Hilliard Bradley coach Brett Norris voted boys Coach of the Year by Dispatch readers

Hilliard Bradley basketball coach Brett Norris was selected by Dispatch.com readers as the high school boys Coach of the Year for 2025-26.

Norris, in his 12th year with the team, led the Jaguars (25-3) to their first Division I state tournament and a runner-up finish. Ten wins shy of 500 wins for his career, Norris also coached Delphos St. John’s to the 2002 Division IV state championship.

Norris received 53.3% of the vote and was followed by Big Walnut track and field coach Ryan Borland, who received 32.3%.

<

Also nominated were New Albany baseball coach Mike Sandman, Watterson football coach Brian Kennedy, Olentangy Orange football coach Wes Schroeder, Whetstone soccer coach Noah Creagh, St. Charles swimming and diving coach Kyle Goodrich, and Dublin Jerome golf coach Brad Sparling.

Borland, the runner-up, saw his sixth season with the Golden Eagles culminate in the program’s first state championship. Wins from Ohio State football commit Jamier Brown in the 100- and 200-meters, Chase Bergsten in the 110 hurdles and the 400 relay provided almost all of the team’s 41 points, good for a first-place tie with New Philadelphia.

Sandman’s fourth and final season with the Eagles culminated in the Division II state championship, the program’s first since winning Division I in 2021. Sandman went 80-38 at New Albany, including 26-7 this year, on the heels of stints at Johnstown and Utica. Sandman resigned in mid-June to become dean of students at Utica Middle School.

<1 / 53

<2 / 53

<3 / 53

<4 / 53

<5 / 53

<6 / 53

<7 / 53

<8 / 53

<9 / 53

<10 / 53

<11 / 53

<12 / 53

<13 / 53

<14 / 53

<15 / 53

<16 / 53

<17 / 53

<18 / 53

<19 / 53

<20 / 53

<21 / 53

<22 / 53

<23 / 53

<24 / 53

<25 / 53

<26 / 53

<27 / 53

<28 / 53

<29 / 53

<30 / 53

<31 / 53

<32 / 53

<33 / 53

<34 / 53

<35 / 53

<36 / 53

<37 / 53

<38 / 53

<39 / 53

<40 / 53

<41 / 53

<42 / 53

<43 / 53

<44 / 53

<45 / 53

<46 / 53

<47 / 53

<48 / 53

<49 / 53

<50 / 53

<51 / 53

<52 / 53

<53 / 53

Kennedy has led his alma mater to unprecedented heights, namely a 30-game winning streak and consecutive Division III state championships. The 1992 graduate played collegiately at Southern Methodist and has coached in the Eagles program for 23 seasons, going 79-30 since taking the top job in 2017.

Schroeder’s helped Orange win the program’s first state championship in just his second season at the helm. The Pioneers went 15-0, defeating Cincinnati St. Xavier 28-14 in the Division I final. Schroeder is 24-3 at Orange with a 76-18 career record including earlier stints at Harrod Allen East and Granville.

Creagh has led a resurgence at his alma mater, guiding the Braves to their first district championship last fall. He is 49-24-9 in five seasons and was Division II district and state Coach of the Year in the fall after the Braves became only the second City League team to reach the regional tournament.

<

Goodrich led the Cardinals to a Division I team championship repeat, overseeing four first-place individual or relay swims at state. Goodrich has coached five full seasons in his second stint at his alma mater, also having led the program from 2002-09.

And, like Schroeder, Sparling led the Celtics to the Division I title in just his second season. Led by individual state medalist Brady Barnum, Jerome went undefeated in the OCC-Cardinal (20-0), won sectional and district and edged St. Charles by two shots at state.