(Photo via si.com)

The NFL announced today the high school football coaches nominated by the 32 NFL teams for the Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year Award. Representing the best at the high school level, these coaches were nominated for the national award, named for the winningest coach in NFL history, by NFL teams for their character and integrity, leadership and dedication to the community, commitment to player health and safety and on-field success.

“High school football coaches serve as role models for young athletes and their impact goes well beyond the playing field,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said. “We are proud to honor this year’s nominees who embody the character, integrity and spirit of Coach Shula. Their commitment to improving the lives of students and developing young men of character is commendable.”

Don Shula Award nominees from all 32 NFL teams will be invited and recognized in special ways during the NFL’s week-long celebration of football at the 2018 Pro Bowl in Orlando, Florida. The coaches will participate in a special coaches’ clinic, enjoy a VIP visit to Pro Bowl practices and attend the USA Football National Conference, scheduled for Jan. 26-28 in Orlando.

Two of the coaches who are finalists, Saguaro (Arizona)’s Jason Mohns and (Indianapolis) Ben Davis’ Mike Kirschner, are scheduled speakers at the National Conference.

Two finalists will each receive $15,000 from the NFL Foundation, $10,000 of which will go to their high school’s football program. The Don Shula Award winner will be announced during the 2018 Pro Bowl, airing at 3 p.m. Jan. 28 on ESPN and ESPN Deportes and simulcast on ABC. The winner will be recognized and walk the red carpet at “NFL Honors,” a two-hour primetime awards special to air nationally Feb. 3, the eve of Super Bowl LII, at 9 p.m. on NBC. “NFL Honors” will be taped earlier that evening at the Cyrus Northrop Memorial Auditorium at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

The winner is selected by a panel of distinguished individuals which includes:

• Pro Football Hall of Famer, Coach Don Shula – the winningest coach in NFL history
• 2016 Don Shula NFL Coach of the Year Award Winner Randy Allen 
• Pro Football Hall of Fame President David Baker
• Former Dallas Cowboys Personnel Director and NFL.com contributor Gil Brandt 
• Pro Football Hall of Famer, former Indianapolis Colts Coach and current NBC analyst Tony Dungy 
• Executive Director of USA Football Scott Hallenbeck 
• Two-time Super Bowl Champion (XLI, 50) Peyton Manning
• Three-time Super Bowl Champion (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX) Willie McGinest
• Former Secretary of State, Senior Fellow on Public Policy at the Hoover Institution and faculty member at the Stanford Graduate School of Business Condoleezza Rice 
• Pro Football Hall of Famer, Super Bowl XLII Champion and “Good Morning America” correspondent Michael Strahan
• Aplington-Parkersburg (Iowa) High School Principal and son of the school's late football coach, Ed Thomas, Aaron Thomas 

 

Below is a full list of the 2017 Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year nominees. For more information on the NFL Foundation, visit nflfoundation.org or follow @NFLFoundation on Twitter.

2017 Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year Nominees
NOMINATING TEAM	SCHOOL NAME	COACH
Arizona Cardinals	Saguaro High School	Jason Mohns
Atlanta Falcons	North Gwinnett High School	Bill Stewart
Baltimore Ravens	Harford Technical High School	Timothy Palmer
Buffalo Bills	West Seneca West High School	Mike Vastola
Carolina Panthers	Clinton High School	Andrew Webb
Chicago Bears	Rochester High School	Derek Leonard
Cincinnati Bengals	Covington Catholic High School	Eddie Eviston
Cleveland Browns	Bay High School	Ron Rutt
Dallas Cowboys	Frisco Lone Star High School	Jeffrey Rayburn
Denver Broncos	Pueblo South High School	Ryan Goddard
Detroit Lions	Warren De La Salle Collegiate High School	Mike Giannone
Green Bay Packers	Kimberly High School	Steve Jones
Houston Texans	Oak Ridge High School	Brian Fitzgerald
Indianapolis Colts	Ben Davis High School	Mike Kirschner
Jacksonville Jaguars	Bartram Trail High School	Darrell Sutherland
Kansas City Chiefs* (Missouri)	Staley High School	Phil Lite
Kansas City Chiefs* (Kansas)	DeSoto High School	Brian King
Los Angeles Chargers	Crenshaw High School	Robert Garrett
Los Angeles Rams	Mission Viejo High School	Bob Johnson
Miami Dolphins	American Heritage School	Pat Surtain
Minnesota Vikings	South St. Paul	Chad Sexauer
New England Patriots	Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School	Paul Funk
New Orleans Saints	West St. John High School	Brandon Walters
New York Giants	Newton High School	Matt Parzero
New York Jets	Franklin K. Lane Campus High School	Jason Mollison
Oakland Raiders	Kennedy High School	George Jackson
Philadelphia Eagles	Downington High School	Michael Matta
Pittsburgh Steelers	Quaker Valley High School	Jerry Veshio
San Francisco 49ers	Gilroy High School	Jubenal Rodriquez
Seattle Seahawks	Royal High School	Wiley Allred
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Citrus High School	Nate Varnadore
Tennessee Titans	Brentwood Academy	Cody White
Washington Redskins	Dinwiddie High School	Billy Mills

*Indicates team has more than one nominee