National High School Coaches of the Year Play Significant Role in Lives of Students
Dr. Karissa L. Niehoff, NFHS Chief Executive Officer
Leading the way to provide students the opportunity for life-changing experiences in school sports programs – from middle school through high school – have been dedicated men and women in the coaching profession. High school coaches work long hours and play a significant role in the lives of almost eight million participants in high school sports – and millions more at the middle school level.
Those individuals fortunate enough to be involved in high school sports recognize later in life the contributions coaches had in their development. During the school years, coaches often help student-athletes navigate through life as much as their parents.
Every year, the NFHS has the joy of recognizing individuals in the coaching profession, and earlier this month more than 870 coaches were recognized with state and sectional awards, along with the announcement of the 23 National Coaches of the Year.
As you might imagine, these 23 individuals – 10 for boys sports, 10 for girls sports and three others – have enjoyed enormous success – both on the field and court and in preparing students for life after school in their chosen careers.
The 23 coaches selected for this national honor have led their respective teams to an unbelievable 235 state championships – more than 10 per person. Here’s a brief look at some of the incredible accomplishments of this year’s National Coaches of the Year:
Joe Tribble has led Westminster Schools in Atlanta to 29 boys cross country state titles in 40 years. In 22 years as the swimming coach at Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, Missouri, Paul Winkeler has led his teams to 14 state championships. Charles Covington, who recently retired from coaching boys and girls cross country at Saltillo (Mississippi) High School for more than 30 years, claimed 27 state titles. And Milton “Butch” Briggs, who is in his 49th season as girls swimming coach at East Grand Rapids High School in Michigan, has helped his teams to an amazing 37 state titles (25 girls, 12 boys).
While the victory totals and championships are impressive for all 23 national award recipients, the philosophies these individuals followed to achieve success is what separates high school sports from all other levels. Although these coaches have won more games than they lost, winning is not their focus.
Kelli Smith, the NFHS Girls Softball National Coach of the Year from The Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, has won 622 games and 14 state championships, but her goal is developing champions for life:
“I love the kids, I love the game and I love to win, but the greatest joy in coaching is teaching young ladies the value of commitment, hard work, teamwork, loyalty and understanding their value comes from who they are, not what they do.”
Shaun Hardt, the NFHS Girls Track and Field National Coach of the Year from Queen Creek (Arizona) High School, has enjoyed tremendous success as girls and boys track coach by winning 120 invitationals and numerous other titles, but he’s not centered on winning.
“Athletics is not just about competition and winning but a journey that shapes one’s character, fostering qualities that extend well beyond the playing field, and empowering individuals to become better versions of themselves.”
Jennifer Marks, head cheer coach at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh, North Carolina, for 27 years, is this year’s NFHS National Spirit Coach of the Year.
Marks, whose teams have won 23 state titles, has involved her teams in numerous community projects over the years and says her coaching philosophy is centered around love, respect and discipline. She reminds her athletes that “the point of a coach is to get an athlete to do something they never imagined they could do and/or something they would never do on their own.”
Steve Hall, the NFHS Boys Basketball National Coach of the Year, led Detroit (Michigan) Cass Technical High School to the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division I state title in 2022-23 – his fourth state title. Like the other honorees, Hall’s focus was on the journey.
“Be better today than yesterday and better tomorrow than today,” Hall said. His philosophy prioritized scholarships and championships, with an emphasis on character development. For Hall, winning wasn’t merely confined to the scoreboard but extended to life itself, where accountability, reliability, dependability and responsibility took center stage.
For 31 years, Klel Carson has led the La Grande (Oregon) High School boys wrestling program with the philosophy to “strive to teach and model for young athletes how to become champions in life, great parents and great people.” On the mat, he has coached 28 individual state champions, four state championship teams and 328 individual state qualifiers.
These are but a few of the amazing coaches honored this year by the NFHS. A complete look at all 23 National Coaches of the Year is available here.
We appreciate the great work of not only the 870 coaches honored this year, but the thousands and thousands of coaches who are making a difference daily in our nation’s schools.
Online link to article: https://www.nfhs.org/articles/national-high-school-coaches-of-the-year-play-significant-role-in-lives-of-students/
Dr. Karissa L. Niehoff is in her sixth year as chief executive officer of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) in Indianapolis, Indiana. She is the first female to head the national leadership organization for high school athletics and performing arts activities and the sixth full-time executive director of the NFHS. She previously was executive director of the Connecticut Association of Schools-Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference for seven years
