Sacred Heart-Griffin football coach wins USA TODAY national coaching honor
His whistle may have finally started to collect dust, but Ken Leonard continues to pick up awards.
The retired Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin football coach on Sunday was named the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards National Boys Team Coach of the Year.
Leonard, the winningest football coach in Illinois history, guided the Cyclones to a 44-20 win over New Lenox Providence Catholic last year to collect his sixth state championship.
“I’ve been blessed,” Leonard said. “I’m from Chenoa, Illinois. My dad just taught me, ‘Whatever you do, be the best you can be.”
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The State Journal-Register in Springfield named Leonard its Coach of the Year for 2022-23. In December, Leonard won the Chicago Bears High School Coach of the Year Award.
“I’ve been blessed to be around great people and great players and great coaches who have been on my staff with me,” Leonard said. “I am truly blessed. I’ve stuck with it, I’ve done it my way; God had a plan and here I am.”
Leonard retired in November after 43 seasons. He coached El Paso-Gridley from 1980-83 then was hired at Griffin High for the 1984 season. In his 500 games, Leonard went 419-81 and is the only coach in the state with at least 400 wins. He passed Chicago Mount Carmel’s Frank Lenti for the most wins in Illinois history in 2018.
“I know what’s important and that’s my faith,” Leonard said. “I can appreciate what seems to be really important and that’s football. My family and my faith, that’s what’s important. When I found that out, life got a whole lot better.”
Contact Ryan Mahan: 788-1546, ryan.mahan@sj-r.com, Twitter.com/RyanMahanSJR.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Ken Leonard wins USA TODAY High School National Coach of the Year
