NFHS names 23 high school Coaches of the Year for 2020

Michael Bowler, Mary Beth Bourgoin and Anne Ellett were three of 23 high school coaches honored Monday for their excellence by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Coaches Association.

Bowler, a lacrosse coach at Rocky Point (N.Y.), was selected in the "other" category for boys sports, and Bourgoin, a field hockey coach at Winslow (Maine), was chosen in the "other" category for girls sports.

Recipients of this year's national awards for boys sports are:

Ron Murphy, baseball, Rio Rancho (N.M.)

Jerry Petitgoue, basketball, Cuba City (Wis.)

Kevin Ryan, cross country, Bellingham (Wash.)

Gerry Pannoni, football, South County (Lorton, Va.)

Steve Kanner, golf, Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.)

David Halligan, soccer, Falmouth (Maine)

Douglas Krecklow, swimming and diving, Omaha Westside (Omaha, Neb.)

Douglas Chapman, tennis, Somerset Berkley Regional (Somerset, Mass.)

Robert Palazzo, track and field, Classical (Providence, R.I.)

Douglas Hislop, wrestling, Imbler (Ore.) The recipients of the 2020 NFHS national awards for girls sports are:

Michael Rose, swimming and diving, Brookfield East (Brookfield, Wis.)

Judith Hehs, tennis, St. Catherine of Siena Academy (Wixom, Mich.)

Willie Smith, track and field, Beachwood (Ohio)

Kevin Bordewick, volleyball, Washburn Rural (Topeka, Kan.)

Donna Moir, basketball, Sacred Heart (Louisville, Ky.)

William Clifton, cross country, Middletown South (Middletown, N.J.)

Carol Fromuth, golf, St. Joseph's Academy (St. Louis, Mo.)

Tim Carey, lacrosse, Hoover (Fresno, Calif.)

Stephen Estelle, soccer, Gateway Regional (Huntington, Mass.)

Mary Truesdale, softball, Sheldon (Sacramento, Calif.)

The NFHS has a contact in each state responsible for selecting deserving coach award recipients.

This person often works with the state coaches' association in his or her respective state. He or she 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 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.