The following is from the Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions have named Tom Marchese, of Vicksburg High School, the week nine recipient of the 2021 High School Football Coach of the Week Program. Coach Marchese’s Bulldogs went on to win their week nine matchup against Otsego, 49-14, to finish second in the Wolverine Conference with a regular season record of 8-1. Vicksburg is currently ranked No. 6 in Division 4. On Friday, October 29th, Vicksburg hosts Wolverine Conference rival Three Rivers for the second time this season in the pre-district round of the MHSAA Football playoffs.
Marchese is in his 14th season as head coach at Vicksburg where he has compiled a 73-61 overall record. Prior to Marchese’s arrival at Vicksburg in 2008, the Bulldogs made the playoffs just twice in school history. Under Marchese, the Bulldogs are making their ninth playoff appearance in 14 seasons.
Detroit Lions Football Education sat down with Tom Marchese to talk about trophy games at the high school level – and the battle for “The Bone” between rival, Three Rivers. Coach Marchese was also informed of his Coach of the Week selection on Head Coach Hangout.
Click here to watch an interview with Coach Marchese 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 chris.fritzsching@lions.nfl.net.
2021 Detroit Lions Coach of the Week winners
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
