The weekly recipients of the Coach of the Week Award  receive a $500 donation to their football program from NFL Charities through the Buffalo Bills Youth Foundation.  The winning coach also receives tee-shirts for all of his players and coaches and a framed certificate signed by Bills' president/GM Tom Donahoe, head coach Gregg Williams and NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue.  The Coach of the Year will receive an additional $1,000 donation to his program from NFL Charities. 

The Bills will honor all eleven weekly winners at the Coach of the Year ceremony prior to their home game against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, December 9 at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

    Listed below are the weekly winners for 2001:

WEEK 1: Jerry Smith, St. Francis High School

WEEK 2: Bill Baker, Springville Griffith Institute High School

WEEK 3: Len Jankiewicz, Lancaster High School

WEEK 4: Adam Stoltman, Alden High School

WEEK 5: Joe Bremer ,St. Mary's High School

WEEK 6: Dick Diminuco, Albion High School

WEEK 7: Howard McMullin, Clymer High School

WEEK 8: Dan McGrath, Depew High School

WEEK 9: Frank Payne, Iroquois High School

WEEK 10: Gene Tundo, Orchard Park High School

WEEK 11: Ron Pugh, Burgard High School

Coach of the Year: Howard McMullin, Clymer High School

Howard McMullin, veteran head football coach at Clymer High school, is the winner of the Buffalo Bills Coach of the Year Award for 2001, which recognizes outstanding high school football coaching performances throughout Western New York. McMullin's club finished the season with a  11-1 record and captured the Class D, Section VI Championship for the third straight year.  

 Each week during the 11-week high school football season a head coach was selected by a committee appointed by the Bills.  The honorees received a framed certificate signed by Bills coach Gregg Williams, president/general manager Tom Donahoe and NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, plus special tee shirts with the club logo for all of the team's coaches and players. Each week the winner was honored on Coach Gregg Williams' weekly television show on FOX 29 in Buffalo (Sunday morning at 11:30 a.m.) as well as the Bills' internet website (www.buffalobills.com).  McMullin will also be honored at the Monday Quarterback Club's luncheon meeting on Monday, December 10 at the HSBC Arena's Harbour Club Restaurant.

            Ron Pugh, head football coach of Buffalo's Burgard High School, has been named the Buffalo Bills' high school football "Coach of the Week" for the eleventh and final weekend of the 2001 season (Nov. 16-17).  The Burgard Bulldogs (10-0) defeated Seneca High, 14-6 last Saturday in the Harvard Cup semi-final playoff game at All High Stadium. The Bulldogs won the right to advance to the Harvard Cup Championship game against Hutch-Tech (8-2) on Thanksgiving morning.

Pugh is the first Harvard Cup coach to win the weekly award this season.  By winning the award he becomes eligible for the Buffalo Bills "Coach of the Year" Award which will be presented to one of the weekly winners at the Bills-Carolina game at Ralph Wilson Stadium on Sunday, December 9, 2001.

             Gene Tundo, head football coach of Orchard Park High School, has been named the Buffalo Bills' high school football "Coach of the Week" for the tenth weekend of the 2001 season (Nov. 9-10)  Tundo's club dominated top-ranked large school Lancaster,

30-6 last Saturday in the Section VI Class AA  playoff final at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The Quakers (9-1) won the right to advance in the NY State Class AA Far West Regional playoffs next week in Rochester against Webster (9-1).

Tundo is the third coach to win the weekly award three or more times since its inception in 1997.  He also won the weekly award in 1997 and 1999.  By winning the award he becomes eligible for the Buffalo Bills "Coach of the Year" Award which will be presented to one of the weekly winners at the Bills-Carolina game at Ralph Wilson Stadium on Sunday, December 9, 2001.

            Frank Payne, head football coach of Iroquois High School has been named the Buffalo Bills' high school football "Coach of the Week" for the ninth weekend of the 2001 season (Nov. 2-3).  Payne's club earned a hard-fought 14-3 victory last Saturday  over Grand Island in a Class A semi-final playoff clash. The Chiefs jumped out to a 7-0 lead on the first play of the game and their defense held the Vikings to one field goal to earn the victory and a trip to Ralph Wilson Stadium next week for the Section VI championship game against Pioneer. This is the second year in a row that Payne has earned the weekly award since its inception in 1997.  By winning the award he becomes eligible for the Buffalo Bills "Coach of the Year" Award which will be presented at the Bills-Carolina game at Ralph Wilson Stadium on Sunday, December 9, 2001.

            Dan McGrath, head football coach of Depew High School has been named the Buffalo Bills' high school football "Coach of the Week" for the eighth weekend of the 2001 season (Oct. 26-27).  McGrath's club recorded a stunning 21-20 victory last Friday night over arch-rival Lancaster in a non-league clash. The Wildcats jumped out to a 14-0 lead early in the game, but dropped behind 20-14 in the second half and rallied for a touchdown and extra point to defeat the Redskins for the first time since 1992.  The defeat broke Lancaster's unbeaten streak and dropped their record to 7-1.  Depew also has a 7-1 mark and is headed to the Class B playoffs this weekend.  Lancaster will also advance to the Class AA playoffs this weekend. This is the second year in a row that McGrath has earned the weekly award since its inception in 1997.  By winning the award he becomes eligible for the Buffalo Bills "Coach of the Year" Award which will be presented at the Bills-Carolina game at Ralph Wilson Stadium on Sunday, December 9, 2001.

            Howard McMullin, head football coach of Clymer High School has been named the Buffalo Bills' high school football "Coach of the Week" for the seventh weekend of the 2001 season (Oct. 19-20).  McMullin led his club to their seventh consecutive victory last Saturday and a number 1 rating in the New York State Class D division. The Pirates posted a 30-0 victory over rival Maple Grove for their sixth consecutive shutout to improve their record in Class D play to 6-0.  They are the two-time defending Class D champions in Section VI football and are heading for their third straight year in the playoffs. This is the first time that McMullin has earned the weekly award since its inception in 1997.  By winning the award he becomes eligible for the Buffalo Bills "Coach of the Year" Award which will be presented at the Bills-Carolina game at Ralph Wilson Stadium on Sunday, December 9, 2001.

             Dick Diminuco,  head coach of Albion has been named the Buffalo Bills' high school football "Coach of the Week" for the sixth weekend of the 2001 season (Oct. 12-13).  Diminuco led his club to a 14-6 victory over rival Cheektowaga in Class B North play last Friday night.  The Purple Eagles posted a 14-0 halftime lead and held on for their sixth straight victory.  The loss dropped Cheektowaga to 5-1 on the season.  This is the second time that Diminuco has earned the weekly award since its inception in 1997.  He was honored in Week 5 of the 2000 season.  By winning the award he becomes eligible for the Buffalo Bills "Coach of the Year" Award which will be presented at the Bills-Carolina game at Ralph Wilson Stadium on Sunday, December 9, 2001.

            Joe Bremer,  head coach of St. Mary's of Lancaster has been named the Buffalo Bills' high school football "Coach of the Week" for the fifth weekend of the 2001 season (Oct. 5-6).  Bremer led his club to a last-minute 15-14 victory over St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute in Monsignor Martin Conference play last Saturday.  The Lancers (3-2) overcame a 14-0 halftime deficit to hand St. Joe's their fifth straight loss, earning St. Mary's their first victory in the long series between the schools.  Bremer is the first St. Mary's head coach to earn the weekly award since its inception in 1997.  By winning the award he becomes eligible for the Buffalo Bills "Coach of the Year" Award which will be presented at the Bills-Carolina game at Ralph Wilson Stadium on Sunday, December 9, 2001.

ALDEN HIGH SCHOOL'S ADAM STOLTMAN NAMED BILLS’ HIGH SCHOOL

"COACH OF THE WEEK" FOR WEEK FOUR

Alden head coach Adam Stoltman has been named the Buffalo Bills' high school football "Coach of the Week" for the fourth weekend of the 2001 season (Sept. 28-29).  Stoltman led his club to a 14-8 victory over Springville in Class B North conference play last Friday night.  The Bulldogs handed Springville its first loss and improved their record to 3-1.

Stoltman is the first Alden head coach to earn the weekly award since its inception in 1997.  By winning the award he becomes eligible for the Buffalo Bills "Coach of the Year" Award which will be presented at the Bills-Carolina game at Ralph Wilson Stadium on Sunday, December 9, 2001.

LANCASTER’S LEN JANKIEWICZ NAMED BILLS’ HIGH SCHOOL

"COACH OF THE WEEK" FOR WEEK THREE

For Release: Immediately Contact: Denny Lynch (648-0316) Date: Sept. 24, 2001

Lancaster HS head coach Len Jankiewicz has been named the Buffalo Bills’ high school football "Coach of the Week" for the third weekend of the 2001 season (Sept. 21-22). Jankiewicz led his club to a last-second 17-14 victory over Orchard Park in Class AA South conference play last Friday night. Lancaster, the No. 1 ranked Class AA team in the state, survived the challenge of the Quakers by kicking a 27-yard field goal with six seconds left in a hard-fought game between fierce rivals.

This is the second time that Len Jankiewicz has been selected as "Coach of the Week" since its inception in 1997. He won the award in Week 9 of 1999 and was a finalist for the 1999 "Coach of the Year" honors. By winning the award he becomes eligible for the Buffalo Bills "Coach of the Year" Award which will be presented at the Bills-Carolina game at Ralph Wilson Stadium on Sunday, December 9, 2001.

            Springville Griffith Institute's head coach Bill Baker has been named the Buffalo Bills' high school football "Coach of the Week" for the second weekend of the 2001 season (Sept. 14-15).  Baker led his club to a 20-0 victory over Lackawanna in Class B South conference play last Friday night.  Springville improved its record to 2-0 and broke Lackawanna's 40-game winning streak against Western New York teams dating back to 1997. 

            Bill Baker is the first Springville head coach to earn the weekly award since its inception in 1998.  By winning the award he becomes eligible for the Buffalo Bills "Coach of the Year" Award which will be presented at the Bills-Carolina game at Ralph Wilson Stadium on Sunday, December 9, 2001.