The Detroit Lions have named Troy Schelke of Harbor Beach High School, the 2025 Detroit Lions High School Football Coach of the Year, presented by Carhartt. Schelke's Pirates defeated the Hudson Tigers 31-20 to win the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 8 football state championship, the school's 2nd football state championship. The Pirates, from the Big Thumb Conference, Black Division finished their season undefeated at 14-0 and outscored their opponents 546-124 (39 pts./8.9 pts.).
Schelke completed his 37th season of coaching high school football, all at Harbor Beach High School, having spent the last 29 seasons as head coach, compiling a 222-90 (71.2%) record. His Pirates have made the playoffs 20 times including the last nine years in a row, won 12 conference championships, nine district championships, six regional crowns while winning state titles in 2012 & 2025.
Schelke was selected as a Detroit Lions High School Football Coach of the Week during Week 8 of the 2012 season and was named to the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2023. In addition to his head coaching duties, Schelke is a physical education teacher and athletic director at Harbor Beach High School.
Detroit Lions Football Education sat down with Schelke to recap the Division 8 state championship game, discuss what the Harbor Beach community means to him and what his personal reward is from coaching high school football for three plus decades. Schelke was also informed of his 2025 Detroit Lions High School Football Coach of the Year selection on Head Coach Hangout. See his reaction and the entire interview by visiting www.DetroitLions.com/coachoftheyear.
High School Football Coach of the Week/Year Program
Each week throughout the 2025 high school football regular season, one coach that best demonstrates success on the field, develops players' character, discipline, and football skill in addition to emphasizing player health and safety in their program was recognized for their commitment to the team, school, and community. Each Detroit Lions High School Football Coach of the Week during the 2025 regular season received a $1,000 donation to their football program.
Schelke was selected as the 2025 Detroit Lions High School Football Coach of the Year by a panel of high school football media members—Mick McCabe (retired Detroit Free Press writer), Hugh Bernreuter (Saginaw News), Bret Bakita (WOOD Radio-106.9 FM, 96.1 FM- The Game, Fox 17/Grand Rapids), James Cook (Traverse City Record-Eagle) and Scott DeCamp (DeCamp Creative Solutions) and one vote from online voting at DetroitLions.com. He will receive a $3,000 donation to his school's football program and be honored as the Detroit Lions nominee for the prestigious Don Shula NFL High School Football Coach of the Year award.
Concluding its' 29th season, the Detroit Lions High School Coach of the Week/Year program awarded $12,000 in 2025 to aid in the development and promotion of high school football in the state of Michigan, while the overall program has awarded $527,000 to high school programs throughout the state of Michigan during this time.
All-Time Coach of the Year recipients:
1997-John Herrington, Farmington Hills Harrison, 1998-Thomas Mach, Detroit Catholic Central, 1999-Don Durrett, Saginaw, 2000-Herb Brogan, Jackson Lumen Christi, 2001-John Schwartz, Mendon, 2002-Mike Boyd, Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes, 2003-Scot Shaw, Three Rivers, 2004-Noel Dean, Lowell, 2005-Jack Pratt, Flint Powers, 2006-Tony Annese, Muskegon, 2007-Jim Reynolds, Detroit Martin Luther King, 2008-Peter Stuursma, East Grand Rapids, 2009-Rich Hulkow, Marshall, 2010-Chris Bell, Lake Orion, 2011-Thomas Wilcher, Detroit Cass Tech, 2012-Terry Hessbrook, Ithaca, 2013-Kurt Richardson, Clarkston, 2014-Dan Rohn, Grand Rapids West Catholic, 2015-John Shillito, Zeeland West, 2016-Elliot Uzelac, Benton Harbor, 2017-Mike Giannone, Warren De La Salle, 2018-Rick Bailey, Reading, 2019-Jim Ahern, Lansing Catholic, 2020-Rob Zimmerman, DeWitt, 2021-Josh Lucas, Chelsea, 2022-Tyrone Spencer, Detroit Martin Luther King, 2023-Shane Fairfield, Muskegon, 2024-Tom Alward, Goodrich, 2025-Troy Schelke, Harbor Beach.
