The Kansas City Chiefs have announced their Coach of the Week honors. The awards go to Park Hill South Coach Alan Wilmes (Missouri) and Bishop Ward Coach Greg Duggins (Kansas).
As a result of this honor, both schools will receive a $500 player health and safety grant from the Hunt Family Foundation. Additionally, both coaches will be presented congratulatory footballs autographed by Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid and a certificate recognizing their selection. Both coaches are now qualified for the Eric Driskell Coach of the Year Award, which will be voted on later this fall. The Eric Driskell Coach of the Year Award is selected by a panel comprised of the Missouri and Kansas Boards from the Greater Kansas City Football Coaches Association.
Park Hill South rallied to beat Lee’s Summit 34-27 in overtime to move to 8-0 on the season. The win locked up the Suburban Red Conference title and put the Panthers in position for a No. 1 seed in Missouri Class 6 District 4.
Wilmes said this was the result of hard work put in by everyone in the program.
“We are honored to receive the Kansas City Chiefs Coach of the Week,” Wilmes said. “This is a testament to the hard work our coaches and players put in each day for 365 days out of the year. I am honored and lucky to be their coach and lead them throughout the season. We have something special at Park Hill South and I am proud of everyone involved in our program.”
Bishop Ward defeated Osawatomie 48-0 to guarantee the Cyclones their first non-losing season since 2008. The win also qualified Bishop Ward for the Kansas Class 3A playoffs for the first time since 2008.
Since taking over Bishop Ward at the start of the 2019 season Duggins has overseen the end of a 54-game losing streak in 2020 and now a 4-3 record in 2021. He said this award is for the whole program.
“I want to thank the KC Chiefs organization for the recognition and support of our program,” Duggins said. “The honor goes out to the amazing assistant coaches that I have and the players. As the Head Coach I am blessed each day to be able to come to work at Bishop Ward High School. We strive to get better each day and be competitive and I think we have accomplished that so far this season.
“The senior leadership has been the key. This team has good chemistry, and they work hard for themselves and each other. The players have bought into the program that is building on a strong foundation on hard work, dedication and teamwork. Many thanks to our parents, fans, the Bishop Ward faculty and staff and the Bishop Ward community for the endless support to our program.”
In its 25th season, the 2021 High School Coach of the Week is a joint initiative of the Kansas City Chiefs and the National Football League. This program is designed to recognize and reward Kansas City area high school coaches for superior performance on a weekly basis while honoring individuals who are shaping today’s youth and tomorrow’s leaders.
