The National Football League‘s Detroit Lions are giving fans a say in the winner of the 2021 Detroit Lions Coach of the Year award. Between now and Saturday (November 27), fans can cast their vote for eighteen finalists vying for a $3,000 donation to his school’s football program. In addition the winner will be the Lions nomination for the Don Shula NFL High School Football Coach of the Year award.
The finalist are the 16 coaches playing for state championships Friday and Saturday at Ford Field, home of the Lions, plus the two 8-man state champs.
The coach with the most votes from the general public vote will receive one vote to go along with five media panelist votes to determine a winner. The media panelist are: 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).
In the case of a tie, the Detroit Lions’ Director of Football Education will be the deciding vote.
Voting closes Saturday, November 27, 2021 at 11:59 P.M. Eastern.
2021 Detroit Lions Coach of the Year Finalists
Jim Baker – Lansing Catholic Central
Leo Borzinski – Powers North Central
Jermaine Crowell – Belleville
Brad Gross – Beal City
John Guth – Warren Michigan Collegiate
Todd Kolster – Grand Rapids Catholic Central
Josh Lucas – Chelsea
Jeremy Miller – Pewamo-Westphalia
Tony Patritto – Rochester Adams
Dan Rohn – Warren De La Salle Collegiate
Daniel Rogers – Hudson
Eric Schugars – Traverse City Central
Tyrone Spencer – Detroit Martin Luther King
Craig Tibbe – Hudsonville Unity Christian
Wade Waldrup – Lawton
William Wilharms – Andrian Lenawee Christian
Rob Zimmerman – DeWitt
Click here to cast your vote
During each week of the nine-week Michigan high school football regular season, the media panel (above) also selected a Lions’ Coach of the Week. The winner is saluted for developing his players’ character, discipline, and football skill, in addition to emphasizing player health and safety.
All winners received a certificate signed by Lions’ head coach Dan Campbell and National Football League (NFL) commissioner Roger Goodell as well as acknowledgement at an in-game ceremony on December 19 when the Detroit Lions take on the Arizona Cardinals.
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
