.

Carrico was St. Mary’s first-ever soccer coach, and also coached track and field, cross country, golf and served as athletic director. For the last 24 years, he’s worked in the federal probation and parole office for the Western District of Kentucky. 

“My first love is teaching and coaching, and I want to impact young people in a positive way,” he said. 

When he arrives in August, Carrico said he expects to meet with players and assess their individual strengths, and work on the best system for their talents. Fans should expect to see a motion offense and good man-to-man defense when the season starts. 

“I want to help them be as good as they can be,” he added. 

Carrico also will be the BMHS assistant volleyball coach. “I’m happy to be given the opportunity to work at Ballard, and looking forward to being there,” he added.

Jennifer Bittner will be the high school boys’ soccer coach. This is her second year at Ballard, and she served as an boys' middle school soccer coach last year. She also is the middle- and high-school art teacher and a working artist, doing primarily printmaking and woodworking for commission customers.

LorryBeth Wilson will be the high school cheerleading coach. She is a former cheerleader, and mother to one of this year’s varsity girls. Wilson is the director of the West Kentucky College Academy at West Kentucky Community and Technical College, and is a former teacher and guidance counselor at BMHS.

Coaching positions yet to be filled this year include a track and field coach and middle school baseball.