Maine-Endwell's Gallagher named national Coach of the Year
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The offseason hits keep coming for Matt Gallagher.
Maine-Endwell’s championship-harvesting coach has been chosen by the National Football League as one of two recipients of the 2022 NFL Don Shula High School Coach of the Year Award.
For the first time, the NFL recognized the top high school coach from each conference as nominated by their respective NFL clubs. The honor is given to the football coaches who best represent character, integrity, leadership, dedication to the community, commitment to player protection and on-field success, in honor of the late Don Shula, the winningest coach in NFL history.
Gallagher shares the award with Clive Harding, coach of Boys and Girls High School in Brooklyn. He was nominated by the New York Jets to represent the AFC.
According to a release from NFL Communications, Gallagher and Harding will each receive $15,000 for their football programs and each coach will receive a $10,000 cash prize.
Gallagher, nominated by the New York Giants, led his team to a second consecutive state championship to complete a 13-0 season. That brought his record to 140-24 with six state championships across 15 seasons.
As a USA Football certified Master Trainer since 2015, Gallagher travels the region assisting with clinics for coaches and student-athletes to make the game better and safer. In this role, he has led numerous clinics and coaching certifications, including teaching Heads Up Football (football safety and techniques), Stop it Now! (child abuse prevention), and InSide Out Coaching (social-emotional and character development).
He worked extensively on USA Football’s creation of the Football Development Model to prioritize development of young athletes by allowing them to learn the game and related skills in a progression that best suits them, and served on a committee for the age and skill assignments within the model.
“I love football and I love coaching football,” Gallagher said. “But most importantly, I believe football is a vehicle to teach young students perseverance, respect, integrity, and the many characteristics that make us good people and contributing members of our community.”
Plans called for both coaches to be guests of the NFL at the Pro Bowl Games in Las Vegas, and each is invited to attend Super Bowl LVII in Arizona and be recognized at NFL Honors, an awards show to air at 9 p.m. Feb. 9 on FOX.
Big-timers do the selecting
The Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year winners are selected by a panel including:
Tony Dungy, Pro Football Hall of Fame coach and current NBC analyst.
Scott Hallenbeck, Executive Director of USA Football.
Peyton Manning, Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback and current ESPN contributor.
Roman Oben, Super Bowl XXXVII champion and NFL Vice President of Football Development.
Scott Pioli, NFL analyst and former front-office executive.
Dave Shula, former NFL head coach and son of the late Coach Shula.
On Friday, Gallagher was honored as the New York State High School Football Coaches Association as Class B Coach of the Year.
It was revealed in December that the New York Giants and Gatorade had named him 2022 Coach of the Year.
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Maine-Endwell's Gallagher named national Coach of the Year
