Just a thought here for a quick answer to the Cincinnati Reds’ need for a new pitching coach and maybe a manager in the near future. And a Northern Kentucky answer to boot.
An answer by the name of former Lloyd Memorial, NKU and San Francisco Giants pitcher Chris Hook, onetime pitching coach and director of baseball operations for the Florence Freedom (now Y’alls) and for the last eight seasons, pitching coach for the Milwaukee Brewers — maybe the best pitching coach in major league baseball — as the small market Brewers challenge the Dodgers in the playoffs thanks to all the success from a mound corps Hook developed.
But why, you ask, would Hook, 58, leave a franchise that clearly has it pretty well figured out and a terrific pitching staff he built and come to the Reds, even if it is home? How about the Reds combine that offer to bring him here as pitching coach with a promise that when good guy Terry Francona retires, Hook will be the next man up as Reds’ manager.
And while we’re thinking about it, how about the Reds doubling up on the Northern Kentucky connection with an offer for former Reds’ catcher Luke Maile, out of Covington Catholic and UK, as the bench coach, when he retires. Maile, 35, a veteran of six franchises in the last decade and a Kansas City Royal the last two years after two seasons with the Reds, has always been a clubhouse leader and seems a natural for a coaching future if he wants it.
There, Reds, we’ve solved the near and long-distance future for you. Now make it happen.
NKADHOF banquet, inductees set for Nov. 12
From Grady Brown, the Northern Kentucky Athletic Directors’ annual Hall of Fame induction banquet will be Thursday, Nov. 12, at receptions in Erlanger. Tickets are $45. Contact Grady by Oct. 22 to purchase tickets at grady.brown@newport.kyschools.us.
The 2026 NKADHOF inductees: Beechwood, Adam Wulfeck; Bellevue, Ricky Buckler; Boone County, Angela Runion; Bishop Brossart, Sara Futscher; Calvary, Angie VanBerkel; Campbell County, Ken Lehkamp; Conner, Rick Hicks; Cooper, Michelle Cantema; Covington Catholic, Mike Woolf; Dayton, Frank Boyers; Dixie Heights, Graham Taylor; Highlands, Rick Grover; Holy Cross; Doug Graham; Lloyd Memorial, Jon Long and Chris Hook; Ludlow, Jon Alig; Newport, Mike Faulkner; Newport Central Catholic, Jayme Thiem; Notre Dame, Alex Carl; Scott, Anna Ryan; St. Henry, Bethanne Murphy.
SPECIAL AWARDS: Tom Potter Award, Tim Gray, NewCath; Stan Steidel Award, Chris Holtz, Bishop Brossart; Mel Webster Scholarship, Chris Meyers, Bellevue.
More Hall of Famers
At Wednesday’s October Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame inductions at 1 p.m. at The Gardens in Park Hills, six new members will be inducted. They are Newport’s Sherill “Ace” Morgan, former coach and athlete; and five former Lloyd Memorial athletes: David Smith, co-captain of the 1976 state champion football Juggs; seven-year swimmer Laurabeth Smith; Matthew Kordenbrock, also from that 1976 state champions team; three-sport athlete Mark “Moe” Moliter and Mika Lockard, a four-year football letterman and another member from that 1976 state champion team.
And now for the real Dylan Topmiller
Our story the other day noted how the Northern Kentucky Basketball Coaches Association had named Beechwood’s Dylan Topmiller as Northern Kentucky’s top boys’ high school basketball player entering the 2026-27 season. Unfortunately, we ran a photo of Dylan’s teammate last season, Owen McCormack. Here’s the real Dylan.
Contact Dan Weber at dweber3440@aol.com. Follow him on X @dweber3440.