The Kansas City Chiefs have announced the Coach of the Week honors for the fifth week of the 2024 season. The Week Five awards went to Blue Springs High School Head Coach Jed Paulsen (Missouri) and Basehor-Linwood High School Head Coach Rod Stallbaumer (Kansas).
As a result of this honor, the awarded schools will receive a $500 grant from the Hunt Family Foundation. Additionally, the coaches will be presented a pair of sunglasses, courtesy of Oakley, and a certificate recognizing their selection. These 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.
Blue Springs High School defeated Rockhurst High School 30-13 for its first win over the Hawklets since 2019. Paulsen said this was due to the hard work of the entire program.
"We are very honored to receive this award coming off of a big program victory," Paulsen said. "This award is a representation of the hard work from our players, parents and staff over the past three years. The buzz surrounding the Wildcat football program comes from years of building the culture the right way."
"We pride ourselves on developing young men on and off the field. Doing things the right way takes time, and we are nowhere near a finished product. The foundation has been set and the sky's the limit for this program as we move into the next phase of development. It's an exciting time to be a Wildcat, and we're just getting started. We appreciate the NFL and Chiefs organization for this recognition and aim to continue to do the right things for the young men and women in our community. It's a great day to be a Wildcat."
Basehor-Linwood High School beat Topeka West High School 59-6 to move to 5-0 on the season. The Bobcats coach said the team and coaches deserve the honor for the work they have put in this season.
"This award is a reflection of the hard work of our student athletes, the dedication of our assistant coaches and the support of our parents and community – all three factors are paramount to a successful football program," Stallbaumer shared. "We are very blessed here at Basehor-Linwood and appreciative of the recognition. We also want to thank the Kansas City Chiefs and PrepsKC for their continued support and dedication to high school football in the Metro area."
In its 28th season, the 2024 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.
The Kansas City Chiefs partner with PrepsKC to select Coaches of the Week from Missouri and Kansas each week. PrepsKC is the only complete multimedia coverage of high school football in the Kansas City Metro. For the last 15 years, it has combined a dynamic website, weekly magazine and comprehensive weekly radio show. More information about PrepsKC, including scores, schedules and coverage can be found at www.prepskc.com.
