Five High School Coaches Earn AFCA Regional Power of Influence Award Honors
December 8, 2022
Five of the best high school head coaches in the nation highlight today’s announcement of the 2022 AFCA Regional Power of Influence Award winners. This award is given jointly by the American Football Coaches Association® and the American Football Coaches Foundation®. These winners will be honored during the 2023 AFCA Convention, which will be held on January 8-10, 2023.
This is the fourth year that the AFCA has recognized regional winners for the Power of Influence Award. The award was created as a way for the AFCA® and AFCF® to honor deserving high school football coaches. Coaches who receive this award are recognized for their impact on their team, as well as the legacy they leave with the school and surrounding community. This award is not based on wins and losses; however, it should be noted that coaches of powerful influence have longevity and success. The winners are selected by members of the AFCF Board of Directors.
2022 AFCA/AFCF Regional Power of Influence Award winners are:
Region 1: Jim Kelliher, Abington (Mass.) High School
Region 2: Rodney Saulsberry Sr., Whitehaven (Tenn.) High School
Region 3: Dwight Lundeen, Becker (Minn.) High School
Region 4: John King, Longview (Tex.) High School
Region 5: Todd Sloat, Fall River (Calif.) High School
Kelliher has been the head coach at Abington High School for 49 years and currently sits fourth for career victories in Massachusetts history with 305. He has guided the Green Wave to three Eastern Massachusetts State titles in Division 5 (2002), Division 3 (2005) and Division 4 (2012) and two overall state championships in Division 5 (2014) and Division 4 (2019). Kelliher graduated from Abington in 1966 and played his college football at the University of Massachusetts. He returned to Abington as an assistant coach for three years before being named head coach in 1974.
Saulsberry is in his 25th season at Whitehaven High School and 19th as a head coach. He has an overall record of 180-48 with two Tennessee 6A state titles in 2012 and 2016, the first championships in program history. Over 200 of Saulsberry’s former players have gone on to play college football, and 15 of them have become coaches. He has served on the board of the Tennessee Football Coaches Association and served on the Rules Committee for the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association. Saulsberry has been a speaker at various football clinics around the country, including the 2013 AFCA Convention. In 2020, he co-founded the Minority Coaches Association of Tennessee, which helps high school, college and professional coaches in Tennessee foster job opportunities and hosts clinics for continuing education. Saulsberry has earned many awards over his time as head coach, such as a two-time Tennessee Titans Coach of the Week, a Tennessee Titans/Shelby Metro Coach of the Year award winner in 2012 and 2016, three-time Regional Coach of the Year and winner of the Rex Dockery Award from the Memphis Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.
Lundeen started the Becker High School football team in 1970 and has never left. In his 53 years as head coach, Lundeen has amassed an overall record of 390-166-3 with three state championships, 19 section titles and 24 conference championships. He has served as president and on the executive committee of the Minnesota Football Coaches Association, the Minnesota Interscholastic Activities Administrators Association, and the Minnesota State High School League. Lundeen has been inducted into the National Coaches Association Hall of Fame (2019), Minnesota Activities Directors Hall of Fame (2014), Minnesota High School League Hall of Fame (2014) and the Minnesota Football Coaches Hall of Fame (2009). He is a four-time Minnesota Football Coach of the Year and was named Minnesota Football Coaches Association Man of the Year in 2015.
King is in his 19th year as head coach at Longview High School. He currently has the Lobos in the semifinals of the Texas 5A state playoffs with a 14-0 record. His overall record sits at 211-43 with a 6A state championship in 2018. King is a past president of the Texas High School Coaches Association and has served on the THSCA Board of Directors. He has served on several committees for the THSCA as well as Treasurer of the East Texas Coaches Association. King was inducted into the East Texas Coaches Association Hall of Honor in 2019 and was named Texas Sportswriter Association 6A Coach of the Year, along with Longview News Journal and American State Bank Coach of the Year in 2018. He has won 15 District Coach of the Year honors in his 19 seasons.
Sloat has been coaching football for 23 years, with the last 21 coming at Fall River High School. His overall record in eight years as a head coach sits at 78-16 with one California 7AA state championship and six Northern Section titles. Sloat earned California Coach of the Year honors in 2021 and six other Coach of the Year honors in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2017, 2018 and 2021. He stepped down as head coach after the 2021 season and works as assistant coach with Fall River, helping the Bulldogs to a 12-0 record and the Northern Section championship.
The AFCA will announce the 2022 National Power of Influence Award winner during the 2023 AFCA Convention on January 8-10, 2023. The Regional winners are finalists for the national Power of Influence Award.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
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Five of the best high school head coaches in the nation highlight today’s announcement of the 2022 AFCA Regional Power of Influence Award winners. This award is given jointly by the American Football Coaches Association® and the American Football Coaches Foundation®. These winners will be honored during the 2023 AFCA Convention, which will be held on January 8-10, 2023.
This is the fourth year that the AFCA has recognized regional winners for the Power of Influence Award. The award was created as a way for the AFCA® and AFCF® to honor deserving high school football coaches. Coaches who receive this award are recognized for their impact on their team, as well as the legacy they leave with the school and surrounding community. This award is not based on wins and losses; however, it should be noted that coaches of powerful influence have longevity and success. The winners are selected by members of the AFCF Board of Directors.
2022 AFCA/AFCF Regional Power of Influence Award winners are:
Region 1: Jim Kelliher, Abington (Mass.) High School
Region 2: Rodney Saulsberry Sr., Whitehaven (Tenn.) High School
Region 3: Dwight Lundeen, Becker (Minn.) High School
Region 4: John King, Longview (Tex.) High School
Region 5: Todd Sloat, Fall River (Calif.) High School
Kelliher has been the head coach at Abington High School for 49 years and currently sits fourth for career victories in Massachusetts history with 305. He has guided the Green Wave to three Eastern Massachusetts State titles in Division 5 (2002), Division 3 (2005) and Division 4 (2012) and two overall state championships in Division 5 (2014) and Division 4 (2019). Kelliher graduated from Abington in 1966 and played his college football at the University of Massachusetts. He returned to Abington as an assistant coach for three years before being named head coach in 1974.
Saulsberry is in his 25th season at Whitehaven High School and 19th as a head coach. He has an overall record of 180-48 with two Tennessee 6A state titles in 2012 and 2016, the first championships in program history. Over 200 of Saulsberry’s former players have gone on to play college football, and 15 of them have become coaches. He has served on the board of the Tennessee Football Coaches Association and served on the Rules Committee for the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association. Saulsberry has been a speaker at various football clinics around the country, including the 2013 AFCA Convention. In 2020, he co-founded the Minority Coaches Association of Tennessee, which helps high school, college and professional coaches in Tennessee foster job opportunities and hosts clinics for continuing education. Saulsberry has earned many awards over his time as head coach, such as a two-time Tennessee Titans Coach of the Week, a Tennessee Titans/Shelby Metro Coach of the Year award winner in 2012 and 2016, three-time Regional Coach of the Year and winner of the Rex Dockery Award from the Memphis Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.
Lundeen started the Becker High School football team in 1970 and has never left. In his 53 years as head coach, Lundeen has amassed an overall record of 390-166-3 with three state championships, 19 section titles and 24 conference championships. He has served as president and on the executive committee of the Minnesota Football Coaches Association, the Minnesota Interscholastic Activities Administrators Association, and the Minnesota State High School League. Lundeen has been inducted into the National Coaches Association Hall of Fame (2019), Minnesota Activities Directors Hall of Fame (2014), Minnesota High School League Hall of Fame (2014) and the Minnesota Football Coaches Hall of Fame (2009). He is a four-time Minnesota Football Coach of the Year and was named Minnesota Football Coaches Association Man of the Year in 2015.
King is in his 19th year as head coach at Longview High School. He currently has the Lobos in the semifinals of the Texas 5A state playoffs with a 14-0 record. His overall record sits at 211-43 with a 6A state championship in 2018. King is a past president of the Texas High School Coaches Association and has served on the THSCA Board of Directors. He has served on several committees for the THSCA as well as Treasurer of the East Texas Coaches Association. King was inducted into the East Texas Coaches Association Hall of Honor in 2019 and was named Texas Sportswriter Association 6A Coach of the Year, along with Longview News Journal and American State Bank Coach of the Year in 2018. He has won 15 District Coach of the Year honors in his 19 seasons.
Sloat has been coaching football for 23 years, with the last 21 coming at Fall River High School. His overall record in eight years as a head coach sits at 78-16 with one California 7AA state championship and six Northern Section titles. Sloat earned California Coach of the Year honors in 2021 and six other Coach of the Year honors in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2017, 2018 and 2021. He stepped down as head coach after the 2021 season and works as assistant coach with Fall River, helping the Bulldogs to a 12-0 record and the Northern Section championship.
The AFCA will announce the 2022 National Power of Influence Award winner during the 2023 AFCA Convention on January 8-10, 2023. The Regional winners are finalists for the national Power of Influence Award.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
