As part of its annual awards program, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Coaches Association recognizes Coach of the Year honorees from each state. Those named Coach of the Year at the state level then advance for consideration for Sectional Coach of the Year honors. Winners are chosen through a combination of their coaching accomplishments, particularly for the season in question, as well as their contributions outside of competition to help grow their respective sports. These awards are announced following the recognized year.
The complete list of 2022-23 honorees from Kentucky is below.
- Baseball: Jeremy Shope, Whitley County
- Boys’ Basketball: Josh Cook, George Rogers Clark
- Boys’ Cross Country: Brian Ruggles, North Oldham
- Football: Keegan Kendrick, Bullitt East
- Boys’ Golf: Kyle Congleton, Madison Central
- Boys’ Soccer: Stephen Collins, Ryle
- Boys’ Swimming & Diving: Mike Essig, Trinity (Louisville)
- Boys’ Tennis: Al Hertsenberg, Covington Catholic
- Boys’ Track & Field: David Stewart, St. Xavier
- Wrestling: Thomas Carta, Greenwood/South Warren/Warren Central/Warren East
- Girls’ Basketball: Scott Sivills, McCracken County
- Girls’ Cross Country: Bernadette Madigan-Dugan, Lexington Catholic
- Girls’ Golf: Tennye Ohr, Madison Central
- Girls’ Soccer: Kenneth Burke, South Oldham
- Softball: Shannon Troutman, Henderson County
- Girls’ Swimming & Diving: Lindsay Munson, Lexington Catholic
- Girls’ Tennis: Chad Young, South Warren
- Girls’ Track & Field: David Meyers, Beechwood
- Volleyball: Jennifer Morgan, Paul Laurence Dunbar
- Spirit: Cara Terry, Lafayette
- Bass Fishing: Julie Clark, Powell County
- Boys’ Archery: Jason Hayes, Logan County
- Boys’ Bowling: John McCarthy, Trinity (Louisville)
- Dance: Cara Terry, Lafayette
- Esports: Danielle Brown, Kentucky Country Day
- Cheer: Nakia Jones, Daviess County
- Girls’ Archery: Greg Shoulders, Meade County
- Girls’ Bowling: Jed Roth, Boyle County
- Field Hockey: Stephanie Seeley, Christian Academy-Louisville
The NFHS, which has been recognizing coaches through an awards program since 1982, honors coaches in the top 10 girls’ sports and top 10 boys’ sports (by participation numbers) and in two “other” sports–one for boys and one for girls–that are not included in the top 10 listings. The NFHS also recognizes a spirit coach as a separate award category. Winners of NFHS awards must be active coaches during the year for which they receive their awards.
The next award level after state coach of the year is Sectional Coach of the Year. The NFHS is divided into eight geographical sections: Section 1 – Northeast (CT, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, RI, VT); Section 2 – Mideast (DE, DC, KY, MD, OH, PA, VA, WV); Section 3 – South (AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN); Section 4 – Central (IL, IN, IA, MI, WI); Section 5 – Midwest (KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD); Section 6 – Southwest (AR, CO, NM, OK, TX); Section 7 – West (AZ, CA, HI, NV, UT); and Section 8 – Northwest (AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY).
The NFHS Coaches Association has an advisory committee composed of a chair and eight sectional representatives. The sectional committee representatives evaluate the state award recipients from the states in their respective sections and select the best candidates for the sectional award in each sport category. The NFHS Coaches Association Advisory Committee then considers the sectional candidates in each sport, ranks them according to a point system and determines a national winner for each of the 20 sport categories, the spirit category and two “other” categories.
