Out and About Kentucky Style: Coach Roy Kidd

Roy Kidd was a football coach. Was he ever! I got to know the former Eastern Kentucky coach a few years back while I was writing a book, “The Boys From Corbin, America’s Greatest Little Sports Town.”

Gary West is an author and News Journal columnist.

Roy Kidd was one of those boys. He died at 91 years of age on September 12.

I knew of Coach Kidd, first as a college student and then as a sports fan, and later a writer. He became a national name. His Eastern Kentucky team made an unheard of four consecutive appearances in the Division 1-AA national championship game, winning in 1979 and 1982. There wasn’t much his Colonel teams didn’t win. In fact, they won so much that a few years back ESPN named the 150 greatest football coaches of all-time, and Roy Kidd ranked #60. It surprised no one that Paul “Bear” Bryant was #1.

Everyone in Kentucky, even if they didn’t know whether a football is pumped or stuffed, knew who Coach Kidd was, and his incredible coaching records. But what some might not know is the athletic background he had before becoming a Hall of Fame coach.

Roy Kidd found his own place in a crowded field of sports superstars growing up in Corbin. As a three sport star for the Redhounds, he was good enough to have numerous scholarship offers to play football, basketball or baseball.

“Bear Bryant recruited me at UK for football, but no baseball he said,” recalled Kidd. “Coach Diddle at Western invited me and one of my teammates to campus for a basketball visit.”

That teammate turned out to be one of the all-time greats in the game, Frank Selvy.

“Coach Diddle didn’t fool me,” Kidd said. “He wanted Frank, and I really did think Frank wanted to go to Western. He did tell me if I came there I could also play football.”

Kidd, however, went to Eastern as a left-handed passing halfback at Corbin.

It didn’t take long before his superior leadership qualities and athletic skills led to his transition where in 1952, he became a Little All-American quarterback. Oh yes, he played four years of center field for the Colonels, never batting under .300.

In high school Kidd was no slouch on the hardwood. Playing alongside of Selvy, Jerry Bird, and Bob Terrell, Corbin in 1950 was playing in the State Tournament consolation game after falling in the semis at the Jefferson County Armory in Louisville. Tied with Central City at 69 all, Kidd let fly a shot from mid-court with only seconds left. It went in and Corbin walked away with a 71-69 win.

A short time before Kidd’s shot, teammate Bird had lost the ball, giving Central City a chance to win. Kidd someway, somehow ended up with the ball and let it fly. Walking off the court, Kidd patted Bird on the shoulder while saying, “I saved your butt, didn’t I?”

Corbin played in six straight state tournaments and Kidd was connected to four of them.

Jerry Bird went on to be a great player at UK and the father of Steve Bird, who would later become one of Eastern’s greatest players while leading them to a national title.

But getting the younger Bird to Eastern became a bit tricky.

Steve was something special. A star in football and basketball at Corbin. He was a hot recruit everywhere except UK.

Even though Roy had grown up with Steve’s father, he knew he would still have to recruit Steve. Finally, UK realized they couldn’t let a Bird slip through their fingers. But it was too late.

“We had him signed,” recalled Kidd. “Steve’s dad, Jerry, kept calling me and he didn’t know what to do. He was confused with all of the UK calls. I told Jerry I didn’t know what he could be confused about. He’d already signed his scholarship, and he was going to play football at Eastern.”

That should have solved it, but it didn’t.

Jerry called Roy again. UK assistants for Fran Curci were still calling Steve. Kidd told Jerry he wasn’t going to release Steve, and for him to take Steve out in the backyard and kick his butt.

“I picked up the phone and called Curci,” Kidd said. “I told him the next time anyone from his staff called Steve Bird I would turn them into the NCAA. There was no more problem from then on.”

Steve Bird was a two-time All-American under Kidd and played in the NFL for the Cardinals.

My talking to Coach Kidd was a necessity for my book. As one of Corbin’s greatest he went on to achieve even higher marks as a college player and coach. We agreed to meet at his office on Eastern’s campus. After 38 record setting years, he retired in 2002. Now moving into the development side at the University, he was still able to regularly take the pulse of the football program he had turned into a force on the national scene.

I had never met Coach Kidd before this day in 2012. I’d heard stories about him being a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is style with his players, and especially people he didn’t know who were from of all places Western.

As I sat across the desk from him I could tell a bit of apprehension about telling me “stuff” that would appear in a book.

The longer we chatted, the more comfortable he seemed with me. He chuckled out loud when talking about his visit to Western with Frank Selvy.

“Before we left he told Frank he could count on $80 a month if he came to Western.”  “I’ve told that story a few times,” he laughed while getting in a little dig that Diddle paid his players.

He enjoyed talking about his rivalry with Western.

“You want to beat people who are good and you respect,” he said. “Jimmy Feix was a friend and great coach at Western. Man, did I want to beat him and he did me.”

Eastern vs. Western became the biggest game in the state in both football and basketball. Most of the time the winner would win the Ohio Valley Conference championship.

When Feix retired in 1983, Roy Kidd was invited to be a part of the Jimmy Feix Roast.  Later when Roy Kidd retired, Feix was a part of his roast.

Coach Kidd had plenty of opportunities to leave Richmond and coach at another college for more money.

“Marshall contacted me,” the coach said. “I interviewed and they ask me ‘why do you want this job?’ “I don’t know that I want this job.” “You called me, I didn’t call you.”

“Staying at Eastern saved my life. In 1970 Marshall’s plane crashed killing everyone on board,” Kidd added.

The US Military Academy came calling.

“I had never been in the Army, but this one sounded interesting. I didn’t know if I should go or not, but I thought it would be a fun group of kids to coach.”

Of course Roy Kidd stayed at Eastern, ultimately winning 314 games. His legendary games against Western still bring out the fire while talking about them all of these years later. One of those he chalks up to be one of his best wins.

“It was the dedication game of their new stadium (L.T. Smith) in 1968. They hadn’t even been scored on till then,” he recalled. “We went back to Richmond with a 16-7 win.  Lots of sad people in Bowling Green that day.”

Ten years later, however, in Bowling Green, the game resulted into another game Kidd will never forget.

“The game was almost over. We led 14-13 when they went for a field goal to win. Their kicker missed. I thought it was over.  We win.  Then out of nowhere I see a flag, roughing the kicker. I couldn’t believe it. Of course he hit the next one for a 16-14 win. That one was hard to take.”

Ultimately there was one coaching job that really did get Kidd’s attention.

“In 1989 Jerry Claiborne retired,” he said. “I got an interview and believe me I was prepared. I had my entire plan for what I’d do with the football program. I mapped it all out on paper. Thought I had a shot. Bill Curry was a name talked about for the Kentucky job. He was at Alabama then, and I was told it was down to the two of us.”

“Curry got the job and years later my wife told me Jerry Claiborne’s wife told her UK would never hire someone from Eastern, because it would be beneath them.”

Curry was at Kentucky seven years and struggled to a 26-52 record. Twenty miles away Roy Kidd carved out a Hall of Fame career in the shadow of the Commonwealth Stadium goal post. “Looking back on it, I got a couple of token interviews at UK.”

“I always felt secure at Eastern, never made much money, but people were good to me,” he said.

To further show what was under that tough outer shell of Kidd’s, when Jimmy Feix died in 2014, one of the first calls the Feix family received was from Kidd.

Western’s board of regents in 1992 was close to dropping football. It was about finances and Coach Jack Harbaugh was doing everything to save football. When Kidd heard about what was going on in Bowling Green, he quickly mailed a check to do his part to save a bitter rivals program.

Today a larger-than life statue of Roy Kidd overlooks Roy Kidd Stadium, on Roy and Sue Kidd Way in Richmond. There’s also a Roy Kidd Avenue in Corbin.

There’s no excuse, get up, get out and get going! Gary P. West can be reached at westgarypdeb@gmail.com.