Breaking News: Cardinal Football Head Coach Rich Albonizio Named Finalist for NFL High School Coach of the Year
Breaking News
Cardinal Football Head Coach Rich Albonizio
Named Finalist for NFL High School Coach of the Year
According to a release from NFL.com:
More than 50 players recognized the coaches who helped shape them during their teenage years by nominating them for the 2010 NFL High School Football Coach of the Year Award Created in 1995, the award honors coaches who profoundly impacted the athletic and personal development of NFL players.
This year’s finalists and the NFL players who nominated them are:
| Coach | School | City | Nominated By |
| Rich Albonizio | Greenwich High School | Greenwich, CT | JOHN SULLIVAN, Minnesota Vikings |
| Mark Guandolo | Cypress Bay High School | Hollywood, FL | JON BEASON, Carolina Panthers |
| Thom McDaniels | Solon High School | Massillon, OH | MARIO MANNINGHAM, New York Giants |
| Doug Morris | San Lorenzo Valley High School | Felton, CA | ANDY LEVITRE, Buffalo Bills |
| John Sprague | Riverview High School | Sarasota, FL | DAVID BAAS, San Francisco 49ers DREW MILLER, St. Louis Rams |
“Our players come from different backgrounds, regions and life experiences,” said NFL Commissioner ROGER GOODELL. “The one thing they all have in common is that they received guidance and learned important life lessons from their high school coaches. These five finalists have dedicated their lives to teaching young players how to become leaders both on and off the field, and we congratulate them and all high school coaches for the roles they play in helping develop the leaders of our game.”
A blue-ribbon committee of sports leaders appointed by the NFL selects the winners. The panel is comprised of JON BUTLER, executive director, Pop Warner Little Scholars, Inc.; JACK FLEISCHER, veteran sportswriter; SCOTT HALLENBECK, executive director, USA Football; GRANT TEAFF, executive director of the American Football Coaches Association; former Dallas Cowboys personnel director and NFL.com contributor GIL BRANDT; and MIKE BERG, TONY DEMATTEO, RICH KALLOK and WILLIAM MCGREGOR II, all former NFL High School Football Coach of the Year winners.
In his nomination essay, JOHN SULLIVAN of the Vikings recalled learning his work ethic from Coach Albonizio, writing “Coach taught me that nothing comes without hard work.”
Congratulations Coach Al!