Interview: New England Patriots Coach of the Year Doug Kopcso of Needham HS

After leading his team to a 12-1 overall record and a trip to the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association Division I State Championship, Needham High School's Doug Kopcso is the New England Patriots Coach of the Year.

Kopcso, a 1999 Needham High School graduate and a former linebacker for the Rockets, is now a finalist for the prestigious Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year Award.

Coach Kopcso and the other Shula Award finalists are judged for characteristics and character traits Coach Shula exhibited during his career – character, integrity, leadership, dedication to the community, commitment to player health and safety, and on-field success.

NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Andre Tippett, who presently holds the role of Executive Director of Community Affairs for the New England Patriots, presented Kopcso with the team’s Coach of the Year Award in December. He was given a donation of $2,000 to the Needham football program on behalf of the Kraft family and the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation.

Needham's runner-up finish in Division I gave the Rockets a No. 4 ranking in the final High School Football America Massachusetts Top 10 high school football rankings.

Below, High School Football America’s Jeff Fisher interviews Kopcso, who has been at the helm of the Needham program for seven years.