Ten statewide individuals have been named 2016-17 Sectional Coach of the Year by the National Federation of State Association (NFHS) Coaches Association in 11 sports. The AIA belongs to Section 7, which includes the states of Arizona, Utah, Nevada, California and Hawaii.

Sam Duane (Perry boys basketball), Chris Hanson (Desert Vista boys cross country), Lerina Johnson (Perry girls badminton), Amber LeTarte (Sunnyslope girls volleyball), Matt Lincoln (Chandler girls cross country), David Smithers (North boys and girls swimming & diving), Eric Tatham (Cienega fast-pitch softball), Julie Walters (Catalina Foothills boys golf), Casey Woodall (Morenci wrestling) and Mike Woods (Hamilton baseball) all took home honors.

The NFHS, which has been recognizing coaches through an awards program since 1982, honors coaches in the top 10 girls sports and top 10 boys sports (by participation numbers), and in two “other” sports – one for boys and one for girls – that are not included in the top 10 listings. The NFHS also recognizes a spirit coach as a separate award category. Winners of NFHS awards must be active coaches during the year for which they receive their award.

These 10 join Karen Self (Seton Catholic girls basketball) and Kristie Stevens (Catalina Foothills girls tennis) as National Coaches of the Year.

Arizona State Coach of the Year accolades go to Benjamin Andronic (Tolleson boys soccer), Eric Chalmers (Brophy boys tennis), Barb Chura (Xavier Prep girls soccer), Lynn Johnson (Snowflake boys and girls track & field), Taylor Stallman (Boulder Creek boys volleyball) and Vicki Turrell (Millennium girls golf).

The NFHS Coaches Association has an advisory committee composed of a chair and eight sectional representatives. The sectional committee representatives evaluate the state award recipients from the states in their respective sections and select the best candidates for the sectional award in each sport category. The NFHS Coaches Association Advisory Committee then considers the sectional candidates in each sport, ranks them according to a point system, and determines a national winner for each of the 20 sport categories, the spirit category and two “other” categories.

A total of 667 coaches will be recognized this year with state, sectional and national awards.