Selecting just 100 from that vast pool of accomplished leaders is no easy task.
Those recognized as part of our High School Coaching 100 list for the 2025-26 high school sports season distinguished themselves through exceptional success, sustained excellence and noteworthy achievements during the past school year, setting themselves apart in a profession filled with outstanding mentors and competitors.
After
coming out of retirement three years ago, Adams has lost just one game
as coach of the Lions while posting a record of 81-1 with a winning streak
of 74 in a row.
Shane Alexander, Orange Beach (Ala.), softball
Orange
Beach opened in 2020-21 and has won a state championship in every year since in softball, capturing six in a row under Alexander. His teams have a record
of 250-32-2.
Josh Allison, Valley View (Jonesboro, Ark.), baseball
In
the past six years, Allison has led Valley View to the state final every season with championships in 2021, 2024, 2025 and 2026. The
Blazers finished No. 22 in the nation this year.
Justin Alumbaugh, De La Salle (Concord, Calif.), football
In
13 seasons under Alumbaugh since the retirement of legendary coach Bob
Ladouceur, the Spartans have maintained their legacy as the top team in
Northern California, finishing ranked No. 1 in the North Coast Section
the past 13 seasons. Alumbaugh has a record of 148-21 with the Spartans.
Rick Arnold, Trinity (Louisville, Ky.), baseball
The
Shamrocks won their third state championship in the past six seasons
under Arnold and finished the year ranked No. 1 in the nation by
MaxPreps with a record of 41-3.
Dustin Barton, Coronado (Henderson, Nev.), boys soccer
The
Cougars won their third straight state championship under Barton, going
25-0 while scoring a state-record 181 goals. Coronado begins the
2026 season with 55 straight wins.
Kalsey Beach, Wayzata (Plymouth, Minn.), girls cross country
The
Trojans entered the Nike Nationals cross country championships as the
No. 1 team in the nation and Beach’s team didn’t disappoint with a
first-place finish.
Bobby Bentley, Battle Ground Academy (Franklin, Tenn.), football
Hugely
successful at James F. Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.) from 1995-2006, Bentley returned to the
prep ranks at Battle Ground Academy in 2024 and has revived the program.
The Wildcats went 13-1 last year, winning a Division II-AA state
championship.
Jerry Best, Allen (Texas), boys wrestling
The
Eagles have won 16 state championships under Best,
including 14 in a row before finishing second in 2024. Allen has since
won two straight crowns, finishing with the largest margin of victory in
four years.
Jay Blossom, Principia (St. Louis, Mo.), boys basketball
The
Panthers have become a national power under Blossom, who previously had
a Hall of Fame career at Webster Groves. In four seasons prior to his
arrival, Principia won 15 games combined. In the four years since, Principia is 106-17 with back-to-back state
championships and a No. 4 national ranking.
Christina Boesiger, Norris (Firth, Neb.), volleyball
The
national coach of the year by the American Volleyball Coaches
Association, Boesiger led Norris to a 38-1 record and a Class B state
championship. She has a record of 577-201.
Rachel Brcic, Cor Jesu Academy (St. Louis, Mo.), girls soccer
The
coach of the Chargers the past five seasons, Brcic has led the team to
three straight state championships with a 68-5 record during that
stretch.
Brent Browner, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.), football
The
Gaels are 62-4 under Browner since he became head coach in 2020. Over the past four seasons, Bishop Gorman has been ranked no lower than No. 4 nationally.
Lamar-Renee Bryant, Xavier College Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.), girls volleyball
The
Gators have won 14 state championships in girls volleyball in the
program’s history including 10 under Bryant. Xavier College Prep has won
back-to-back state titles the past two years, finishing the 2025 season
ranked No. 4 in the nation by MaxPreps.
Jim Burnside, New Trier (Winnetka, Ill.), girls soccer
The
all-time winningest girls soccer coach in Illinois history with a
record of 638-94-52, Burnside led the Trevians to a state title in 2025
and a No. 1 national ranking by MaxPreps.
Hank Carter, Lake Travis (Austin, Texas), football
A
three-time state champion at Lake Travis, Carter led the Cavaliers to a
15-1 record last year and has a career record of 192-32 since 2010.
Tommy Chaffins, Redondo Union (Redondo Beach, Calif.), girls volleyball
Chaffins
stepped down as the head coach at Redondo Union in January, leaving behind a
program that won a pair of state championships, three Southern Section
crowns and a record of 683-221.
Kelly Christensen, Niwot (Colo.), boys cross country
The
small Colorado school has become a national boys cross country
powerhouse under Christensen. The Cougars have won back-to-back Nike
Cross national championships and six state championships.
Kirk Clifton, Sonora (Calif.), football
Clifton
led Sonora to back-to-back state championship in football, including a
15-0 record last year and a No.1 ranking in the Small Town Top 25.
Ronette Costain, Harrisburg (S.D.), girls volleyball
Winners
of four straight state championship, Harrisburg has become a national
powerhouse under Costain. During that run of championships, the Tigers
are 125-5, including 87 wins in a row at one point.
Kevin Creasy, Oakland (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), football
Creasy won his sixth state championship at Oakland in 2025, upping his career record to 146-18 in 10 seasons.
Greg Davidson, Hamilton Southeastern (Fishers, Ind.), girls soccer
The
United Soccer Coaches named Davidson the girls national coach of the
year after leading the Royals to a 22-0-1 record and a No. 1 ranking by
MaxPreps in the fall of 2025.
Michael Dearman, Highland Park (Dallas, Texas), girls volleyball
The MaxPreps National Coach of the Year, Dearman led The Scots to a Class 5A Division 1 state championship in 2025.
Eileen Donahue, Watertown (Mass.), field hockey
Donahue
has one of the more remarkable records in high school sports as she is
795-37-46 in her career at Watertown. That includes 22 state
championships and streaks of 184 games undefeated and 121 consecutive
wins.
Darnell Dozier, Princess Anne (Virginia Beach, Va.), girls basketball
Dozier
retired following the 2026 season in which he led Princess Anne to a
16th state championship. He ended his career with 793 career wins
including 71 in a row to end his career.
Richard Duease, Madison-Ridgeland Academy (Madison, Miss.), boys basketball
Duease
retired after the 2026 season as the third winningest coach in high
school boys basketball history with 1,293 career wins and 16 state
championships.
Dave Ettinger, Garden City (N.Y.), football
The
winner of 66 straight games dating back to 2020, Ettinger’s team
holds the longest active win streak in the nation. Garden City won its
10th straight Nassau Conference II championship in 2025 and Ettinger
raised his career record to 119-3.
Will Eudy, Cardinal Newman (Columbia, S.C.), boys soccer
The
national coach of the year in 2024, Eudy continues to win championships
at Cardinal Newman, capturing an 11th state crown in 2026.
Glenn Farello, Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.), boys basketball
The MaxPreps National Coach of the Year, Farello led
Paul VI to a No. 1 national ranking. The Panthers went 34-2
and won a third straight Washington Catholic Athletic Conference
tournament championship and a fourth straight Virginia Independent
Schools Athletic Association title.
Todd Fitz-Gerald, Stoneman Douglas (Parkland, Fla.), baseball
Finishing
No. 3 in the MaxPreps Top 25, Stoneman Douglas won
its sixth straight state championship under Fitz-Gerald.
Mark Freeman, Thompson (Alabaster, Ala.), football
Closing
in on 300 career wins, Freeman starts 2026 with a
record of 280-63. He is 116-26 in his 11 seasons at Thompson with at
least 11 wins in each of the past nine seasons. Thompson has won six
state titles under Freeman including the past two.
Justin Haddux, Boyle County (Danville, Ky.), football
Boyle
County won its fifth state championship in the past six years under
Haddux, who joined the program in 2020 after a successful run at Corbin.
Roger Harriott, St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), football
Led the Raiders to their seventh
straight state crown last fall. He begins the 2026 season with a career
record of 198-28 with 120 wins at Aquinas.
Lex Heathershaw, Wall (S.D.), 9-man football
Heathershaw
has led Wall to an 87-10 record in nine seasons at the school. The
Eagles have also won two 9-man state championships and were ranked as
the team in the nation in 2025.
Larry Hill, Smithson Valley (Spring Branch, Texas), football
Hill
ranks among the top 10 winningest coaches in Texas history
with a record of 340-103. He has led Smithson Valley to back-to-back state
championships the past two seasons.
Mitchell Holt, Central (Phenix City, Ala.), girls flag football
Central
has won three straight state championships under Holt,
finishing undefeated the past three seasons with 58 wins in a
row.
Ron James, Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.), girls basketball
The
Mustangs are 86-10 the past three seasons under James and have finished
No. 2 in the nation by MaxPreps the past two seasons.
Chad Jilek, Johnston (Iowa), girls basketball
The MaxPreps National Coach of the Year, Jilek has led
Johnston to three straight Class 5A state championships in Iowa and owns the nation’s longest active win streak at 79 games.
Freddy Johnson, Greensboro Day School (Greensboro, N.C.), boys basketball
The
Bengals won their second straight NCISAA state championship in 2026,
giving Johnson 14 in his 40-year career. Johnson ranks No.
5 in high school basketball history with over 1,250 wins.
Krystle Johnson, Hoover (Ala.), girls basketball
Hoover
has won six straight Class 7A championships under Johnson, posting a
record of 197-17 since 2021. Johnson has a career record of 419-70
with eight state titles.
Brandon Kaleniecki, Catholic Central (Novi, Mich.), boys ice hockey
Under
Kaleniecki, the Shamrocks have won eight of the school’s 24 ice hockey
state championships, including the last seven in a row. The 2026 team
earned the No. 1 spot in the MaxPreps national rankings.
Tom Kennedy, Bridgeland (Cypress, Texas), girls cross country
In
leading Bridgeland to its first state championship in girls cross
country, Kennedy earned national cross country coach of the year honors
from the USTFCCCA.
Isaiah Ketterhagen, Oostburg (Wis.), girls basketball
The
MaxPreps Small Town Coach of the Year, Ketterhagen led
Oostburg to a state title and a No. 20 national ranking.
Erik Kimrey, Baylor (Chattanooga, Tenn.), football
Kimrey
finished the season with a 12-0 record and a state championship while
also finding a spot in the MaxPreps Top 25 rankings at No. 16. Kimrey is
45-6 in his four seasons with the Red Raiders.
Joey King, Carrollton (Ga.), football
In
10 seasons, including the last five at Carrollton, King is 121-11 with nine
regional championships and two state titles. King is the fastest Georgia
coach to 100 wins, accomplishing the feat in 108 games.
Earl Kishomito, Moanalua (Honolulu, Hawaii), boys track
Although
Punahou has traditionally dominated boys track in Hawaii, Kishomito’s
Moanalua team has won the last two state championships.
Jason Knott, Graham Local (St. Paris, Ohio), wrestling
Knott
took over as head coach of the Falcons in 2023 and has maintained the
program’s state championship run that stretched to 25 in a row in 2026.
The streak is the longest active run of consecutive state
championships in boys wrestling nationally.
Tom Knotts, Dutch Fork (Irmo, S.C.), football
Knotts
became just the seventh coach in high school history to reach the
500-win milestone after going 12-1 last year. His career record is 501-72-0 and he could
move up to No. 5 on the all-time wins list next year.
Trent Kutch, Walnut Grove (Prosper, Texas), boys soccer
The
Wildcats have fielded a soccer program for only three years but
already they have strung together a 56-0-2 unbeaten streak over the past
two seasons under Kutch while winning two Class 5A state titles.
Todd Larkin, St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.), boys swimming
The Tigers have won 38 state championships in a row in boys swimming with Larkin the head coach for the last 17 of those crowns.
Justin Leith, Bullis (Potomac, Md.), girls basketball
Since
Leith took over the program four years ago, Bullis has emerged as one
of the top programs in the nation. The Bulldogs have improved their
record each year, going 29-7 in 2026 and finishing No. 6 in the country
by MaxPreps.
Lisa Lindley, Darien (Conn.), girls lacrosse
LIndley
has been one of the most successful girls lacrosse coaches in the
nation, posting a career record of 554-89 since 1994 and going 22-0 last
year with a Class LL championship.
Dave Logan, Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village, Colo.), football
A
former wide receiver with the Cleveland Browns, Logan has transitioned
to becoming one of the best high school football coaches in the country.
He has a career record of 341-70 with 13 state championships, including
back-to-back titles in 2024 and 2025.
Matt Logan, Centennial (Corona, Calif.), football
A
perennial member of the MaxPreps Top 25 national rankings, Centennial
has been a powerhouse under Logan. He picked up his 300th career win
last year and his team finished the season ranked No. 8 in the nation.
John Malloy, Gilmour Academy (Gates Mills, Ohio), boys ice hockey
The
winningest coach in Ohio ice hockey history, Malloy went over 800
career wins after Gilmour went 36-1 on the year with a state
championship. Malloy’s record is believed to be 802-356-47.
Gary Manuel, Seiling (Seiling, Okla.), 8-man football
The
Wildcats have been one of the top 8-man football programs in the nation
for the past five seasons. Seiling has three state championships in the
past four years including a 14-0 season this year.
Cindy Marcial, American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.), girls soccer
The Patriots finished No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps and won their eighth state championship under the guidance of Marcial.
Sara Martinson, Minnetonka (Minn.), girls golf
Minnetonka
was one of the top girls golf programs in the nation last year,
according to HighSchoolGolf.com, under Martinson winning the school’s
first state championship in 2025.
Bill McGregor, DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.), football
The
Stags went 11-0 last year under McGregor and finished the season ranked
No. 14 in the country. McGregor has a career record of 334-53-3.
Mary Merg, Wauwatosa East (Wauwatosa, Wis.), girls basketball
The
Red Raiders have emerged as a state power under Merg, winning a state
championship in 2025 and reaching the final again in 2026.
Joe Montano, Red Bank Catholic (Red Bank, N.J.), girls basketball
The
fourth winningest coach in New Jersey girls basketball history, Montano
won a state title in 2026 and went over 800 career wins.
Loren Montgomery, Bixby (Okla.), football
With a record of 154-41 in his 16 seasons at Bixby, Montgomery has won eight straight championships and 11 overall.
Shawna Morgan, Lander Valley (Lander, Wyo.), boys swimming
Morgan
has led Lander Valley to 11 straight state championships in boys
swimming, part of a run of 30 straight state titles by the boys team.
Jeff Mowry, Sheridan (Wyo.), football
In
eight seasons as head coach of the Broncs, Mowry has won six state
championships, including the last five in a row. Sheridan has won 56 in a
row and Mowry is 85-9 as head coach.
Jason Negro, St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), football
The Braves have been a perennial national championship contender under Negro, finishing in the top six nine times since 2015.
Patrick Newell, Sacred Heart (Salina, Kan.), boys golf
The Knights captured their 11th straight boys golf state championship, beating second-place Syracuse by six strokes.
Hung Nguyen, Los Altos (Calif.), girls tennis
Los
Altos won a Northern California championship last year under Nguyen and
went the next step in 2025 with a state championship.
Brian Nix, Alcoa (Tenn.), football
Nix
has continued the winning tradition at Alcoa as he won his fourth
straight state championship to give the Tornadoes 12 in a row. Nix has a
record of 54-4 in his four seasons at the helm.
David Ochoa, Northview (Covina, Calif.), girls wrestling
Named
the national girls wrestling coach of the year by the National
Wrestling Coaches Association, Ochoa has led Northview to a top five
finish at the state meet a record nine times including third place this
year.
Dan O’Dell, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), volleyball
The
Monarchs have been one of the nation’s top programs under O’Dell,
finishing No. 1 in the nation in 2023 and No. 2 in 2025. Mater Dei won a state championship both seasons.
Jason Oliver, Punahou (Honolulu, Hawaii), girls tennis
The Buff ‘N Blue have won 22 straight state championships, the last six under Oliver.
Mike Palazzo, Lake Highland Prep (Orlando, Fla.), wrestling
Palazzo
has built Lake Highland Prep into one of the most powerful wrestling
programs in the nation in his 20 years at the school. The Highlanders
finished No. 2 in the nation in 2026.
Carson Palmer, Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.), football
The
former NFL quarterback led his alma mater to the Southern Section
championship and the Open Division state title in his first year of
coaching at the school. Palmer also earned MaxPreps National Coach of the Year honors.
Chris Plumb, Carmel (Ind.), girls swimming
The
Greyhounds have won 40 straight state championships and Plumb has been the head coach for the past 20 titles.
Mike Reed, Gordon (Texas), 6-man football
Reed led Gordon to a 6-man state championship with 44 straight wins. Of those
victories, 42 have come by way of the mercy rule.
Kelly Reynolds, South Warren (Bowling Green, Ky.), softball
Reynolds
and the Lady Spartans finished the season 45-0 to win their first state
championship in softball. Reynolds has coached at South Warren since
2018 and has a career record of 307-38.
Brandi Ritz, Academy-Notre Dame De Namur (Villanova, Pa.), field hockey
Now at Saint Joseph College, Ritz led Notre Dame to three straight
Inter-AC championships and a No. 1 national ranking by MAX Field
Hockey.
Chris Robinson, Lake Highland Prep (Orlando, Fla.), girls lacrosse
One
of the nation’s top coaches while at McDonogh (Owings Mills, Md.) over a decade ago,
Robinson continues to win championships at Lake Highland Prep. The
Highlanders captured their second straight Class 1A championship and finished
ranked No. 2 in the nation by MaxPreps.
Justin Rogers, Thomas County Central (Thomasville, Ga.), football
Rogers
has restored Thomas County Central’s place among the top programs in
Georgia since his arrival in 2022. The Yellojackets are 53-3 with two
state titles in four seasons.
Doug Rush, Tomball (Texas), baseball
The
head coach at Tomball since 2012, Rush has led the
Cougars to two state championships in the past three seasons with a
44-1 record and a No. 2 national ranking in
2026.
Reginald Samples, Duncanville (Texas), football
One
of the most successful coaches in Texas, Samples led Duncanville to
state championships in 2022 and 2023 and has a record of 363-90-1.
Joshua Sanders, Robinson (Tampa, Fla.), girls flag football
The
most successful coach in girls flag football history, Sanders has won
10 state championships at Robinson, including the 2026 season.
John Schaefer, Logan-Rogersville (Rogersville, Mo.), boys basketball
Schaefer
earned MaxPreps Small Town Coach of the Year honors after leading the Wildcats to a 29-3 record, a state championship
and a No. 17 national ranking.
Derek and Brent Schneider, Sterling (Kan.), football/basketball
The
brothers share this honor after they each coached an undefeated team
this year. Brent Schneider led the football team to a 13-0 record and a
state championship while Derek coached the basketball team to a 26-0
record and a state crown.
Sue Phillips, Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.), girls basketball
Phillips
closed in on 900 career wins with another huge season with the
Monarchs. Mitty went 28-3 with a No. 3 national ranking by MaxPreps.
Phillips has 874 career wins.
Ross Sinclair, Newport Harbor (Newport Beach, Calif.), boys water polo
The
Sailors have been the top program in the nation the past two seasons,
winning back-to-back Southern California regional championships and
finishing No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps. Sinclair’s team has a record
of 66-2 the past two seasons.
Pandy Sinish, Carroll (Fort Wayne, Ind.), girls volleyball
Since
becoming head coach in 2022, Sinish has led Carroll to a record of
127-13, including a 50-match win streak and back-to-back Class 4A state
championships.
Rick Sluder, Columbus North (Columbus, Ind.), boys cross country
The
national cross country coach of the year by the USTFCCCA, Sluder led
the Bulldogs to an Indiana state championship with the lowest cumulative
score in 23 years and the largest margin of victory in the past 15
years.
Greg Snyder, Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach, Calif.), boys volleyball
Snyder
has maintained the strong tradition of the Mira Costa volleyball
program, winning back-to-back section championship and finishing the
2026 season ranked no. 1 in the country.
Shiloh Sorbello, Woodland Christian (Woodland, Calif.), girls basketball
The
Chief Deputy District Attorney in Yuba County in California, Sorbello
moonlights as the girls basketball coach at Woodland Christian, where he
has won back-to-back state championships.
Josh Stanaland, Jayton (Texas), 6-man football
The
Jaybirds have become one of the top 6-man teams in the nation under
Stanaland, winning back-to-back titles over the past two years while
posting a 30-game winning streak.
Ochiel Swaby, Miami Country Day (Miami, Fla.), girls basketball
Swaby
holds the record for most state championships as a girls basketball
coach in Florida, winning his 11th in 2026. Swaby has a career record of 468-142.
Troy Tirapelle, Buchanan (Clovis, Calif.), wrestling
The
Bears have won nine state championships in the past 10 seasons with
Tirapelle as coach, including seven in a row at one point. His 2026 team
finished the year ranked No. 1 in the nation by FloWrestling.
Jason Todd, South Oak Cliff (Dallas, Texas), football
The
Golden Bears have become a dynasty under Todd, who has a 134-33 record
since taking over 2014. His teams have won three state championships in
the past five seasons, including the 2025 season when they went 15-1.
Peter Verhoef, Bolles (Jacksonville, Fla.), boys swimming
Bolles has won a state title in each of Verhoef’s eight seasons as head coach. The Bulldogs have the longest active streak in the
nation for boys swimming at 38 in a row.
Ryan Walz, Wisconsin Lutheran (Milwaukee, Wis.), boys basketball
The
Vikings have won two straight state titles under Walz, including a 30-0
finish in 2026. Walz’s team has the longest active win streak in the
nation at 40 in a row.
Keith Wieczorek, St. Anthony’s (Melville, N.Y.), boys lacrosse
St.
Anthony’s has competed in the championship game in boys lacrosse every
year since Wieczorek began coaching in 2000. He has a career record of
360-82 with 13 Catholic AAA championships.
Sister Lynn Winsor, Xavier College Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.), girls golf
The
longtime coach of the Gator golf team has retired from coaching in
2026, but not before winning the 40th state championship in the fall of
2025. Her retirement ends her 52 years as head coach of the Gators.
Kate Wood, McGill-Toolen (Mobile, Ala.), girls volleyball
The
Yellowjackets have won four straight Class 7A state championships under
Wood, who led McGill-Toolen to a 47-2 record last year and a No. 24
national ranking by MaxPreps.
Tiffany Wood, Calvary Baptist Academy (Shreveport, La.), softball
With
six straight state titles under her belt, Wood claimed her 400th career win in this year’s championship game.
She enters the 2027 season with a record of 400-98.
