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Football

Greatest High School Football Coach From Every State

Stephen Morton / AP Photo

Few things can bring a community together like a winning high school football team. 

The thing is, those winning teams don’t just appear out of thin air. You have to put the right person in charge. And when you do find the right head coach … hold on to them for dear life because they’re going to get very, very popular. 

In the history of high school football across the country, the very best head coaches have created dynasties that include state championships, undefeated seasons and, sometimes, players who go on to become college All-Americans and play in the NFL. They’ve also left indelible marks on their communities. 

Here’s a look at the greatest high school football coach of all time from every state. 

(Note: All statistics are through the 2023 season unless otherwise noted.)

Alabama: Josh Niblett

Hoover High's Josh Niblett
AHSAA Radio Network / Facebook

High Schools: Oneonta High School (Oneonta), Hoover High School (Hoover)

State Championships: 7 (2004, 2009, 2012-14, 2016, 2017)

Overall Record: 236-58 (.803)

Bottom line: Josh Niblett won a Class 3A state championship at Onenota before winning six state championships in his first stint at Hoover from 2009 to 2017.

Niblett is now a high school coach in Georgia, where he led Gainesville High to a Class 6A state runner-up finish in his first season in 2022. 

Alaska: Buck Nystrom

Eielson High's Buck Nystrom
Alaska Sports Hall of Fame

High Schools: Ben Eielson High School (Eielson AFB), North Pole High School (North Pole)

State Championships: 2 (1992, 1994)

Overall Record: 150-88 (.630)

Bottom line: Few sports figures in Alaskan high school sports history are as respected as the late Buck Nystrom, who led two Fairbanks-area high schools to state championships — Eielson High in 1992 and North Pole High in 2004. 

Nystrom’s 1992 title is the stuff of legend as Alaska high school football only had one division at the time and Eielson only had 250 students. Nystrom led Eielson to state runner-up finishes in 1991 and 1993. 

Nystrom died in 2006 from heart surgery complications, just three weeks after coaching his final game at North Pole. Nystrom coached his final game on the same day he spent the afternoon in the emergency room after problems with his pacemaker. 

Arizona: Jason Mohns

Saguaro High's Jason Mohns
Jason Mohns / Facebook

High Schools: Saguaro High School (Scottsdale), Scottsdale Salt River High School (Scottsdale)

State Championships: 7 (2011, 2013-2018, 2021)

Overall Record: 128-22 (.853) 

Bottom line: Jason Mohns was part of 11 state championships at Saguaro High School, winning four as an assistant coach and seven as the head coach. Mohns’ team won six consecutive state championships from 2013 to 2018 and finished as state runner-up in 2022. Mohns was hired as the tight ends coach at Arizona State in 2023. 

Arkansas: Wilson Matthews

Little Rock Central's Wilson Matthews
Encyclopedia of Arkansas

High Schools: Rogers High School (Rogers), Little Rock/Little Rock Central High School (Little Rock)

State Championships: 10 (1947-50, 1952-57)

Overall Record: 118-17-3 (.855)

Bottom line: Wilson Matthews won a staggering 10 state championships in 11 seasons as the coach at Little Rock High, which became Little Rock Central High in 1953. That run was capped by back-to-back undefeated seasons in 1956 and 1957, including a mythical high school national championship in 1957. 

Matthews left Little Rock Central to become a defensive assistant at Arkansas, where he spent a decade coaching defensive ends and linebackers before moving into administration. Matthews died in 2002, at 80 years old.