The final three head coaching positions for winter sports at the new Christian County High School were announced Monday morning during a news conference at the Central Office Board Room.
Kiki Radford was named girls’ basketball coach, Taylor Butler-Gilmore was named dance team coach, and Kaleigh Stout was named cheerleading coach.
Radford, a 2001 graduate of Christian County High School, said she was ready to begin the new era as Lady Tigers.
Radford, who starred for the Lady Colonels’ basketball and softball teams, went to Belmont University on a basketball scholarship and earned her bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science and Health Promotion. Radford returned to Christian County in 2013 as the Christian County Middle School girls’ head coach for three seasons.
Radford took over as the Lady Colonels’ head coach in 2016 and coached the team for 10 seasons, recording a 154-126 record. She won six District 8 championships and her teams advanced to the Region 2 semifinal round seven times. During that time, Radford also earned the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches Region 2 Coach of the Year and Second Region Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year.
Her 2017-18 team finished 23-8 and lost in the region championship to Webster County.
Radford said she met with players from Hopkinsville and Christian County today and is looking forward to building a culture of winning at the new school.
Radford said she was working on putting together a staff of assistant coaches.
Butler-Gilmore was introduced as the Christian County Tigers’ Dance Team Coach. A 2019 graduate of Christian County High School, she earned her bachelor’s degree from Murray State and master’s degree from Western Kentucky. Butler-Gilmore is an instructor at Bluegrass DanceCats.
Butler-Gilmore said she was excited for the opportunity to be the first dance team coach at the new high school and was looking forward to getting the athletes together and having them on the same page.
Stout was introduced as the head cheerleading coach at the new Christian County High School. A graduate of Hopkinsville High School, Stout was a former Tigers’ cheerleader and has been the Hopkinsville High School cheer coach for the past four seasons. Under her leadership, HHS earned a Top 10 finish at the state level in 2022 and national recognition in 2024, placing 20th in the nation in the Game Day Small Division.
Stout’s assistant coaches will be Amanda Crutchfield and Raven Benes.
Stout said she is excited by the challenge that will include the team competing in a larger division.
All fall and winter coaches for the new high school are now in place. The final group of coaches will be hired following the conclusion of the spring sports.
Photos by Joe Wilson