The following is from the Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions have named Cary Harger of Muskegon Oakridge High School the week two recipient of the 2021 High School Football Coach of the Week Program. Harger’s Eagles defeated West Michigan Conference foe Whitehall 32-19 to move their record to 2-0 on the season.
Harger is in his 11th season as head coach at Muskegon Oakridge. During his time, Harger has led the Eagles to five West Michigan Conference titles, three Division 5 district titles and one regional title. Last season, Oakridge lost to the eventual Division 5 State Champion Grand Rapids Catholic Central in the regional finals. Harger’s career record is 91-21 (81.3%). Oakridge has an open date this weekend and next takes on defending Division 6 state champion Montague in an early season battle for the West Michigan Conference.
Detroit Lions Football Education sat down with Cary Harger to talk about the winning tradition of Eagles football and to inform him of his Coach of the Week selection on Head Coach Hangout.
Click here to watch an interview with Coach Harger on the Lions Head Coach Hangout
High School Football Coach of the Week Program
In 2021, during the nine-week Michigan High School football regular season, one coach that best develops his players’ character, discipline, and football skill in addition to emphasizing player health and safety in their program, will be recognized for his commitment to the team, school, and community. Each weekly winner is selected by a panel of high school football media members – Mick McCabe (Detroit Free Press), Hugh Bernreuter (MLive-Saginaw News), Bret Bakita (WOOD Radio-106.9 FM, ESPN 96.1 FM-Fox 17/Grand Rapids), James Cook (Traverse City Record-Eagle), Scott DeCamp (MLive-Muskegon Chronicle) and the Lions Director of Football Education, Chris Fritzsching.
The 2021 program will award $12,000 to aid in the development and promotion of high school football in the state of Michigan, thanks to contributions from the Detroit Lions and the NFL Foundation.
Each winning coach during the regular season receives a $1,000 donation to his school’s football program. At the conclusion of the Michigan High School Football season, the Lions will select the High School Football Coach of the Year. The Coach of the Year receives a $3,000 donation to his school’s football program.
Currently in its’ 25th season, the Detroit Lions High School Coach of the Week/Year program has awarded $467,000 to high school football programs throughout the state of Michigan.
For more information on the Detroit Lions High School Coach of the Week/Year program, contact Chris Fritzsching, Lions’ Director of Football Education, at [email protected].
2021 Detroit Lions Coach of the Week winners
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
