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Trinity coach earns honor at U.S. Army All American ceremony

The U.S. Army All-American Bowl Selection Committee has announced Trinity High School's Bob Beatty as the 2012 Russell Athletic National Football Coach of the Year.

The award, which was announced during the U.S. Army All-American awards ceremony on Friday night, honors the nation’s top high school football coach, recognizing exceptional coaching abilities and leadership skills as well as serving as a positive influence to the youth of America on and off the field.    

“The Army is strong because of its Soldier leaders,” said John Myers, Director of Strategic Communications, Marketing and Outreach, U.S. Army Accessions Command. “Coach Beatty exemplifies and possesses similar leadership strengths and provides valuable guidance to his players both on and off the field. We congratulate Coach Beatty on his achievements and for being recognized as the coach of the year.”    

Coach Beatty will receive the Yoast Award, named after the legendary Coach Bill Yoast, who along with Coach Herman Boone was immortalized in the movie “Remember the Titans.”    

Coaches are nominated and selected by the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Selection Committee. Lance Pogue from South Panola High School, Batesville, Miss., was the winner of the 2011 Russell Athletic Coach of the Year award. Other nominees this year included: Damon Cogdell from Miramar High School, Miramar, Fla.; Bob Milloy from Our Lady of Good Counsel High School, Olney, Md.; Jess Simpson from Buford High School, Buford, Ga.; and Greg Toal from Don Bosco Preparatory High School, Ramsey, N.J.    

For more than a decade, the U.S. Army All-American Bowl has been the Nation’s premier high school football game, serving as the preeminent launching pad for America’s future college and NFL stars. Adrian Peterson, Mark Sanchez, Tim Tebow, Marcus Lattimore, and Andrew Luck all made their national debuts as U.S. Army All-Americans. 

The 2011 U.S. Army All-American Bowl drew a crowd of nearly 38,000 to the Alamodome, and was the most-watched sporting event on television over the weekend, excluding the NFL playoffs. The 2012 game will be played on Saturday at Noon and can be seen on NBC.