Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year Award

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 values that Coach Shula excelled in during his career — character, integrity, leadership, dedication to the community, commitment to player health and safety and on-field success.

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 and will be recognized in special ways during the NFL's week-long celebration of football. Throughout the week, coaches will receive VIP access and accommodations to attend the Pro Bowl Games practices for both conferences, on-field access on Sunday for the culmination of the Pro Bowl Games, and a chance to interact and engage with various members of the football community.

The two winners will also attend Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas as special guests of the NFL. And they will be recognized and walk the red carpet at NFL Honors. 

The NFL Foundation and Nike have teamed up to provide the two winners with a $15,000 award for their high school football programs and a $10,000 cash award. The other 30 club nominees will all receive a $1,000 cash award.

2024 Don Shula Award winners John Hart of Brownsburg High School (IN), nominated by the Indianapolis Colts, and Bill Jacklin of Slinger High School (WI), nominated by the Green Bay Packers.

AFC

• Baltimore Ravens – Nick Burkhardt, Sparrows Point High School
• Buffalo Bills – Chuck Nagel, Newfane High School
• Cincinnati Bengals – Evan Dreyer, Anderson High School
• Cleveland Browns – Justin Todd, Wadsworth High School
• Denver Broncos – Jeremiah Behrendsen, Dakota Ridge High School
• Houston Texans – Brian Randle, Randle High School
• Indianapolis Colts – Kyle Ralph, New Palestine High School
• Jacksonville Jaguars – Steve Price, Ponte Vedra High School
• Kansas City Chiefs – Rod Stallbaumer, Basehor-Linwood High School
• Las Vegas Raiders – Rob Hummel, Spanish Springs High School
• Los Angeles Chargers – Dylen Smith, Palisades Charter High School
• Miami Dolphins – Robert Ortega, McArthur High School
• New England Patriots – Derek Almeida, Fairhaven High School
• New York Jets – Vincenzo Donato, William C. Bryant High School
• Pittsburgh Steelers – Wayne Wade, Clairton High School
• Tennessee Titans – Charles Rathbone, Page High School

NFC

• Arizona Cardinals – Travis Dixon, Hamilton High School
• Atlanta Falcons – Cap Burnett, North Clayton High School
• Carolina Panthers – Drew Marlowe, South Florence High School
• Chicago Bears – Jeff Boyer, Byron High School
• Dallas Cowboys – Lee Wiginton, Allen High School
• Detroit Lions – Troy Schelke, Harbor Beach High School
• Green Bay Packers – Jim Norris, Grafton High School
• Los Angeles Rams – Rick Clausen, Westlake High School
• Minnesota Vikings – John Stewart, Spring Lake Park High School
• New Orleans Saints – Brice Brown, Edna Karr High School
• New York Giants – Dave Ettinger, Garden City High School
• Philadelphia Eagles – Tim Quinn, Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School
• San Francisco 49ers – Kevin Collins, Abraham Lincoln High School
• Seattle Seahawks – Monte Kohler, O'Dea High School
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers – TaVaris Johnson, Lake Wales High School
• Washington Commanders – Kyle "KC" Landefeld, Clarksburg High School

The Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year Award was established in 2010.

The award winners are selected by a panel of distinguished individuals:

• 2024 Don Shula NFL Coach of the Year Award AFC Winner John Hart
• 2024 Don Shula NFL Coach of the Year Award NFC Winner Bill Jacklin
• NFL analyst and former front office executive Scott Pioli
• Pro Football Hall of Famer and current ESPN contributor Peyton Manning
• Pro Football Hall of Fame coach and current NBC analyst Tony Dungy
• Executive Director of USA Football Scott Hallenbeck
• Former All-Pro cornerback & NFL consultant Bobby Taylor
• NFL Legend and NFL Network analyst Michael Robinson
• Aplington-Parkersburg High School Principal Aaron Thomas, son of the school's late football coach, Ed Thomas
• NFL Legend, former NFL head coach, and son of the late Coach Shula, Dave Shula
• Nike Brand Director of Grass Roots and Team Scott Henson

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
• 2023 – Andy Lowry, Columbine High School (CO) – Nominated by the Denver Broncos and Shane Fairfield, Muskegon High School (MI) – Nominated by the Detroit Lions
• 2024 – John Hart, Brownsburg High School (IN) – Nominated by the Indianapolis Colts, and Bill Jacklin, Slinger High School (WI) – Nominated by the Green Bay Packers

2021 Coach of the Year Award Winner Bob Palko

"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