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UPDATE: Alumnus wins national Most Valuable Coach contest

Doug Smith (’86) guided Appomattox County High School’s football team to its first state title last December and mobilized his players to help clean up debris in the aftermath of an EF-3 tornado that hit nearby Evergreen, Va., in February.

Former Liberty University football player (’86) and current Appomattox County High School Football Head Coach Doug Smith was selected as one of two winners of the U.S. Cellular 2016 Most Valuable Coach award. Voting concluded on Friday.

Smith and Allan Trimble of Jenks High School in Oklahoma were picked out of nearly 1,500 nominations for the honor, which will be presented at halftime of the Jan. 1, 2017, Under Armour All-America Game, a high school senior all-star game aired live on ESPN from Orlando, Fla. Smith and Trimble will also receive $5,000 to support Appomattox County and Jenks high schools.

“A good coach brings a team together,” according to a statement on U.S. Cellular’s Most Valuable Coach website promoting the contest. “A great coach brings a community together. Here’s to the coaches who lead by example, strengthen their teams, and connect their communities.”

Smith, who guided the Raiders to their first Virginia 2A West state championship last December, rallied his team and the Appomattox community behind the motto of “Power of One,” which emphasizes unity and an element of faith.

“As a coach, even early on, I knew that coaching wasn’t just about football,” Smith said on a video profile on TheMostValuableCoach.com website. “It was a lot more about ministry and helping others and helping kids to realize how what they can learn through football can help them in life.”

Read more about Coach Smith in the summer edition of the Liberty Journal, where he was featured as one of the magazine’s “Champions for Christ.”

 



Liberty alumnus among finalists for Most Valuable Coach award

11/2/2016

Former Liberty University wide receiver Doug Smith (’86), now in his fifth season as head football coach at nearby Appomattox County High School, is one of 15 finalists for U.S. Cellular’s 2016 Most Valuable Coach.

He was one of nearly 1,500 high school coaches nominated and was selected in October as one of the “Top 50,” based on a panel’s assessment of his positive impact on the community, players, or individuals, as well as his leadership qualities. Then he advanced to the final 15 in online voting, earning Appomattox High a $1,000 prize. People can vote once per day through Nov. 18 by visiting themostvaluablecoach.com.

Two grand-prize winners will be announced on Nov. 21. The winning coaches will receive round-trip travel to Orlando, Fla., where they will be honored at the Under Armour All-America Game, a high school senior all-star football contest aired live on ESPN on Jan. 1, 2017. The schools of the winning coaches will receive additional $5,000 checks.

The nomination cited Smith as a source of inspiration for the Appomattox community when it needed it most: “In the midst of shootings, suicides, fatal car wrecks, and even a tornado, he gave the community hope. Coach Smith encourages, promotes, and helps his students to always succeed, no matter the odds.”

Smith enlisted his players to help with cleanup from the aftermath of an EF-3 tornado that swept through the neighboring community of Evergreen on Feb. 24, damaging more than 200 homes.

Smith led the Raiders to their first Virginia High School League (VHSL) Class 2A state championship in an undefeated season last year. The team is off to a 9-0 start this fall and has the longest active winning streak (24 games) of any school in the VHSL.

Smith also served for several years as an assistant and head football coach at Heritage High School in Lynchburg.

Read more about Smith’s story in the Liberty Journal.

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