Vote: Who should be named 2024 Oregon high school football coach of the year?

The inaugural Thurman Bell Award honors the top coach statewide

Ian Reynoso led Glencoe to the school’s first league title since 2007. / Photo by Dan Brood

Legendary Roseburg coach Thurman Bell is (to date) the only high school football coach enshrined in the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame. When he retired in 2015, his 332 wins were No. 2 on the state’s all-time list — he’s since fallen to No. 4 — and he’s one of five coaches at the state’s highest classification to win four or more state titles.

All-state teams: Class 6A | Class 5A | Class 4A

It seems appropriate to honor this season’s best coach with the inaugural Thurman Bell Award. Vote among these 10 finalists for the 2024 statewide coach of the year.

THURMAN BELL OREGON COACH OF THE YEAR FINALISTS

Matt Bruck, Burns

The Hilanders hadn’t posted a winning record since reaching the 2019 semifinals, but Bruck’s brand of hard-nosed football paid off down the stretch as they avenged their only loss to a 3A opponent in the state final to win their first title since 2014.

Layne Coffin, Churchill

It wasn’t quite the Year 2 effect he had a quarter-century ago at Century High School in Pocatello, where he won the first of back-to-back Idaho 4A championships, but Coffin improved the Lancers from three wins to a 9-2 campaign that included a Midwestern League title.

Steve Coury, Lake Oswego

Any thoughts that the Lakers were falling behind their 6A rivals were erased this season as Coury and his veteran staff led them to an 11-1 record and a berth in the Open final.

Brian Crum, Mountain View

The Cougars graduated all but four starters from last year’s 5A finalists, but there was no rebuild — Crum led a reloading that had them return to the title game unbeaten before falling again to Wilsonville.

Jon Eagle, West Linn

Eagle used last year’s disappointing 6A semifinal loss to Central Catholic to fuel the Lions’ return to the top of the mountain, as they avenged a defeat to Lake Oswego in the Open championship game.

Adam Guenther, Wilsonville

Guenther recognized that as good as Mark Wiepert had been as an all-state receiver, he had untapped potential at quarterback, and he moved the senior behind center this year and watched him guide the Wildcats to a second consecutive 5A title.

Zach Loboy, Marist Catholic

Loboy moved up from defensive coordinator to take over the Spartans this year, made a few subtle tweaks to a system that had gotten them to the 4A final a year ago, and saw them reverse their fortunes against Henley in a championship game rematch.

Keanon Lowe, Mountainside

In his second season with the Mavericks, Lowe led the program to its first Metro League title — ending his alma mater Jesuit’s decade-long reign — and an appearance in the 6A Open quarterfinals.

Ian Reynoso, Glencoe

Reynoso embraced the program’s drop to the 5A Northwest Oregon Conference and doubled down on the Crimson Tide’s ground-and-pound identity, riding all-state running back Daniel Heninger to the school’s first league title since 2007.

AJ Robinson, Sprague

The Olympians went 2-7 in Robinson’s first season at the Salem school but bounced back in a big way this year, finishing 9-2 — their best record in the past seven years — with their only losses coming against Sheldon in conference play and in the 6A Open quarterfinals.

Download the SBLive App

To get live updates on your phone — as well as follow your favorite teams and top games — you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App | Download Android App