Lincoln College Preparatory High School coach William Lowe was named the Chiefs Eric Driskell High School Coach of the Year at the Simone Awards on Thursday, Dec. 12, at Olathe North High School. Lowe was named the Chiefs Coach of the Week for the fourth week of the season, which qualified him for the honor. He will be honored at the Chiefs final regular season game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Dec. 29 and at the 2020 Pro Bowl in Orlando, Florida. Lowe will also receive a $2,500 player health and safety grant from the Hunt Family Foundation.
Lowe led the Blue Tigers to an 11-1 record with a 5-0 finish in their district. This marked the first time the team had an undefeated regular season in school history.
"I am extremely humbled and honored to be recognized for this award by the Chiefs," Lowe said. "We had some extremely talented kids this season who persevered and stayed focused on their goals and made the school and the community proud. This award is for everyone who supported us this season; assistant coaches, players, parents, administrators and fans. We had an unbelievable run this season of 11 straight wins and we will not forget this season for quite some time. We will use it to build on going forward."
Lowe was one of four finalists selected by The Greater Kansas City Football Coaches Association. Throughout the fall, the Chiefs recognized a different coach on each side of the state line that set a benchmark among his profession. As a result, the winning coaches received a $500 player health and safety grant from the Hunt Family Foundation and each school received a Gatorade Sideline Kit, including coolers and Gatorade products. Additionally, both coaches were presented congratulatory footballs autographed by Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid and a certificate recognizing their selection.
Since the 2017 season, the Chiefs High School Coach of the Year Award has been named in memory of Eric Driskell, the former coach at Blue Valley High School. Driskell was a three-time award recipient during his seven years with the football program and also spent 14 years as the head coach of the boys track and field teams. Driskell suddenly passed away in February of 2017.
"It's really incredible to have the recognition from the Chiefs and the entire organization," said Kari Driskell, wife of Eric Driskell. "It means a lot to me, the girls, to the family and to their future families."
The announcement is the culmination of the 23rd season of the High School Coach of the Week Fueled by Gatorade, a joint initiative of the Kansas City Chiefs and the National Football League. The 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 partnered with PrepsKC to select Coaches of the Week from Missouri and Kansas each week. PrepsKC offers the only complete multimedia coverage of high school football in the Kansas City Metro. This new way to look at high school football combines a dynamic web site, weekly magazine and comprehensive weekly radio show. More information about PrepsKC, including scores, schedules and coverage can be found at www.prepskc.com.
