The following is from the Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions have named Josh Lucas of Chelsea High School the 2021 Detroit Lions High School Football Coach of the Year. Lucas’s Bulldogs came back from a 28-point deficit, the largest deficit to overcome in state finals history, to defeat Hudsonville Unity Christian 55-52 and win the MHSAA Division 4 state championship in a game with the most combined points scored (107) in MHSAA state finals history. This is Chelsea’s first football state championship and Lucas’s first as a head coach. The Bulldogs, from the Southeastern Conference-White Division finished the season undefeated at 14-0 outscoring their opponents 546-220 and have won 24 consecutive regular season games dating back to 2019.
Lucas concluded his 13th year coaching football, 7th season overall as a head coach and 4th season as head coach at Chelsea. During his time at Chelsea, Lucas has gone 46-6 (88.5%) with 2 state finals appearances, 4 state semi-final appearances and a 16-3 (84.2%) career playoff record. Lucas spent three years as head coach at Allegan, five years as an assistant coach at Zeeland East and one year as an assistant at a Hudsonville middle school.
Detroit Lions legend Chris Spielman informed Lucas of his High School Football Coach of the Year selection on Head Coach Hangout. See his reaction and the entire interview by visiting www.DetroitLions.com/hangout for this Coach of the Year announcement as well as interviews from past 2021 Detroit Lions High School Football Coach of the Week recipients.
High School Football Coach of the Week/Year Program
Each week throughout the 2021 high school football regular season, one coach that best demonstrates success on and off the field, develops players’ character, discipline, and football skill in addition to emphasizing player health and safety in their program, is recognized for their commitment to the team, school, and community. The winner is selected by a panel of high school football media members—Mick McCabe (Detroit Free Press), Hugh Bernreuter (Saginaw News), Bret Bakita (WOOD Radio-106.9 FM, ESPN 96.1 FM-Fox 17/Grand Rapids), James Cook (Traverse City Record-Eagle) and Scott DeCamp (CatchMark SportsNet). Lucas was selected as Coach of the Year by the votes of the aforementioned media members, as well as one vote from the public online voting at DetroitLions.com/coachoftheyear.
Each Lions High School Football Coach of the Week during the regular season received a $1,000 donation to his school’s football program. For being named the 2021 Detroit Lions High School Football Coach of the Year, Lucas will receive a $3,000 donation to his school’s football program and will be honored as the Detroit Lions nominee for the Don Shula NFL High School Football Coach of the Year.
Concluding its’ 25th year, this season’s Detroit Lions High School Football Coach of the Week/Year program awarded $12,000 to aid in the development and promotion of high school football in the state of Michigan, while overall the program has awarded $479,000 to high school football programs throughout the state of Michigan.
2021 Detroit Lions Coach of the Week winners
Week 9 – Tom Marchese – Vicksburg
Week 8 – Tyrone Spencer – Detroit King
Week 7 – Jeremy Ferman – North Branch
Week 6 – Bill DeFillippo, Livonia Churchill
Week 5 – Tim Swore, Carson City Crystal
Week 4 – Brad Zube, Ortonville-Brandon
Week 3 – Derek McLaughlin, Riverview
Week 2 – Cary Harger, Oakridge
Week 1 – Greg Vaughan, Traverse City West
All-Time Coach of the Year recipients:
1997-John Herrington, Farmington Hills Harrison, 1998-Thomas Mach, Detroit Catholic Central, 1999-Don Durrett, Saginaw, 2000-Herb Brogan, Jackson Lumen Christi, 2001-John Schwartz, Mendon, 2002-Mike Boyd, Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes, 2003-Scot Shaw, Three Rivers, 2004-Noel Dean, Lowell, 2005-Jack Pratt, Flint Powers, 2006-Tony Annese, Muskegon, 2007-Jim Reynolds, Detroit King, 2008-Peter Stuursma. East Grand Rapids, 2009-Rich Hulkow, Marshall, 2010-Chris Bell, Lake Orion, 2011-Thomas Wilcher, Detroit Cass Tech, 2012-Terry Hessbrook, Ithaca, 2013-Kurt Richardson, Clarkston, 2014-Dan Rohn, Grand Rapids West Catholic, 2015-John Shillito, Zeeland West, 2016-Elliot Uzelac, Benton Harbor, 2017-Mike Giannone, Warren De La Salle, 2018-Rick Bailey, Reading, 2019-Jim Ahern, Lansing Catholic, 2020-Rob Zimmerman, DeWitt
