‘Legend’ perfectly describes Bob Kouns

If the word “legend” has ever been fitting for anyone, it certainly applies to Bob Kouns.

From his days as an eighth-grader at South Portsmouth — when he scored the first 11 points of what would become a 1,853-point career — Kouns established himself as a major figure in 16th Region athletics. He excelled as a player, thrived as a coach and later built a remarkable legacy as a three-sport official. Along the way, he mentored countless officials and earned the respect of coaches, players and even fans across the state.

Calling Bob Kouns a legend is not an exaggeration. It’s simply accurate.

Kouns estimated he officiated more than 2,500 basketball games during a 47-year career with the whistle. He spent 53 years as a baseball umpire and another 50 years working football fields as a referee.

Bob Kouns was an athlete, coach and legendary three-sport official in northeastern Kentucky.

Kouns passed away Friday at the age of 85. As word spread, tributes quickly filled social media. With each post came another story highlighting a man whose life was devoted to high school athletics.

A two-sport standout at South Portsmouth High School, Kouns graduated in 1958 before earning a full scholarship to play both baseball and basketball at William Carey College (now William Carey University) in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

One of the most influential figures in his life was legendary South Portsmouth basketball coach Sid Meade. Meade helped Kouns secure his opportunity at William Carey and later encouraged him to begin officiating.

“When (Meade) was superintendent at Lewis County, he said, ‘Son, I need umpires for home baseball games. Go get your license,’” Kouns recalled in a story written by Aaron Snyder of The Daily Independent.

A year later, Meade asked him to officiate junior varsity basketball games.

“That’s how I got started,” Kouns said. “Sid was like a second father to me.”

Kouns was a prolific scorer during his playing career, ranking second on South Portsmouth’s all-time scoring list behind Johnny Stephenson and just ahead of Reese Stephenson. As a senior, he averaged 24.3 points per game to lead the Eastern Kentucky Conference. He was equally talented in baseball, which earned him the opportunity to compete at William Carey.

While his playing and coaching accomplishments were impressive, Kouns may be best remembered for his officiating style and approachable personality. Known for allowing games to flow, he rarely let coaches’ frustrations rattle him. During one official’s banquet, a guest speaker jokingly accused Kouns of not having a pea in his whistle.

Still, coaches knew they would get fairness when Kouns walked into the gym.

He officiated the prestigious Ashland Invitational Tournament for 30 years and was honored during the event’s 59th anniversary by receiving a commemorative basketball engraved with “Bob Kouns, 30, AIT.” The tournament also marked the final season of his basketball officiating career.

Kouns worked the Boys’ Sweet Sixteen state tournament five times, most recently in 1997. He officiated 43 consecutive district championship games and 43 straight regional tournaments. His final basketball assignment came during the 2014 9th Region Tournament at Northern Kentucky University.

Some photos of Bob Kouns shared on Facebook. From top left: Kouns listens to Raceland coach Randy Vanderhoof who disagreed with a call. Bob during his playing days at South Portsmouth. Bob cleans off the plate as Don Hardin gives him an earful. Bottom from left: Kouns with the 1968 NEKC champion McKell Bulldogs. Kouns with the 2019 Greenup County Hall of Fame class.

In his first state tournament appearance, he officiated a matchup between Kentucky’s top two teams at Louisville’s Freedom Hall — an early sign of the trust placed in his abilities.

Beyond high school athletics in Kentucky and Ohio, Kouns also worked college games. He spent 10 seasons officiating basketball in the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and umpired college baseball in the Mid-South Conference for 15 years.

His career produced numerous honors, including induction into the Kentucky High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2004, recognition as a Kentucky Sports Legend in 2007, Outstanding Umpire of the Year in 2007 and induction into the Greenup County High School Hall of Fame in 2019.

Kouns officiated seven state baseball tournaments and five state football championship games. He called his final baseball contest in 2019 during the regional tournament at Raceland.

As a coach, he guided McKell High School teams that included future Major League pitcher Don Gullett. He later led Greenup County High School to its first 16th Region baseball championship in 1980, defeating Ashland 8-2 in the title game and helping establish the Musketeers’ baseball tradition.

Bob Kouns left an undeniable mark on the 16th Region — as a player, coach, official and, above all, as a man known for integrity and character.

“Legend” fits him perfectly.

Roger that: Robinson takes Ashland ties with him into baseball coaches Hall of Fame

An Ashland native who cut his baseball teeth in his hometown was elected to the Kentucky Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame on Friday night.

Roger Robinson, a 1984 graduate of Ashland where he played for Frank Sloan, was recognized for building the Bethlehem baseball program for nearly 20 seasons. He has accumulated 327 victories despite being the smallest school in the Fifth Region. That’s an average of 20 wins per season in a program that, before his arrival, had only one district tournament victory.

He has changed the attitude and expectations for Bethlehem since taking over in 2007. That’s 18 seasons in 19 years with the COVID year included when no games were played. He starts season No. 20 in the spring.

Ashland native and Bethlehem High School coach Roger Robinson was inducted into the Kentucky High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026.

Bethlehem, a private school, has a boy-girl enrollment of about 300 so his pool of players to choose from is around 150. Compare that with Central Hardin Elizabethtown and Taylor County who have enrollment in the thousands, and it has been an uphill battle, Robinson said.

However, he guided them to the regional championship game in 2013, falling to perennial power Elizabethtown 2-1. He was named Fifth Region Coach of the Year that season.

“That’s as close as we’ve been to winning the region but historically, we go to the region (since his arrival) every year,” said Robinson, who also credited longtime assistant Billy Lyons with the program’s success.

Robinson’s baseball knowledge comes through some good genes. His father, also named Roger Robinson, was a highly successful youth league baseball coach in Ashland for many years. He coached in Little League (major and minor), Babe Ruth and Senior Babe Ruth. The elder Robinson was on the ground floor of getting Babe Ruth baseball started in Ashland in the 1950s.

Roger played for his father throughout his youth career and said the experience was a great one.

“A couple of stories I can think about dad and baseball and the differences of then and now, back when he was coach, they got the practice field on first-come, first-serve basis,” he said. “He’d work the midnight shift at Armco, get off work at 6 a.m. and take the bat bag and put it on the diamond. We’d have early-morning practices.”

It was a baseball family for the Robinsons. Roger’s late mother, Margie, learned to keep the scorebook for her husband and his little sister, Jill, learned how to spend her free time at the ballpark, too.

When Roger Sr. was coaching Armco in the Senior Babe Ruth, Roger Dean was a batboy from 4 years old to 8, taking in the experience of being at the ballfield and around some elite Ashland players. Five decades later, the love of the game has not faded and he’s still on the ballfield.

He has translated that into a successful high school coaching career at Bethlehem. As a professional, he was a physical therapist until he retired. Now he helps with medical assistance for high school teams.

His wife, Cindy, attended private schools and they enrolled their four children at Bethlehem. Roger watched the team play when his boys were young and it wasn’t always pretty. He became an assistant coach and a year later was promoted to the head coach and the rest is history, including have both of his son play for him – like father, like son.

They have won the All “A” regional tournament four times.

“It was a start-from-nothing kind of process,” he said. “A lot of fundraising, an indoor facility and a much nicer field than they used to have made a difference. One of the things I’m most proud of is that we have a full varsity, junior varsity and freshmen teams. To have teams on all three levels for a school our size is tremendous.”

Robinson started the Bethlehem Prep Baseball Program that develops players from K-8th grade for students attending a Bethlehem feeder school.

In his speech on Friday, Robinson said it’s not all about wins and losses at Bethlehem.

“The biggest reason I got into coaching, and one of the things that drives me, and the person I thank most is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” he said. “I’m trying to represent the Lord when I’m out on that field. It’s what we try to do every time we play at Bethlehem. That is the reason I continue to coach.”

Hearing some of the other speeches about their playing days, Robinson said he once pitched a no-hitter as an 8-year-old on the Foodland Rockets that drew some laughs.

“What I didn’t tell them was I walked 17 and gave up 15 runs,” he said.

Roger played for the White Sox in Ashland American, the Eagles in Babe Ruth, the Tomcats in high school and for Post 76 under Frank Wagner and Paul Reeves.

Robinson thanked his father, his coach throughout his youth baseball days, for instilling in him a love for the game.

“He certainly doesn’t agree with all my philosophies, but that’s OK, he will learn,” Robinson said.

He also thanked his wife for putting up with him and always being supportive. Besides the four grown children, he also has seven grandboys so that means more coaching in his future.

“I had them in the (batting) cage yesterday,” he said.

Tomcats to honor Swift family, 1996 state runner-up team

ASHLAND — Basketball royalty will take center stage during the 70th annual Ashland Invitational Tournament, which tips off Saturday night.

Ashland will present the Distinguished Tomcat Award to the Swift family, whose multi-generation commitment to Tomcat athletics has spanned players, cheerleaders and administrators. The family will be honored prior to the Ashland–St. Mary game at 7 p.m. in James A. Anderson Gymnasium. At halftime, the Tomcats’ 1996 state runner-up team will be recognized during its 30th anniversary season.

Tad Swift (Class of 1948) and Phyllis Swift (Class of 1955) were lifelong supporters of Ashland athletics, setting the foundation for a family deeply intertwined with Tomcat tradition. Though illness prevented Tad from playing contact sports, he proudly served as a cheerleader, while Phyllis — a former basketball player — became a tireless advocate for the program. She was responsible for the championship banners that line Anderson Gymnasium, chronicling Ashland’s basketball dominance.

From left, Mark Swift, Greg Swift and Lisa Swift Bryan.

Their sons, Mark and Greg Swift, carried that legacy onto the court during one of the most successful stretches in school history. Both starred for legendary coach Paul Patterson from 1975–79, when Ashland captured four straight 16th Region titles without losing a a game against a regional opponent.

Their daughter, Lisa Swift Bryan, was a Tomcat cheerleader from 1977 to 1982, providing the kind of spirit that made her mom and dad proud.

Mark Swift, a 6-foot-1 guard known for his outside shooting and defensive toughness, played on regional championship teams in 1976 and 1977, including a 30-2 squad that reached the state semifinals. He earned all-AIT honors in 1976. Greg Swift followed closely behind, serving as the floor general on three regional champions (1976-78) and earning all-AIT recognition in 1977.

Scoring averages only hint at their impact in Patterson’s defense-first system. Mark averaged 10.5 points per game as a senior and 9.5 as a junior, while Greg posted averages of 11.3 and 10.5 in his senior and junior seasons.

Mark’s senior season included a standout AIT performance in 1976, scoring 18 points against Betsy Layne, 21 against Maysville and 14 in a championship win over Louisville Trinity, 51-49. Greg earned all-tournament honors in 1977 despite Ashland’s early exit.

The brothers also contributed to regional championship baseball teams and are members of the CP-1 Ashland Baseball Hall of Fame.

Mark Swift’s influence extended well beyond his playing days. He served as Ashland’s athletic director for 22 years, beginning in the late 1990s, overseeing coaching hires that produced regional championships across multiple sports. A passionate defender of Ashland tradition, he became one of the most influential figures in Tomcat athletics history. Swift continues to recover from a debilitating stroke suffered three years ago and is expected to attend the ceremony.

Also being honored is Ashland’s 1996 team, which finished 27-9 and made a memorable run to the Sweet Sixteen championship game. Coached by Wayne Breeden, the Tomcats upset top-ranked Paducah Tilghman in the opening round before advancing to the finals, where they fell to Paintsville.

Ashland closed the season by winning nine of its final 10 games, including a dramatic 49-48 victory over Boyd County to claim the 16th Region title. Starters Chris Lynch, Kyle Umberger, Brian Strader, Tony Barrow and Tate Tolbert led the way, with Drew Curtis, Chris Estep and Luke Coffey providing key depth.

At Rupp Arena, Ashland defeated Paducah Tilghman 72-61 behind 21-point performances from Lynch and Umberger, followed by wins over Scott County and Henderson County to reach the title game. The grueling stretch took its toll in a 71-53 loss to Paintsville, though Tolbert, Barrow and Umberger earned all-state tournament honors.

The Tomcats also captured the AIT championship that season, with Strader, Tolbert, Lynch, Barrow and MVP Umberger named to the all-tournament team.

High-scoring George Carroll and the first AIT 70 years ago

Ashland’s first game in the Ashland Invitational Tournament – originally called the Greenbo Lake Invitational – took place on Dec. 27,1955 at the Ashland Armory against Raceland.

George Carroll poured in 24 points, and it was only a sign of things to come for the little guard with the dead-eye shooting touch. The Tomcats defeated Raceland 66-47 in the opening game.

Carroll scored 35 as Ashland defeated Holy Family 79-66 in the semifinals and then the Tomcats upended Flat Gap and the great Charlie Osborne, 72-66, in the first championship with Carroll scoring 39.

That’s 98 points in three games, a nearly 33 points per game average, from the senior guard.

Here are the scores from the first tournament:

Opening round

Olive Hill 77, Clark County 61

Ashland 66, Raceland 47

Flat Gap 96, Montgomery County 78

Holy Family 88, Boyd County 67

Semifinals

Flat Gap 62, Olive Hill 56

Ashland 79, Holy Family 66

Championship

Ashland 72, Flat Gap 66

It was a star-studded tournament that came about because of ADI sports editor John McGill. Here is how some of the postseason honors for players in the AIT that first season.

Kenny Meyer of Montgomery County, All-State second team.

Charlie Osborne of Flat Gap, All-State second team.

George Carroll of Ashland, All-State third team.

J.D. Kiser of Olive Hill, All-State third team.

Bill Emmett of Ashland, Buddy Banks of Raceland and Bert Greene of Olive Hill were All State Honorable Mention.

The tournament was called the Ashland Holiday Tournament the second year before becoming the Ashland Invitational Tournament in the third year.

The Ashland Armory was good for Carroll later when he put 52 points on Carr Creek in a game thar preceded the Harlem Globetrotters putting on a show for a packed house of 1,500.

The Tomcats won the game 98-90 in an old-fashioned shootout. It featured Carr and Bobby Ray Shepherd from Kingdom Come. He transferred to Carr Creek and was probably the key to them winning the 1956 state championship a month after playing Ashland. Shepherd was a strong center known for his natural strength, like lifting 100-pound sacks of corn with ease.

His move in 1954-55 from Kingdom Come’s Wildcats to Carr Creek was likely a recruiting issue but due to economic reasons, given his coal-miner family. But he was a big reason the Indians won the crown that March

Two other important people crammed their way into the Armory to watch – Kentucky coaches Adolph Rupp and Harry Lancaster who came to scout Shepherd and got an eyeful from Carroll, too.

The game was played there because it was a preliminary game to the Harlem Globetrotters and basketball magician Meadowlark Lemon. The Globetrotters came out to watch the Ashland-Carr Creek game when they heard the fans stomping and cheering.

What everybody saw was the amazing Carroll scoring what was then a Tomcat record 52 points. He made shots from every conceivable angle as the Tomcats knocked off sixth-ranked Carr Creek. The two-team total of 188 was also an Ashland High School record at the time.

Carroll’s 52-point outburst stood as the Ashland record until Marty Thomas broke it in 1993 with 54 points in the 121-33 win over Jellico, Tenn., that also represents the most points scored by a Tomcat team. Carroll’s total pushed him past Bill Gray’s 48 points in the district win over Wurtland in 1954.

It was an age of basketball when the object was more to outscore the opponent than stop them. Most teams stayed back in 2-3 zone defenses and tried to outrun the opponent in racehorse-style games.

A big reason for that was the coming of age of the jump shot. It had been around just long enough for teams to have players almost perfect it. Ashland had its share of shooters during that time — Earl “Brother” Adkins, Gray and Carroll among them. The fans were eating it up.

Holy Family had Fred Simpson and later his brother, Tim, putting in points from deep outside.

Some of Carroll’s teammates included Don Church, Don Wellman, Dale Griffith, Howard Humphreys and Bill Emmett. Church was a rebounder supreme for the Tomcats who never minded feeding it back out to Carroll, who could stop on a dime from behind the circle and pop them in.

The 5-foot-10 Carroll scored in double figures every game in the 1955-56 season and finished with a 24.3 scoring average. Ashland finished 20-9 after losing to Mt. Sterling in the regional semifinals.

Remember, of course, this was all 30 years before the 3-point line came into being. Carroll and Gray were both bombers from well behind what is now the 3-point arc.

The Globetrotters were so entertained by the Ashland-Carr Creek game that when a reporter came up to talk to them, Meadowlark Lemon told them they needed to talk to those boys. “I’ve never seen a game anything like this,” he said. “These boys are the stars tonight.”

The Globetrotters came out and put on a show for the 1,500 who had jammed their way into the armory. But they couldn’t outscore Ashland or Carr Creek, recording a 74-69 win over the Honolulu Surfriders in a game marked more by showmanship than anything else. The newspaper report said the fans especially howled when the Trotters warmed up with the invisible ball routine.