Mike St. Clair, head coach of the West Chester Rustin High School football team, has been selected as the Philadelphia Eagles' nominee for the 2022 Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year Award. Representing the best at the high school level, St. Clair was nominated for the national award, named after the winningest coach in NFL history for his character and integrity, devotion to serving the community, commitment to player health and safety, and on-field success.
Coach St. Clair began his career as head coach in 2006 when West Chester Rustin High School first opened. In 17 seasons, St. Clair has compiled a record of 143-52 (.733 winning percentage) and coached his team to play in four District 1 titles, capturing his first District 1 title in 2008. Recognized as this year's Eagles Coach of the Year presented by Hyundai, St. Clair was also selected as the 2008 District 1 Coach of the Year, the 2008 Philadelphia Inquirer Coach of the Year, and the Chester County Daily Local Coach of the Year in 2008 and 2021. In addition to serving as head football coach, St. Clair was Rustin's head girls' lacrosse coach from 2014-21 and is entering his 17th year as Rustin's 9th grade boys' basketball coach.
"Over the past 17 years, Coach St. Clair's dedication to high school football has greatly impacted the lives of his players, their families, and the Chester County community," said Daniel Levy, Manager of Youth Football & Community Relations, Philadelphia Eagles. "His ability to get the very best out of his players, both on and off the field, has played an instrumental role in their academic and athletic achievements in college and beyond. He is a true representative of our community, and his leadership skills exemplify everything that this award stands for. On behalf of the Eagles, I want to congratulate Coach St. Clair on being nominated for this distinguished honor."
In addition to running a successful football program, Coach St. Clair is an integral member of the community around him, with his teams being key contributors to the Delaware Valley Children's Charity Christmas drive. Coach St. Clair and his family also organized a Mother's Day walk and breakfast for Unite for Her, a breast cancer support group, and is currently entering his 25th year as a volunteer coach for the Chester Country all-star football game, supporting Chester County Special Olympics.
Coach St. Clair remains committed to pushing his students to succeed beyond just high school football. In addition to coaching, St. Clair has served as a social studies teacher in the West Chester Area School District for 30 years. As a teacher, he was instrumental in creating an elective, Intro to the Stock Market, which has provided students with the opportunities to pursue careers in banking and finance, as well as experience key guest speakers from local firms. Throughout his coaching and teaching time in the West Chester Area School District, St. Clair's players have earned spots on numerous Division-I college teams, including Duke, Virginia, Villanova, Delaware, Lehigh, Maine, Princeton, Carnegie Mellon, among many others. Many players have also been in NFL camps, such as Anthony Nash (Duke) Denver Broncos, Lee Kurfis (Lehigh) Dallas Cowboys, and Rondell White (West Chester University) Philadelphia Eagles. St. Clair also taught and coached QB Matt Schaub (University of Virginia) of the Houston Texans.
"I'm just really proud that we were able to come to a new school, establish a winning tradition, and just have great kids come through the system that have done outstanding things, in college and then into professional careers," said St. Clair.
Five finalists will be chosen from the NFC and AFC, with a winner coming out of each conference. Each winner will receive $15,000 for their high school football program and a $10,000 personal award. The remaining 30 finalists will receive a $1,000 personal award.
Additionally, the Eagles will provide West Chester Rustin High School with $5,500 in recognition of Coach St. Clair's nomination.
The Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year Award winners will receive an all-expenses paid trip to The Pro Bowl Games, an on-field recognition, and two tickets to the Super Bowl LVII. The winner will be announced during the 2023 Pro Bowl, airing nationally on Sunday, February 5 at 3:00 PM ET on ESPN and simulcast on ABC.
