Lyon County’s first state basketball championship has led to a prestigious state award for its head coach from the National Federation of State High School Associations.
Ryan Perry has been named the NFHS Boys’ Basketball Coach of the Year for the commonwealth of Kentucky.
Perry led the Lyons to their third-straight 2nd Region championship and a state championship game win over Harlan County this past March.
As part of its annual awards program, the National Federation of State High School Associations 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.
The complete list of 2023-24 honorees from Kentucky:.
Baseball: Brad Burns, Pleasure Ridge Park
Boys’ Basketball: Ryan Perry, Lyon County
Boys’ Cross Country: Chris Davis, Bishop Brossart
Football: Mark Spader, Bowling Green
Boys’ Golf: Chris Cunningham, South Oldham
Boys’ Soccer: Chris Grimm, Lafayette
Boys’ Swimming & Diving: Jamie Palumbo; Bryan Station, Great Crossing, Lexington Catholic, Madison Central, Sayre, Scott County
Boys’ Tennis: Andy Poore, McCracken County
Boys’ Outdoor Track & Field: Roger Veliquette, Louisville Collegiate
Boys’ Wrestling: Jarvis Elam, Brooks Black, Union County
Girls’ Basketball: Candyce Wheeler, Butler
Girls’ Cross Country: Patricia Sturgeon, Beechwood
Girls’ Golf: Mackenzie Moir, Sacred Heart
Girls’ Soccer: Scott Deopere, Bethlehem
Softball: Chris Edwards, North Laurel
Girls’ Swimming & Diving: Megan Zerhusen, Elizabethtown
Girls’ Tennis: Chris Jones, Corbin
Girls’ Outdoor Track & Field: Glenn Wilson, Bryan Station
Girls’ Volleyball: Ron Kordes, Assumption
Boys’ Archery: Mark Evans, Ryle
Boys’ Bass Fishing: Rob Schneeman, Covington Catholic
Boys’ Bowling: Julie Nichelson, Pleasure Ridge Park
Boys’ Indoor Track & Field: Jeremy Mosher, Covington Catholic
Esports: Scott Ricke, Shelby County
Girls’ Archery: Jay Dixon, Madison Central
Girls’ Bass Fishing: Dennis Hammonds, South Laurel
Girls’ Bowling: Todd Conley, Johnson Central
Field Hockey: Allison Nonos, Ballard
Girls’ Indoor Track & Field: Brian Crumbo, North Oldham
Girls’ Wrestling: Spencer Adams, Angie Vitiritti; Taylor County
Cheer: Joy McKeeham, Knox Central
Dance: Jaclyn Simpson, Daviess County
Adapted/Allied/Unified: Carol Bryar, Eastern
The NFHS, which has been recognizing coaches through an awards program since 1982, honors coaches in the top 10 girls’ sports and top 10 boys’ sports by participation numbers and in two “other” sports — one for boys and one for girls — that are not included in the top 10 listings. The NFHS also recognizes a cheer coach and a dance coach as separate spirit award categories, as well as an Adapted/Allied/Unified coach. Winners of NFHS awards must be active coaches during the year for which they receive their awards.
The next award level after state Coach of the Year is Sectional Coach of the Year. The NFHS is divided into eight geographical sections: Section 1 — Northeast (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont); Section 2 — Mideast (Delaware; Kentucky; Maryland; Ohio; Pennsylvania; Virginia; Washington, D.C.; West Virginia); Section 3 — South (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee); Section 4 — Central (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin); Section 5 — Midwest (Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota); Section 6 — Southwest (Arkansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas); Section 7 — West (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah); and Section 8 — Northwest (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming).
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. The NFHS Coaches Association Advisory Committee then 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, the two spirit categories, the Adapted/Allied/Unified category and two “other” categories.
— Information from a KHSAA news release
