Coach Nathan Speed Steps Away at Fairland

[pfloyd]

If you've been a follower of high school basketball in Southern/Southeast Ohio you KNOW Fairland Basketball as one of the outstanding "programs" in Ohio basketball ... for 15 years Coach Speed has guided the Dragons "program" ... a great coaching napkin stat line:

* Only the 10th coach at FHS in school history
* 62-20 as the Girls HC
* Record 340-111 for a 67.35% winning percentage
* Took the Dragons to the Final Four in 2017
* Winningest coach in Fairland basketball history
* 20 win season 6 times
* 10 OVC Championships
* 12 Sectional 'ships
* 5 District Championships
* 1 Regional Championship

... as a fan of the game of high school hoops, I was instantly drawn to the Fairland style of play ... fundamentals at both ends of the floor / physical man-to-man defense, great team offensive play anchored by 3 point shooters/ outstanding passing on the perimeter and in the paint / back door cuts ending with layups at the rim/ pick & roll set up by big men who were threats offensively and could handle the ball/find the scorers/cutters ... my kind of basketball ... I KNEW what I was going to see every time I went to see a game where Fairland was playing ...

... Over the years I have gotten to know Coach Speed, his coaching staff, the Fairland players going back 15 years along with the parents of players & Dragon fans in the stands - what a great "basketball community" ... I look forward to continuing to go to Proctorville to watch games - it will definitely be a different feel looking court side and not seeing Coach Speed ... times are a changing ... thank you Coach Speed for all you, your TEAMS have done for Southern/Southeast Ohio basketball ... best wishes my friend - pfloyd

[84Dragon]

Coach Speed was/is definitely one of the top coaches in the area . Hes taken some teams that didnt have some of the best talent and turned them into winners . I liked his style of play like PFloyd does , it always gives other teams fits , thats probably why they have won so much . Unless the higher ups have a coach from another area coming in , you never know , its Blaine Fullers job now . I didnt realize Fairland has only had ten coaches thru the years .

[1987chieftains]

RIP coach Speed.

[RJShifko]

Coach Speed didn’t pass away. He is still alive and doing well.

Coach Speed is one of the best in the business. Enjoy your post coaching life now Coach Speed you have written a great legacy as a coach