TOPEKA, Kan. – The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has announced that eight high school coaches from Kansas have been named National Coaches Association Sectional Coaches of the Year for the 2022-23 school seasons.
The NFHS is divided into eight geographical sections. They are as follows: 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 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.
The sectional winners will now be put in consideration for National Coach of the Year, to be announced sometime in January.
NFHS Sectional Coaches of the Year (2022-23):
Boys Soccer – Rey David Ramirez-Alvarez (Maize South HS)
Boys Tennis – Gavin Webster (Independence HS)
Boys Golf – Mark Berger (Bishop Carroll HS)
Boys T&F – Levi Huseman (Olathe North HS)
Girls Basketball – Ann Fritz (Blue Valley North HS)
Girls Tennis – Jane Glaser (Andover Central HS)
Girls Swim & Dive – Annette McDonald (Lawrence-Free State HS)
Girls Softball – Ballard Patterson (McLouth HS)
State Coaches of the Year (2022-23):
Boys Cross Country – Tricia Beaham (Shawnee Mission East HS)
Girls Cross Country – Jim Barnard (Eudora HS)
Football – 11 player – Michael Glatczak (Nemaha Central HS)
Football – 8 player – Eric Detweiler (Axtell HS)
Football – 6 player – Lance McGuire (Cunningham HS)
Girls Golf – Richard B. Eckert (Emporia HS)
Boys Soccer – Rey David Ramirez-Alvarez (Maize South HS)
Girls Tennis – Jane Glaser (Andover Central HS)
Volleyball – Sandy Arnold (Hillsboro HS)
Boys Basketball – Martin Shetlar (Andover HS)
Girls Basketball – Ann Fritz (Blue Valley North HS)
Bowling – Jo Richard (Washburn Rural HS)
Boys Swim & Dive – Kamren Hall (Collegiate HS and The Independent HS)
Boys Wrestling – Michael Porsch (Hoxie HS)
Girls Wrestling – Nick Nothern – (Chanute HS)
Baseball – Joe Allison (Blue Valley West HS)
Boys Tennis – Gavin Webster (Independence HS)
Boys Golf – Mark Berger (Bishop Carroll HS)
Boys T&F – Levi Huseman (Olathe North HS)
Girls T&F – Tyler Ryan (Andale HS)
Girls Swim & Dive – Annette McDonald (Lawrence-Free State HS)
Girls Softball – Ballard Patterson (McLouth HS)
Girls Soccer – Dan Brown (St. Thomas Aquinas HS)
Boys JH/Middle School – Jay Kearn (Washington Co. JH)
Girls JH/Middle School – Elissa D. Moore (Ellinwood MS)
Cheer – Desirae Moreno (Andover Central HS)
Dance – Tara Yantis (St. Thomas Aquinas HS)
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 one “other” sport that is not included in the top 10 listings. Winners of NFHS awards must be active coaches during the year for which they receive their award.
The KSHSAA works with the Kansas Coaches Association (KCA) to nominate Kansas coaches. The KCA contacts their potential state award recipients to complete a “coach profile” form that requests information regarding the coach’s record, membership in and affiliation with coaching and other professional organizations, involvement with other school and community activities and programs, and coaching philosophy. To be approved as an NFCA award recipient and considered for sectional and national coach of the year, this profile form must be completed by the coach or designee and then approved by the executive director (or designee) of the state athletic/activities association.
