The Kansas City Chiefs have announced their Coach of the Week honors for the third week of the season. The awards go to Odessa High School coach Mark Thomas (Missouri) and Basehor-Linwood High School coach Rod Stallbaumer (Kansas).
As a result of this honor, both schools will receive a $500 player health and safety grant from the Hunt Family Foundation. Additionally, both coaches will be presented congratulatory footballs autographed by Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid and a certificate recognizing their selection. Both 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.
Odessa beat rival Oak Grove 29-21 to move to 4-0 on the season. The Bulldogs have won 28-straight games going back to the start of the 2019 season. Odessa has also won 40 of its last 41 games and has not lost a regular season game since 2017.
"I want to thank the Kansas City Chiefs and the National Football League for this award and also thank them for what they do for high school football in the Kansas City area and across the country," Thomas said. "Receiving this honor is quite humbling because there are so many great coaches and programs in the Kansas City metro. I would like to receive this honor on behalf of our team and coaching staff. Their commitment and hard work has made this award possible. I want to thank our booster club and the Odessa community for their support and the pride they have for our Bulldog Nation."
Basehor-Linwood moved to 3-0 with a win over Center High School. The game was not scheduled until the day of the game due to a Covid cancelation and the Bobcats won a back-and-forth game to hand the Yellowjackets their first loss of the season.
"I am very humbled to accept this award on behalf of our coaching staff, our players, administration and our community," Stallbaumer said. "We are blessed to have a phenomenal staff of assistant coaches who are dedicated, hard-working and none of our success is possible without their efforts. Our players have bought into the four-year process, year-round dedication to self-improvement and hard work and the Basehor-Linwood community is extremely supportive. We appreciate the Kansas City Chiefs organization for recognizing our community and our team's efforts."
In its 25th season, the 2021 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.
