Lampkin Named NFHS Volleyball Coach of the Year
Hermann Head Coach has posted over 700 career wins

The National Federation of High School Associations (NFHS) has released the 2009 National Coaches of the Year Awards.  Hermann High School’s Linda Lampkin has been chosen as the NFHS Volleyball Coach of the Year.

With 30 years of coaching, Lampkin has amassed a career record of 714-252-33.  Her Bearcats have won 10 MSHSAA titles to go along with four runner-up finishes and five third-place finishes.  Hermann took home the title trophy five times since 2000, winning the 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006 and 2008 titles.

The NFHS began recognizing coaches through an awards program in 1982.  They must have been active coaches during the year for which they received their award.  The awards presented in 2009 recognize coaches for the 2008-09 season.

The NFHS recognizes coaches in the top 10 girls’ sports and the top 10 boys’ sports (by participation numbers) and in one “other” category that is not included in these other 20 categories.

The NFHS has a contact person in each state that is responsible for selecting deserving coach award recipients in that state. This contact person often works with the state coaches’ associations in their respective states.  He/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 next award level after state coach of the year is sectional coach of the year.  The NFHS is divided into 8 geographical sections.  They are as follows:  Section 1 – Northeast (CT.ME, MA NH, NJ, NY, RI, and VT); Section 2 – Mideast (DE, DC, KY, MD, OH, PA, VA. WV); Section 3 – South (AL, FL, GA. LA, MS, NC. SC. TN); Section 4 – Central (IL, IN, IA, MI, WI); Section 5 – Midwest (KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD); Section 6 – Southwest (AR, CO, NM, OK, TX); Section 7 – West (AZ, CA, HI, NV, UT), and Section 8 – Northwest (AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY).

The NFHS Coaches Association has an advisory committee with a chair and eight sectional representatives who consider the state award recipients from the states in their respective sections and choose who they feel are the best candidates for the sectional award in each sport category.  They forward those recommendations to the NFHS national office in Indianapolis.

The NFHS Coaches Association advisory committee considers the sectional candidates in each sport, ranks them according to a point system, and determines a national winner for each of the 20 sport categories, plus the one “other category.”

The following criteria was used in selecting the national coaches of the year: career coaching record, community service, involvement in other school activities, involvement in profession at local, state, and national levels, and basic philosophy of athletics.