2024-25 National Coaches of the Year Selected by NFHS Coaches Association

Twenty-four high school coaches from across the country have been selected as 2024-25 National Coaches of the Year by the NFHS Coaches Association.

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 two “other” sports – one for boys and one for girls – that are not included in the top 10 listings. The NFHS also recognizes a spirit coach and an Adapted/Allied/Unified coach in separate award categories. Winners of NFHS awards must be active coaches during the year for which they receive their award. This year’s awards recognize coaches for the 2024-25 school year.

Recipients of the 2024-25 national awards for boys sports are: Eric Filipek, baseball, Asheville (North Carolina) T. C. Roberson High School; David Marshall, basketball, Bridgeport (West Virginia) High School; Steve Sheehy, cross country, Union (Oregon) High School; Jim Stanton, football, Billings (Montana) Central High School; Jamie White, golf, Haleyville (Alabama) High School; Jay Anderson, soccer, Missoula (Montana) Hellgate High School; Dan Bledsoe, swimming and diving, Crozet (Virginia) Western Albemarle High School; John Neal, tennis, Charlottesville (Virginia) High School; Mike Reed, track and field, Gordon (Texas) High School; and Tim Kaczmarek, wrestling, Worden (Montana) Huntley Project High School.  

The recipients of the 2024-25 national awards for girls sports are: Christina Hart, basketball, Kettering (Ohio) Archbishop Alter High School; Cindy Farmer, cross country, Hardin (Montana) High School; Mikey Eaves, golf, Marlow (Oklahoma) High School; Katy Kelley, lacrosse, Annapolis (Maryland) Broadneck High School; Laurie Updike-Kaup, soccer, Marcellus (New York) High School; Carol Mitchell, softball, Corryton (Tennessee) Gibbs High School; Linda Wiginton, swimming and diving, Altus (Oklahoma) High School; Larry Parpart, tennis, Henrico (Virginia) Douglas Freeman High School; Kevin Ryan, track and field, Bellingham (Washington) Sehome High School; and Jamey Spartz, volleyball, Phoenix (Arizona) Sandra Day O’Connor High School.   

The recipient of the National Coach of the Year for spirit is Eugenia Scavone of Lombard (Illinois) Montini Catholic High School. The recipient of the National Coach of the Year for Adapted/Allied/Unified sports is Meg Bowman of Mesa (Arizona) Westwood High School. Anthony Halford, water polo coach at League City (Texas) Clear Creek High School, was chosen in the “Others” category for boys sports, and Hillary Sanders, girls gymnastics coach at Bogart (Georgia) North Oconee High School, was chosen in the “Others” category for girls sports.

The NFHS receives nominations from its member state associations, which often works with the state coaches’ association in its respective state. The state association then contacts the 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 award recipient and considered for sectional and national coach of the year consideration, 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.

The next award level after state coach of the year is sectional coach of the year. 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 NFHS Coaches Association has an advisory committee composed of a chair and eight sectional representatives. 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, the Adapted/Allied/Unified category and two “other” categories.

For the 2024-25 academic year, 997 coaches are being recognized with state, sectional and national awards.

Following are biographical sketches of the 24 NFHS National High School Coaches of the Year for 2024-25:  

COACHES OF THE YEAR – BOYS SPORTS

Baseball
Eric Filipek
Asheville, North Carolina

Eric Filipek has led T. C. Roberson High School to four North Carolina High School Athletic Association Class 4A State Baseball Championships in his 15 years at the school, including the past three years. It is the first time in state history that a school has won three straight 4A state baseball titles. Filipek has a career record of 313-87 at T. C. Roberson and has claimed 12 conference titles. Filipek organized the Ted E. Tourist Adapted Baseball League at T. C. Roberson more than 10 years ago. Every spring for six weeks, players organize the teams and games, handle the public-address announcing and play music to create an incredible experience for special-needs players. Filipek’s foundation message is “Teammates First, Respect for Details and Condition.” The focus is built into the RAMS mascot: Respect the Journey, Accountability, Mission, Perseverance. He strives to teach kids how to respond well in uncomfortable situations and tell them what they "need" to hear not what they "want" to hear.

Basketball
David Marshall
Bridgeport, West Virginia

David Marshall has guided the Bridgeport High School boys basketball team since 2019 after serving as the school’s girls basketball coach from 1995 to 2014. He led the girls team to back-to-back state titles in 2012 and 2013 and guided the boys team to a 26-1 record last year and the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission (WVSSAC) Class 3A state title. Overall, his 27-year coaching record is 459-181. Among his awards, he was selected WVSSAC Boys Basketball Coach of the Year in 2025, and he was the recipient of the Van Meter Award last year as the state’s top high school coach for all sports. He previously was the West Virginia Coaches Association Girls Basketball Coach of the Year and was the Big 10 Conference Girls Basketball Coach of the Year eight times. Marshall encourages his players to develop the work ethic, character, accountability and loyalty to help them become productive members of society as leaders in the community and workplace, and as husbands and fathers.

Cross Country
Steve Sheehy
Union, Oregon

Steve Sheehy has been the girls and boys cross country coach at Union High School in Oregon for 23 years and has led the boys team to nine Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) state titles and the girls team to six state championships. The Union boys cross country team has qualified for the Oregon state meet 21 consecutive years under Sheehy’s tutelage. In track and field, Sheehy has coached six athletes to 10 individual titles in three events. He has been selected Boys Cross Country Coach of the Year nine times by the Oregon Athletic Coaches Association (OACA), and he has received the honor six times for girls cross country. He was the NFHS Section 8 Coach of the Year for girls cross country in 2013. Since 1996, Sheehy has been treasurer of the Bobcat Foundation, which has raised and distributed more than $500,000 for Union High School graduates in the past 30 years. He is a 24-year member of the OACA and former chairman of the Union School Board.     

Football
Jim Stanton
Billings, Montana

Jim Stanton has compiled an outstanding 213-47 record in 24 years as football coach at Billings Central Catholic High School in Billings, Montana. Amazingly, his teams have finished first or second in the Montana High School Association (MHSA) Class A State Football Championships in 15 of the 24 years, including five state titles and 10 runner-up finishes. Stanton’s overall career record is 273-72 and before joining the Billings Central staff in 2002, he won 60 games in nine years as football coach at Huntley Project High School in Worden, Montana. Stanton is five-time Montana Class A Coach of the Year and was inducted into the Montana Coaches Hall of Fame in 2012. Stanton has been a member of the Montana Coaches Association for 39 years and has served on the MHSA Football Advisory Board for the past five years. While Stanton pursues excellence in competition, he stated that respect is a core value of the CCHS program. He encourages respect for opponents, officials, teammates and coaches, and expects all participants to demonstrate honesty, humility and sportsmanship in every situation.

Golf
Jamie White
Haleyville, Alabama

Jamie White has established one of the state’s top golf programs during the past five years at Haleyville High School. Since 2021, White’s teams have an unblemished 48-0 record in matches and a 33-5 tournament record. Haleyville has won four consecutive Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) Class 4A State Golf Championships after finishing second in 2021. In addition, Haleyville golfers have claimed medalist honors the past four years, and White has been selected the AHSAA 4A Golf Coach of the Year and the Times Daily (Florence, Alabama) Coach of the Year the past four years. White’s philosophy is centered around creating an environment where passion and enthusiasm for the game of golf thrive. “In life, as in golf,” White noted, “there will be bad shots. The key is to clear your mind, stay composed, and focus on executing the next one with renewed determination.”

Soccer
Jay Anderson
Missoula, Montana

Jay Anderson has built one of the most dominant boys soccer programs in Montana and nationally the past 15 years. Since 2011 at Missoula Hellgate High School, Anderson’s teams have won eight Montana High School Association state championships, finished second three times and third twice. In the past 15 years, his teams have lost only 23 games; and overall in 27 years of high school coaching, Anderson’s record stands at 261-64-39. Among his many honors, Anderson was named National High School Coach of the Year by the United Soccer Coaches in 2017, and he has been selected High School Coach of the Year by the Montana Coaches Association an amazing 10 times. Anderson has been state chair of the United Soccer Coaches for High School Coaches since 2013 and chair of the MHSA Boys Soccer Western Conference chair since 2020. “Success in my program isn't measured by stats, but by the athlete's character and the positive impact they have as students, teammates and citizens,” Anderson said. “Ultimately, my goal is to help these young adults become good human beings on and off the field, equipping them with the life skills necessary for success long after their high school playing days are over.”

Swimming and Diving
Dan Bledsoe
Crozet, Virginia

In his 23-year high school coaching career in Virginia – 16 years at Western Albemarle High School and seven years at Waynesboro High School—Dan Bledsoe has established one of Virginia’s most successful high school swimming programs. At Western Albemarle the past 16 years, Bledsoe has led his boys teams to nine Virginia High School League (VHSL) state championships (19 including 10 VHSL girls state titles), including the past eight consecutive, and produced 29 individual state champions, along with 15 relay state titles. He has coached seven different male athletes to a combined 18 NISCA All-American honors and guided 10 All-American relays. In addition to coaching the boys and girls swimming teams, Bledsoe has been athletic director at Western Albemarle the past two years. During both of his first two years, Western Albemarle has earned the VHSL National Guard Cup for Athletic Excellence, recognizing the top overall athletic program in Virginia for Class 3 schools. “Giving back is central to our program,” Bledsoe said. “Athletes volunteer with Special Olympics, community events and park projects, learning the importance of service, sacrifice and contributing to the greater good. By connecting these experiences to broader life contexts, we equip athletes to navigate the demands of adulthood with confidence, integrity and resilience.”

Tennis
John Neal
Charlottesville, Virginia

In just seven years, John Neal has taken a struggling boys tennis team at Charlotteville High School that had just five players and routinely forfeited matches, to one of Virginia's premier high school programs. After recording a 27-16 mark in his first four years, Neal has led Charlottesville to a 39-5 record and back-to-back Virginia High School League state championships the past two years. The first state title in 2023-24 was the school’s first championship in 37 years. As a result of his feats the past two years, Neal was selected Central Virginia Boys Tennis Coach of the Year in 2025. In recognition of the success and growth of the boys tennis program, Neal was recently appointed Director of Tennis at Charlottesville High School, where he now oversees and lead both the boys and girls tennis programs. This expanded role allows Neal to create a unified vision for tennis excellence at CHS, share best practices across both programs, and ensure that all student-athletes, regardless of gender, have access to high-quality coaching and competitive opportunities. 

Track and Field
Mike Reed
Gordon, Texas

Mike Reed has coached track and field at five Texas high schools during the past 25 years, beginning with two girls district titles at Strawn High School. After six years at Rule High School, five years at Throckmorton High School and four years at Hamilton High School, Reed has coached both boys and girls track at Gordon High School since 2019. Reed led Rule High School to back-to-back boys Texas University Interscholastic League state titles in 2006 and 2007, and he repeated the feat at Gordon High School the past two years. This past year, he also led his Gordon girls track team to the UIL state championship. Rule was the smallest school in history to win the UIL Class A state track title. In addition to track and field duties, Reed is also Gordon’s football coach and athletic director, and assistant basketball and baseball coach. He is Region 2 director for the Texas High School Coaches Association. Reed said that success is built on preparation, respect and selflessness, and the goal is to develop men and women of integrity who will lead with courage, serve others with compassion, and carry the lessons learned from athletics into every aspect of their adult lives.      

Wrestling
Tim Kaczmarek
Worden, Montana 

Tim Kaczmarek is in his 17th year as wrestling coach at Huntley Project High School in Worden, Montana. After finishing second at the Montana High School Association (MHSA) state wrestling tournament in 2020 and 2021, Kaczmarek’s teams have won four consecutive MSHA Class B State Wrestling Championships. Overall, Huntley Project has finished in the top five at the MHSA state tournament 12 times during Kaczmarek’s 16-year tenure. He has been selected Wrestling Coach of the Year four times by the Montana Coaches Association (MCA). Kaczmarek has served as Huntley’s activities director since 2022, and has been the junior high football coach (2021-23), cross country coach (2012-14) and assistant softball coach (2020-23) at various times. Kaczmarek is the Class B representative on the Montana Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association Board. “Wrestling is more than what happens on the mat — it’s about representing our school and community with pride,” Kaczmarek said. “I believe our program should give back and stay connected through service, visibility and support. When our athletes volunteer, attend local events or help younger wrestlers, they learn that being part of something bigger than themselves builds respect and purpose.”  

COACHES OF THE YEAR – GIRLS SPORTS

Basketball
Christina Hart
Kettering, Ohio

Christina Hart has coached the girls basketball team at Archbishop Alter High School in Kettering, Ohio, since 1994, leading her alma mater to five Ohio High School Athletic Association state championships and three second-place finishes. Prior to returning to Alter as a coach, Hart won 104 games coaching at the College of Wooster. In 30 years since, Hart has won 571 games at Alter, where she has been named Greater Catholic Coach of the Year 14 times. In 2002, Hart was named AP State Coach of the Year and Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year, and in 2010, she was inducted into the Archbishop Alter Hall of Fame. In addition to her coaching duties, Hart has also served as Alter’s athletic director for more than 25 years. Hart’s success is grounded in the belief that character development is just as important as athletic development.

Cross Country
Cindy Farmer
Hardin, Montana

With Cindy Farmer leading its girls cross country program for the past 19 years, Hardin (Montana) High School has annually competed for state championships and developed countless student leaders in that time. Farmer’s girls cross country teams have won eight Montana High School Association (MHSA) state championships, including four consecutive from 2016 to 2019 and again from 2022 to 2025. She has also coached the boys cross country team to MHSA state titles the past two years. In 2022, Farmer was named Montana Cross Country Coach of the Year by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. At the state level, Farmer served a term as the Class A representative on the MHSA Executive Board. Farmer also coaches girls basketball and track, whose athletes participate in Hardin’s “all-school” running club organized by Farmer, using running to help athletes step out of their comfort zone and teach valuable life lessons.

Golf
Mikey Eaves
Marlow, Oklahoma

Mikey Eaves began coaching the girls golf program at Marlow (Oklahoma) High School in 2009 with just eight golfers. Today, Eaves leads a girls golf program with 26 golfers and multiple state championships. Marlow took home its first Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association (OSSAA) state championship in 2017 and later captured its second state title in 2023. Eaves has also coached Marlow to three runner-up finishes in the state tournament. Eaves is a three three-time Oklahoma Region 5 Coach of the Year, and his girls golf teams have been named Academic State Champions five times. In addition to golf, Eaves also coaches the boys and girls cross country teams, leading the boys team to two OSSAA state championships in 2020 and 2021. His goal is to use the “ministry of coaching” to be a mentor to student-athletes even after they leave Marlow.

Lacrosse
Katy Kelley
Annapolis, Maryland

Since becoming head coach in 2014, Katy Kelley has led the Broadneck High School girls lacrosse program into an era of dominance. The Annapolis, Maryland, school has captured the past five Maryland Public Secondary School Athletic Association (MPSSAA) Class 4A state championships, earning Kelley multiple accolades. She was named Washington Post Coach of the Year in 2024 and the Chesapeake Chapter of US Lacrosse Coach of the Year in 2025. Kelley has achieved team success while emphasizing student-athlete wellness and mental health. She serves as staff liaison to “Morgan’s Message” a school club that hosts athletes from all sports and supports mental health awareness. At the state level, Kelley currently serves as the MPSSAA Class 4A East Region Tournament Director. Kelley’s coaching philosophy focuses on building a positive team culture, where every athlete understands their role within the program and works to serve the whole community.

Soccer
Laurie Updike-Kaup
Marcellus, New York

Laurie Updike-Kaup took the reins of the Marcellus (New York) girls soccer program in 1999 and led the team to a 19-2-1 record in her first year. More than 25 years later, Updike-Kaup has amassed more than 400 wins and Marcellus has not had a losing season since. That includes back-to-back New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Class B state championships in 2024 and 2025. Updike-Kaup also orchestrated consecutive state titles for Marcellus in 2003 and 2004. She has twice been named state coach of the year and has been inducted into the Greater Syracuse Hall of Fame and the New York State Girls Soccer Hall of Fame. Service is at the heart of Updike-Kaup’s success at Marcellus. She has traveled multiple times with her teams to hurricane-ravaged areas to help rebuild homes, including six visits to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

Softball
Carol Mitchell
Corryton, Tennessee

Over the last 32 years, Gibbs High School head coach Carol Mitchell has led one of the most decorated softball programs in Tennessee history. Since taking over her alma mater’s program in 1994, Mitchell has compiled a head coaching record of 1,103-321 and won seven state championships, including a three-peat from 1998 to 2000 and back-to-back titles in 2024 and 2025. Last season, the Eagles finished with an overall record of 41-3 before beating DeKalb 1-0 in 10 innings in the Class 3A state championship, with Mitchell subsequently named the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association Coach of the Year. Under Mitchell, Gibbs has also finished as state runner-up four times, won 29 district championships, and 21 region crowns. Mitchell has also taught math at Gibbs for years and says a key pillar of her program is that players are students first and athletes second. “My mission as a coach is to use the powerful platform of sports to empower young athletes with essential life skills,” Mitchell said. “We don't just develop great players; we build great people.”

Swimming and Diving
Linda Wiginton
Altus, Oklahoma

Linda Wiginton is a pillar of the Oklahoma swimming and diving community and has served as head coach of Altus High School’s program since its launch in 1981. Now in her 45th year, the Bulldogs girls have compiled a record of 715-199-3 under Wiginton. Since classes were introduced to Oklahoma swimming in 2009, her teams have consistently finished in the top eight among 45 programs, including third place at the 2025 state meet and runner-up finishes in 2019, 2022 and 2024. Wiginton has been named Oklahoma Region Four Coach of the Year 17 times and Oklahoma Swim Coach of the Year seven times, including both honors last season after a 22-2 finish and Southwest Area Championship. Her teams also regularly earn distinguished academic awards. A longtime physical education teacher, Wiginton created the junior high swimming curriculum still used today. She also served as aquatic director for the city of Altus for 40 years, where the learn-to-swim program usually had 200-plus swimmers from babies to high schoolers. In 2016 the pool was renamed the Linda Wiginton Aquatic Center.

Tennis
Larry Parpart
Henrico, Virginia

No head coach in Virginia high school girls tennis history has more wins than (Henrico) Douglas S. Freeman High School coach Larry Parpart, who continues to add to the record books after 47 years in the position. Parpart owns an all-time girls tennis coaching record of 576-156, the most wins in Virginia High School league (VHSL) history. Since 2021, his teams have won five straight region and state championships, tied for the second-longest streak in VHSL history. The Mavericks also won a state title in 1983 under Parpart. Last season, the Mavericks finished 20-2 en route to a fifth consecutive state championship while posting a team GPA of 4.1. Over the years, Parpart has also coached successful cross country, golf, basketball and track teams, including a boys cross country state championship at Hermitage High School in 1976 and more than 500 wins as the boys basketball coach at Freeman from 1985 to 2018. Parpart, a VHSL Hall-of-Famer since 2021, said he emphasizes making tennis a “team sport” for his student-athletes.  “Regardless of the sport, each and every player on the team was unique and important to the team's success,” Parpart said.

Track and Field
Kevin Ryan
Bellingham, Washington       

One of Kevin Ryan’s priorities as head coach of the Sehome High School girls track and field team since 2003 has been providing opportunities for athletes of every talent level to participate and develop athletically, socially and emotionally. In addition to impacting thousands of young athletes in Washington state, Ryan has become one of the most statistically successful coaches along the way. Ryan’s girls teams are 180-25 in dual meets over the past 22 years, including a 12-0 mark last season. In the 2025 postseason, the Mariners were named District 1 champions before claiming the Class 2A state title. Ryan was named Washington State Coach of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association in 2025 and currently serves as president of the Washington State Cross Country Coaches Association. Since Ryan took over the girls track program, he and his staff have coached 62 state podium finishers and nine individual state champions. Over the past decade, Ryan has helped organize a free K-8 track and field camp through the local parks and recreation department that’s free for families with financial challenges.

Volleyball
Jamey Spartz
Phoenix, Arizona

Over the past 10 years, Sandra Day O’Connor High School head volleyball coach Jamey Spartz has built a dynasty, as the Eagles are 133-10 overall under Spartz and have won four straight state titles. In 2025, the Eagles went a perfect 16-0 while winning the Division I championship in Arizona. The Eagles have won 59 straight matches dating back to 2021, and Spartz was named Division I Section IV and state coach of the year in 2022, 2023 and 2025, as well as Arizona Central Coach of the Year during those same years. While wins are nice, Spartz said her goal is to create a positive and supportive environment where players take ownership of their growth, strive for excellence on the court and in the classroom, and gain confidence through every challenge. “My coaching philosophy is rooted in helping athletes believe in themselves as athletes, students and individuals,” she said. “I am passionate about guiding young athletes to recognize their potential and develop essential life skills such as determination, discipline, passion, work ethic, teamwork, leadership and resilience.”

COACHES OF THE YEAR – OTHER SPORTS

Girls Spirit
Eugenia Scavone
Lombard, Illinois

Since 1991, Eugenia Scavone has led the “Broncettes” Dance Team at Montini Catholic High School in Lombard, Illinois. In that time, Scavone’s teams have excelled in the ‘pom’ category at state competitions earning the program’s first state championship at the 1994 Illinois Drill Team Association (IDTA) meet. Overall, she led her teams to 10 IDTA state championships, including six consecutive from 2003 to 2008. The Broncettes have since earned two runner-up finishes in 2020-21 and 2021-22 as the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) began sanctioning competitive dance in 2012. Scavone was inducted into the Montini Catholic Hall of Fame in 2003 and the IDTA Hall of Fame in 2008. As a former Broncette herself, Scavone is very involved in growing the program, especially through youth outreach. She believes her role is to develop each team member into the best version of themselves and help them gain life lessons that will shape them long after they leave the program.

Adapted/Allied/Unified Sports
Meg Bowman
Mesa, Arizona

Meg Bowman believes a coach’s most important task is to teach character and build relationships. As a Unified Sports coach in several sports at Westwood High School in Mesa, Arizona, she has proven to have a lasting impact on her students. Under Bowman’s leadership, Westwood’s Unified Sports teams have state championships in girls track and field and basketball. However, her five years as the school’s Unified badminton coach have expanded her influence on her students. Bowman was selected as head coach of the Special Olympics Arizona team to compete in the Special Olymics USA Games in 2026. She also led five badminton teams to qualify for the state tournament, finishing as runner-up helping Westwood earn a spot on the ESPN Honor Roll for Unified Champion Schools in 2023. Bowman was named Westwood High School Coach of the Year in 2023 and Special Olympics Arizona Coach of the Year in 2025.

Boys Other – Water Polo
Anthony Halford
League City, Texas

While Anthony Halford’s water polo programs have enjoyed sustained success during his eight years as head coach of the boys team at Clear Creek High School, he said his main job isn’t winning but helping raise better human beings. Since the University Interscholastic League (UIL) made water polo a sanctioned sport in 2022, the Wildcats have compiled a 109-15-3 record. They have won the Class 6A state championship in each of the past two seasons, including a 31-4 finish in 2025. Halford has been named District 11 boys water polo coach of the year each of the last four seasons, among other honors. An engineering and computer science teacher, Halford also coaches the girls water polo team and boys and girls swimming and diving teams. “Water polo is an extremely difficult sport to go pro in, so 99.99% of the athletes I coach in my career will grow up to do something other than play water polo,” Halford said. “In their time here, we hope to teach them how to develop strong work habits, respect for others, and how to handle both success and adversity.”

Girls Other – Gymnastics
Hillary Sanders
Bogart, Georgia

North Oconee High School gymnastics coach Hillary Sanders has built one of the most successful programs in Georgia over the last 11 years, and the Titans show no signs of slowing down. The Titans have won six straight state championships dating to 2019, and Sanders has been named Georgia Athletic Coaches Association state coach of the year in each of those seasons. In 2025, the Titans scored a season-high 112.75 points to win the state title. North Oconee not only outscored every team in the A-4A division but also topped teams from the 5A-6A division. Sanders said she aims to help her student-athletes grow beyond gymnastics skills. “High school athletics should be an extension of the educational experience, not a distraction from it. … Beyond the performance floor, athletes must be committed to the entire season—physically, mentally and emotionally. That means showing up, supporting their teammates, and staying dedicated through the highs and lows of the season. Success requires that athletes be willing to recognize the value of each member of the team.”