The Buffalo Bills and ADPRO Sports are proud to once again partner to recognize some of the best coaches that Western New York has to offer through the 2022 High School Football Coach of the Week Program.
The Bills and ADPRO Sports will be awarding varsity head tackle football coaches with the Coach of the Week Award to highlight not only their team's achievements on the field but also some of the work they are doing off the field in their communities. We will announce winners from the Buffalo and Rochester Regions over the course of 11 weeks, with both region's Coach of the Year being named during the Buffalo Bills vs New England Patriots game in January of 2023 at Highmark Stadium.
Each Coach of the Week winner will receive an $1,000 grant from the Buffalo Bills and ADPRO Sports. The respective Coach of the Year winners will also receive an additional $1,000 for their programs. Winners will be selected by a panel of local high school football experts.
Buffalo Region Coach of the Week # 2
Sweet Home coach Jeremy Zimmer has been named the week two Buffalo Region Coach of the Week after he led the Panthers to a 49-15 win over North Tonawanda this weekend. Coach Zimmer is returning to the sideline in 2022 after a medical incident forced him to miss part of the 2021 season.
The Panthers trailed 7-6 after the first quarter but exploded for 28 points in the second quarter to pull away early. Coach Zimmer and the Panthers are currently 2-0 this season.
Coach Zimmer has been coaching football at Sweet Home for 25 seasons, spending time at the modified, freshman, JV, and varsity levels. He was part of a staff that won NYS championships in 2008 and 2009, and state runner-up in 2012.
Coach Zimmer was named the varsity head coach in 2018 and started with a squad of just 18 players. The Panthers finished 0-8 that season. He quickly set about rebuilding the program again and the following year, Sweet Home finished 4-4 and 3-2 in the 2020 Covid season. Last year, the Panthers finished 6-3 and lost in the Class A playoffs.
Coach Zimmer has the players in his football program involved in several community programs, including a large flag football league for the district's elementary students.
As varsity head coach, Coach Zimmer volunteers his time with the program all year. Starting in May, he started meeting with his team four times a week. In preparation for the season, the team was in the weight room three times a week, participated in 7 v 7 tournaments in Buffalo and Rochester, and partakes in camps with Clarence and Ken West.
Aside from coaching, Coach Zimmer is entering his 25th year as a teacher in the Sweet Home School district.
Rochester Region Coach of the Week # 2
Bolivar-Richburg coach Steve Smith has been named the week two Rochester Region Coach of the Week after the Wolverines defeated Wellsville 42-24 this past weekend and Red Jacket, who has gone undefeated the past two seasons, in week one. The Wolverines are 2-0 on the season and this is the program's first year participating in 8-man football in Section V.
The Wolverines went up 36-0 over the Lions in the first half and while the Lions started to fight back in the second half by putting up 24 points, it wasn't enough to surpass the Wolverines.
Coach Smith is in his eighth season as the varsity head coach of the Wolverines but has spent over 25 years coaching football at Bolivar-Richburg. He also serves on the Section V Football Committee. Off the field, Coach Smith teaches sixth grade world history and science, and has taught at the school for 33 years.
During the summer, a number of Wolverine players volunteer as assistant coaches with Bolivar-Richburg Youth Football.
In the Wolverines football program, Coach Smith focuses on limiting contact throughout the week during practice to prevent injuries, while also employing and teaching safe tackling techniques to his players to prepare them for gameplay.
In 2021, the team was recognized with the New York State Scholar Athlete award.
