The Buffalo Bills, in partnership with Visa, have announced the Week 1 High School Tackle Football Coaches of the Week for 2026. This week's recipients are Buffalo Region Coach of the Week Michael Cieslik (Orchard Park) and Rochester Coach of the Week Steve Marriott (Pittsford).
Aimed at highlighting tackle football coaches' efforts on and off the field, coaches from both the Buffalo and Rochester regions will be recognized over the course of the next 11 weeks for their team's excellence on the field and their service to their communities.
As part of the program, each winning coach's football program will receive $1,000 from the Buffalo Bills and Visa, and each region's Coach of the Year will receive an additional $1,000 and be celebrated on the field at Highmark Stadium prior to the Bills vs. Jets game in January.
Check back each week for updates on the Buffalo and Rochester Coach of the Week winners, and good luck to all the teams in our community on their upcoming seasons!
Buffalo Region Coach of the Week
Orchard Park head coach Michael Cieslik was named the Buffalo region Coach of the Week for the week ending Sunday, September 27, after leading the Quakers to a 26-23 win over previously unbeaten West Seneca West in a critical division matchup. Orchard Park trailed 20-0 before turning the game around. With the victory, the Quakers improved to 4-0.
"Our staff has been around a lot of football games," said Cieslik, who is in his fifth season as the varsity head coach with the Quakers. "West made some big plays early on, but we found a way to get back into it."
Orchard Park senior quarterback Zack Danna, who will play Division I college lacrosse at Hobart, led the offensive attack for the Quakers, including a 58-yard scoring strike to senior Jayden Hassett that helped spark the comeback.
"I never won a varsity football game until I got to Orchard Park," Cieslik said. "The culture here is so strong. There's an expectation that you win. Everyone works hard because you are expected to win."
Cieslik, who teaches 6th grade Math and Science in Orchard Park, and his wife, Jennifer, have two adult children.
Rochester Region Coach of the Week
Pittsford head coach Steve Marriott was named the Rochester region Coach of the Week for the week ending Sunday, September 27, after guiding the Panthers to a 36-13 win over Penfield in a rematch of the 2025 Section V title game, which Penfield won. With the victory, the Panthers improve to 3-1 on the young season.
Senior quarterback Brody Pusateri, who also plays basketball and lacrosse, connected on 13 of 20 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 50 yards and two more scores. In addition, senior wide receiver Dayshawn Preston added 107 receiving yards.
Marriott is in his third season as head coach at Pittsford. He was hired to the junior varsity staff 15 years ago and later worked as the defensive coordinator under Keith Molonich. Marriott played high school football at Fairport and graduated in 2002. He was named All-Greater Rochester as a senior. He then played at Brockport State under Rocco Salomone and was named all-conference defensive tackle and a Don Hanson Football Gazette All-American as a senior. After graduating, he was an assistant on Salomone's staff for two seasons.
"My coaching philosophy is centered around building relationships and helping young men grow both on and off the field," said Marriott. "We want to create a program where kids are held accountable, learn to compete, put the team before themselves, and understand that the habits they develop through football-commitment, ownership, discipline and effort will serve them long after they're done playing."
Marriott teaches physical education at Mendon High School.
2026 COTW Winners
Week 1: Mark Benton (Springville-Griffith Institute), Mike Humphrey (Le Roy/Cal-Mum)
Week 2: Nate Armella (Randolph), Dennis Pynn (Churchville-Chili)
Week 3: Jay Baumann (Starpoint), Ryan Kramer (Geneseo-Mt. Morris)
Week 4: Michael Cieslik (Orchard Park), Steve Marriott (Pittsford)
