The Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year Award recognizes the best in coaching at the high school level.
Every year, each of the 32 NFL clubs nominates a high school coach for the Don Shula NFL Coach of the Year Award, named after Pro Football Hall of Famer Don Shula, the winningest coach in NFL history.
The nominated coaches are judged based on areas that Coach Shula excelled at the most during his career — character, integrity, leadership, dedication to the community, commitment to player health and safety and on-field success.
This season, the NFL will recognize two winners, one from each conference. The AFC and NFC award winners will be announced in the week prior to the Pro Bowl Games.
The two winners will be invited to the Pro Bowl Games in Las Vegas. The coaches will receive VIP access and accommodations to attend the Pro Bowl Games practices throughout the week, on-field access at the Pro Bowl Games, and a chance to interact and engage with various members of the football community. The winners will also be recognized and walk the red carpet at the 12th annual NFL Honors on February 9.
The NFL Foundation and Nike have teamed up to provide the two winners a $15,000 award to their high school football programs and a $10,000 cash award. The other 30 club nominees will all receive a $1,000 cash award. They will also attend Super Bowl LVII in Arizona as special guests of the NFL.

The 2022 Don Shula Award winners Clive Harding, left, and Matt Gallagher, right, pose with NFL Legend Eli Manning at the 2022 Pro Bowl Games.
Meet the 2022 Don Shula Award winners: Matt Gallagher of Maine-Endwell High School (NY), nominated by the New York Giants, and Clive Harding of Boys and Girls High School (NY), nominated by the New York Jets.
2022 Nominees
Here are the Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year Award nominees for all 32 clubs.
AFC
- Baltimore Ravens - Kyle Schmitt, Archbishop Spalding High School
- Buffalo Bills - Steve McDuffie, Bennett High School
- Cincinnati Bengals - Andre Parker, Princeton High School
- Cleveland Browns - Chuck Kyle, St. Ignatius High School
- Denver Broncos - Blair Hubbard, Broomfield High School
- Houston Texans - Wade Miller, Uvalde High School
- Indianapolis Colts - Eric Moore, Center Grove High School
- Jacksonville Jaguars - Robert Shields, Baldwin Middle-Senior High School
- Kansas City Chiefs - Bryan DeLong, Center High School
- Las Vegas Raiders - Brent Lewis, Moapa Valley High School
- Los Angeles Chargers - Joe Torres, King/Drew Magnet High School
- Miami Dolphins - Jube Joseph, Miami Central High School
- New England Patriots - John Rafferty, Wakefield Memorial High School
- New York Jets - Clive Harding, Boys and Girls High School (AFC Winner)
- Pittsburgh Steelers - Jon LeDonne, Pine-Richland High School
- Tennessee Titans - Lamar Brown, West High School
NFC
- Arizona Cardinals - Chris McDonald, Basha High School
- Atlanta Falcons - Tony Lotti, Apalachee High School
- Carolina Panthers - Jimmy Teague, Reidsville High School
- Chicago Bears - Ken Leonard, Sacred Heart-Griffin High School
- Dallas Cowboys - Chad Cole, Reedy High School
- Detroit Lions - Tyrone Spencer, Detroit Martin Luther King Jr. High School
- Green Bay Packers - Andrew Selgrad, Columbus High School
- Los Angeles Rams - Stephen Barbee, Long Beach Poly High School
- Minnesota Vikings - Chris Mensen, Simley High School
- New Orleans Saints - Marcus Scott, Destrehan High School
- New York Giants - Matt Gallagher, Maine-Endwell High School (NFC Winner)
- Philadelphia Eagles - Mike St. Clair, Bayard Rustin High School
- San Francisco 49ers - Phil Ferrigno, Abraham Lincoln High School
- Seattle Seahawks - Jason Ronquillo, Yelm High School
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Mark Buchanan, Indian Rocks Christian School
- Washington Commanders - Larry Choates, John R. Lewis High School
Learn More About the Nominees
Podcast: Philadelphia Eagles High School Coach of the Year Mike St. Clair
January 17, 2023
Read MoreAbout the Award
The Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year Award was established in 2010.
The 2022 award winner is selected by a panel of distinguished individuals:
- Tony Dungy, Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach and current NBC analyst
- Scott Hallenbeck, Executive Director of USA Football
- Peyton Manning, Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback and current ESPN contributor
- Roman Oben, Super Bowl XXXVII champion and NFL Vice President of Football Development
- Scott Pioli, NFL analyst and former front-office executive
- Michael Robinson, NFL Legend and NFL Network analyst
- Dave Shula, NFL Legend, former NFL head coach and son of the late Coach Shula
- Bobby Taylor, NFL Legend and NFL Strategic Advisor for Football Operations
- Aaron Thomas, Aplington-Parkersburg High School Principal and son of Ed Thomas, the school's late football coach
Previous winners of the Don Shula Award include:
- 2010 - Ray Seals, Madison (TX) - Nominated by the Houston Texans
- 2011 - John McKissick, Summerville (SC) - Nominated by the Carolina Panthers
- 2012 - Steve Specht, St. Xavier (OH) - Nominated by the Seattle Seahawks
- 2013 - Mike Grant, Eden Prairie (MN) - Nominated by the Minnesota Vikings
- 2014 - Bruce Larson, Somerset (WI) - Nominated by the Green Bay Packers
- 2015 - Michael Burnett, Tuscarora (VA) - Nominated by the Washington Commanders
- 2016 - Randy Allen, Highland Park (TX) - Nominated by the Dallas Cowboys
- 2017 - Robert Garrett, Crenshaw (CA) - Nominated by the Los Angeles Chargers
- 2018 - Gabe Infante, St. Joseph's (PA) - Nominated by the Philadelphia Eagles
- 2019 - Matt Land, Dalton (GA) - Nominated by the Atlanta Falcons
- 2020 - Derrick Avery, Booker T. Washington (GA) - Nominated by the Atlanta Falcons
- 2021 - Bob Palko, Mt. Lebanon (PA) - Nominated by the Pittsburgh Steelers
- 2022 - Matt Gallagher, Maine-Endwell (NY) - Nominated by the New York Giants and Clive Harding, Boys and Girls (NY) - Nominated by the New York Jets

2021 Don Shula NFL Coach of the Year Award winner Bob Palko of Mt. Lebanon (PA). Nominated by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
"High school football coaches serve as leaders and role models dedicated to shaping the lives of young high school players both on and off the field. This group represents the very best from across the country every year."
ROMAN OBENNFL Vice President, Football Development