The criteria for being in the running for a coach-of-the-year award can be multi-faceted. Does the award to to the coach of the best team? Does it go to a coach whose team achieved the unexpected? Does it go to a coach who succeeded despite multiple obstacles? Kirtland coach Tiger LaVerde has checked all three of those boxes. For that reason, he has been named the winner of the 2024 Bob Ritley award, which goes to The News-Herald’s football coach of the year. LaVerde was announced as the winner of the Ritley Award during The News-Herald’s Awards Show on Nov. 25 as part of a special edition of the Varsity Chalk Talk Show, hosted by Bill Tilton. The award is named after the legendary football coach from Perry. Members of Ritley’s family were on hand at Hooley Pub & Kitchen on Nov. 25 to present the award to LaVerde. Under LaVerde’s tutelage, the Kirtland Hornets have compiled a 14-0 record heading into this weekend’s Division VI state final four game against Galion Northmor (14-0). Under LaVerde, the Hornets: • Are the only area team still alive for a state championship. • Put a running clock on every team they played this year aside from a 22-21 triple overtime win over Perry in Week 3. • Are the only team in the area who beat a defending state champion (Perry) and a defending state runner-up (Dalton, twice) this season, and; • Did so despite losing arguably their best overall player (quarterback Jake LaVerde) to a broken arm for seven weeks — STILL winning all seven games via a running clock — as well as losing starting cornerback Ryan Caimi (broken collarbone) and starting linebacker Tyler Turk (knee) for multiple games this season. All that being said, the competition for this year’s Bob Ritley Award was challenging. LaVerde won out over two other finalists — Mentor’s Matt Gray and Gilmour’s Tom Kaufman. Gray led Mentor to a 10-0 regular season and the undisputed Greater Cleveland Conference championship. The Cardinals finished 13-1 after losing to St. Edward, 13-7, in the Division I, Region 1 championship game on Nov. 22. Kaufman led Gilmour to a 12-2 season. The 12 wins is a program record. The Lancers lost to Youngstown Ursuline in the Division III, Region 9 championship game, which is the first time Gilmour has advanced that far in postseason play.