Three Northern Kentucky coaches earned National Federation of High Schools Coach of the Year honors on Friday.
Ryle boys soccer coach Stephen Collins, Covington Catholic tennis coach Al Hertsenberg and Beechwood girls track and field coach David Meyers earned their distinctions.
Collins has led Ryle to seven 9th Region titles since the start of his tenure in 2004 and the Raiders are 11-0 in 9th Region play this season with the region tournament on tap to start Tuesday. Collins also helped guide the Raiders to the state championship game in 2006 and 2011, with trips to the state semifinals in 2017, 2020 and 2022. He’s led the Raider program to a record of 311-108-43 in 20 seasons.
Hertsenberg led the Colonels to their first team state title in program history during the 2023 season. CovCath has won 21 straight 9th Region titles, Hertsenberg guiding the program for the past 33 seasons. Â CovCath also won the first doubles championship in program history when Kalei Christiansen and Alex Yeager were able to pull off the feat.
Meyers helped lead the Beechwood girls to a second state title in program history during the 2023 season, also winning the Class 1A, Region 4 title. He also led the Tigers to a Class A state title in 2019.
From the KHSAA: As part of its annual awards program, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Coaches Association recognizes Coach of the Year honorees from each state. Those named Coach of the Year at the state level then advance for consideration for Sectional Coach of the Year honors. Winners are chosen through a combination of their coaching accomplishments, particularly for the season in question, as well as their contributions outside of competition to help grow their respective sports. These awards are announced following the recognized year.
For the complete list of Coach of the Year winners, visit here: https://khsaa.org/10-06-23-khsaa-announces-2022-23-nfhs-state-coaches-of-the-year/