Oklahoma Names 23 2025-26 Coaches of the Year
The Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association recognized coaches across sports, with five honorees from Green Country.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in People
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The Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association named 23 coaches as 2025-26 Oklahoma Coaches of the Year. Each named coach will be considered for National Federation of State High School Associations Sectional and National Coach of the Year honors.
Why it matters
The recognition highlights coaching excellence across Oklahoma's high school athletics programs, including five honorees from the Green Country region. Being named also makes each coach eligible for consideration at the sectional and national levels.
The OSSAA named 23 coaches statewide for the 2025-26 season, and five of them are from Green Country. The source does not say how many of these honorees will advance to National Federation sectional or national consideration.
The players
Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association
The OSSAA is the state body that governs high school athletic and activity competition in Oklahoma and administers its coach recognition awards.
National Federation of State High School Associations
The National Federation of State High School Associations is a national organization that sets rules and standards for high school sports and activities across U.S. states and runs national coach honors.
The details
The Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association chooses coaches for the award each year, naming them by sport with separate boys' and girls' lists. Jerry Ricke of Lincoln Christian was named Coach of the Year in 11-player football, and Rae Burdett of Crossings Christian was named Coach of the Year in spirit.
Timeline
2025-26: Season for which the coaches are recognized.
Nov. 13, 2026: The OSSAA announced the 23 Oklahoma Coaches of the Year.
Career Pipeline
Oklahoma's state recognition feeds directly into the National Federation of State High School Associations Coach of the Year program, which evaluates honorees for sectional and national awards. Each of the 23 named coaches is therefore positioned for consideration beyond the state level.
Families and fans following Oklahoma high school sports can now identify honored coaches in their own programs and regions. The recognition also signals which programs have coaches under consideration for national-level honors.
The takeaway
Recognition like this shows how state associations spotlight coaching work that often goes unseen outside school communities. Readers following a local program can check whether its coach is among the named honorees.
Further reading
Explore more profiles of notable figures in the People section for additional context on leaders shaping Oklahoma's business and public life.
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