Chicago Bears nominate Sacred Heart-Griffin’s Ken Leonard for NFL’s Don Shula High School Coach of the Year award

The Chicago Bears announced their nomination of Sacred Heart-Griffin coach Ken Leonard for the Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year award on Thursday.

This is the second time Leonard earned the nomination after being nominated in 2018. The Bears will make a $2,000 donation to the Cyclone football program.

”It’s been a fun ride,” Leonard said in a video interview with Bears head coach Matt Eberflus. “I tell people that I haven’t worked a day in my life, it’s something you love. I’ve been blessed.”

Leonard earned the nomination after capping a 43-year coaching career by winning the Class 4A state title this fall. He finished his career as the winningest coach in IHSA history (419-81) and won six state championships and appeared in four more title games.

The award was founded in 2010 by the NFL Foundation and is awarded annually to a high school coach that displays “the integrity, achievement and leadership exemplified by the winningest coach in NFL history, Don Shula.” Each of the NFL’s 32 teams send in nominations and a winner will be announced in January, earning grant prizes over $25,000 for personal and football program use.

“I want to say congratulations on a wonderful career, for what you’ve done, not only for the kids you’ve touched but also the life of all the kids after that,” Eberflus told Leonard.

During the IHSA football season, the Bears recognized a total of nine coaches as High School “Coach of the Week” and nine players as “High School All-Star.” All winners will be honored at halftime of the Bears’ game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday at Soldier Field.