Barry Binkley, a legend in the Kentucky running community passed away this week, after 55 years in coaching. Barry was a founding member of the Kentucky Track and Cross Country Coaches Association, a member of the KTCCCA Hall of Fame, and instrumental in providing opportunities for athletes in the state of Kentucky. Binkley could be seen at cross country and track & field events all across the state. I will never for the warmth he showed me as we worked side by side at many meets. His impact was profound as evident from the words from former athletes and those in the running community.
Tim King, the KTCCCA Assistant Executive Director and KHSAA State Meet Director for cross country and track & field said,
How do you put into words someone that means so much to you? He was a mentor, a coach, a father figure, and most of all a friend. My heart is heavy and filled with sadness for the loss of him. I also remember all the times that we laughed and spent together. That brings a smile to my face. All I know is you will be missed. The trust and faith you showed me all these years is beyond measure. I thank you for everything. You truly were one of a kind. Your impact to so many is unbelievable. We spend our lives hoping to make a difference and you my friend made a huge difference for so many people.
Jamey Herbst, a former athlete of Binkley's said,
When we leave this world we all leave a footprint, but Coach Binkley left a crater. To say that Barry Binkley was passionate about his vocation as an educator and coach is an understatement - he was ON FIRE! Coach became the person in our lives that pushed us to be better than we even knew we could be. We didn't give up, because he wouldn't give up. He wasn't afraid to ask the hard questions ("What are you doing?"), to make us take a good look at ourselves and figure out what we should be doing. He gloried in our successes and never let us dwell on failure. In a small town that wasn't known for greatness, Coach created powerhouse athletes (Stephanie Edgar-Kuntz and Adrienne Hundemer most notably) and championship teams (wherever he coached, state titles were soon to follow). The young people that were a part of these teams tasted the fruits that hard-work and determination yielded. BECAUSE OF COACH, the most valuable life lesson was learned: IF YOU WANT SOMETHING, WORK FOR IT! Coach never let an athlete rest on their laurels, every practice you had to give 100% - just like life.
Below is the obituary for Coach Binkley.
It is with an extremely heavy heart that we share with you the passing of our beloved Barry on August 18 at his home in Alexandria, KY surrounded by his loved ones. Coach "Oak" Barry Binkley was a mainstay of cross country and track in Ohio and Kentucky for the past 55 years, turning his passion for running into an accomplished coaching career, finishing that long career just this year at Simon Kenton High School in Independence, KY. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio on Sept. 19, 1941, Barry attended Woodward High School where he discovered his love of running. He set the school record for the mile in a time of 4:36 and was District Track Champion in the 880 as a senior in 1959. He earned a full scholarship to run at Bowling Green State University where he set three school records and finished second in the mile at the 1963 Mid-American Conference championships. Graduating with a teaching degree, he taught for 35 years and began an extraordinary 55-year long career of coaching track and cross country including 4 years at Elder High School where his teams never placed lower than 7th at the State Meet. Crossing the river into Northern Kentucky in 1974 where he coached at Holmes High School, Coach Binkley played a crucial role in establishing girls cross-country as a sport in Kentucky. While at Holmes, he formed the first girls' team in Northern Kentucky, allowing girls to run races on their own (they previously ran with boys' teams) and was instrumental in inaugurating the Kentucky Girls State Cross Country program in 1975. Starting in 1979, he spent the bulk of his career at Dayton, KY High School where for 25 years he guided the Greendevils to 5 State Championships and 15 State Runners-Up. During one 8-year period, his girls track team were State Champions twice and Runners-up six times. There were also a total of 20 Conference, Regional and Sectional championships, and individually, his runners claimed a total of 42 state championships in track and cross country. Coach Binkley was named Coach of the Year 10 times during his career by various organizations. He was an inductee of the Kentucky Track and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the Northern Kentucky Athletic Directors Hall of Fame and the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame. In 2014 his many accomplishments were recognized with induction into the LaRosa's High School Hall of Fame. Barry was also a founding member of the Ohio Valley Track Club, the Kentucky Track & Cross Country Coaches Association and Team Kentucky, along with working with the Flying Pig Marathon from its inception in 1999 until 2019. He was also Race Director for the Ft. Thomas Firecracker 5000 from 1985-2004. Barry wasn't just a teacher or a coach, he was a cheerleader. He saw potential in all his students and athletes, and loved being able to get them to believe along with him. That he was able to share his passion for running and his gift of coaching with his athletes made him so happy. He touched many lives over his 55-year career and was proud of what "his kids" accomplished either in athletics or in life. It didn't matter if you were his best athlete or his worst as long as he saw that you were giving him all you had. He was able to maintain relationships with many of those athletes over the years, who would often call or visit him, bringing him much joy. Barry leaves behind is beloved wife of 37 years, Janice, and his adored daughter, Dr. Molly Binkley Rimer and son-in-law Nick Rimer. He was preceded in death by his beloved sister, Barbara Bushman. A scholarship to honor Barry's life and career to award deserving senior track or cross country athletes at Dayton High School and Simon Kenton High School is being established. Please make all donations payable to "Barry Binkley Scholarship Fund" c/o Dayton High School, 200 Greendevil Lane, Dayton, KY 41074. A Celebration of Life will take place in the near future. He will be greatly missed, but we take comfort in knowing the profound effect he had on so many. He gave so much of himself to so many that we are confident his spirit will live on. We will end this tribute as he ended all his communications, "gotta run....." and we hope that is exactly what he is doing now. Online condolences may be expressed on Facebook or at SerenityFuneralCare.com