Kentucky Coaches Named for 2025-26 Awards
Local coaches from Simon Kenton and Highlands are recognized for leadership in the latest state awards.
Updated on Oct. 20, 2026 in Secondary Education
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The National Federation of State High School Associations recognized two Kentucky coaches for the 2025-26 season. Simon Kenton girls basketball coach Jeff Stowers and Highlands girls soccer coach Kelsey Etherton received state honors for their leadership.
Why it matters
These awards recognize coaching excellence that extends beyond competition records. Honorees are selected based on their broader contributions to student athletes, a criteria established by the program since 1982.
The awards program covers 20 distinct sport categories across eight geographical sections nationwide. State winners now move forward to compete for sectional coach of the year honors.
The players
National Federation of State High School Associations
This national organization oversees interscholastic activities and manages the coach of the year awards program.
Jeff Stowers
He is the head girls basketball coach at Simon Kenton High School in Independence.
Kelsey Etherton
She serves as the head girls soccer coach for Highlands High School.
The details
Recipients are evaluated by the NFHS Coaches Association Advisory Committee based on their specific coaching accomplishments and impact outside the classroom or field. After state winners are named, committee representatives rank sectional candidates using a standardized point system. This ranking process determines the national winners for each sport category.
Timeline
1982: The NFHS awards program began.
2024: Jeff Stowers resumed his head coach role.
2024: Kelsey Etherton became the head coach.
2025: Highlands girls soccer achieved state runner-up status.
2025-26: The period for which state coaches received honors.
The Home Front
State high school associations play a critical role in standardizing athletic leadership expectations across regional school districts. The NFHS program mirrors broader efforts to prioritize coaching mentorship as a standard of athletic program excellence.
Families with student athletes should look for announcements from their specific school districts regarding coaching updates. Monitoring these awards provides insight into the leadership culture supporting your local high school sports programs.
The takeaway
These awards spotlight the importance of mentorship in shaping student development within local sports programs. Residents can track further sectional and national results through the official NFHS website.
Further reading
Learn more about local school leadership and honors in Kentucky Secondary Education.
More information
View the full NFHS Coach of the Year list to see all national award categories.
Source note: This article includes information reported by LINK nky.
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