Coach Stephen Lian of Brighton High School in Section V (Rochester Region) has been named the Buffalo Bills nominee for the Don Shula NFL High School Football Coach of the Year award.
The award honors high school football coaches that "demonstrate the integrity, achievement and leadership exemplified by the winningest coach in NFL history, Don Shula," according to the NFL Foundation.
Lian and his coaching staff led the Brighton Bruins to a 12-1 record, the most wins in a season in school history. The Bruins also won their first ever Sectional Championship and Far West Regional Championship in school history.
"It's very humbling knowing that there are so few that are nominated each year," Lian said.
While Lian was very humbled and happy to receive the award, he gave the credit to the coaching staff that he worked with this season for being able to find success.
"I've been fortunate to have received some awards, especially this year and over time, but it's definitely a full staff effort," Lian said. "It's really everybody else involved, and no one person more important than the next. So, I really want to give a lot of thanks to my coaching staff."
When Lian won the Section V Championship, he became the first Asian American head coach to win the Section V championship. He said of all of his accomplishments, this meant the most to him.
"It is very meaningful for me," Lian said. "To be able to pave my own way, and then see it culminate and making the accomplishment to be able to do that, it for sure, is special to me. I've got three kids of my own… and for them to be able to see that their dad was able to do this and know where it all started that's been very special."
Lian has built his team around the motto "The Strength of the Pack."
"Everything we do is around how each individual can help the Pack as a whole," Lian said. "In all our endeavors, whether with other winter/spring sports teams, in classrooms, in the community, or on the field, we always put honoring The Pack first and always conduct ourselves in a manner that represents the program and community in a positive way. This the one non-negotiable that all players in the program understand and live by."
Lian also had the opportunity to coach his son and said that it was an awesome experience because football is about family for him. His youngest son was also a waterboy for the team and the moment that they won the championship was a special moment for all of them.
"As a dad, you can't possibly ask for anything more than that," Lian said.
Lian and his team invest their time in the community around Brighton. As he and his team live in the community, he feels that it is important to use the platform that they have as a way to make it a better place.
"Football is this finite period of time that our kids have to participate in it, but we hope that the lessons from football last forever, and so making sure they know that we have this platform… to be able to use that attention and then Springboard it in other ways, beyond just people coming to interview us after a win I think that's really important for our players."
