DENVER —The Denver Broncos named Manny Wasinger of Monte Vista High School as their NFL High School Coach of the Week presented by the Colorado National Guard.
The Monte Vista Pirates opened league play Friday with a 20-6 win over Center High School. Jacob Vance finished the night with 132 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
The win was No. 201 for Wasinger, who returned to high school football in 2013 after serving as offensive coordinator and assistant head coach at Adams State University from 2008-12.
"Almost to the day I was at Adams State, I knew I missed coaching high school kids," Wasinger said. "You have more of an impact on their lives."
Wasinger, 54, is a Denver native who graduated from Arvada High School in 1978 where he was an all-state wide receiver as a senior. He went on to play at Adams State and garnered all-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference honors as a senior and graduated in 1982 with a degree in business education. Wasinger also earned his master's in physical education at Adams State in 1993 and currently teaches physical education at Monte Vista.
His coaching resume dates back to 1983 when he was an assistant coach at Alamosa for two seasons and then head coach from 1985-2007 before being hired by his alma mater, Adams State in 2008. He racked up an impressive 190 career wins and two state championships (2001, '06) during his 23 seasons as head coach at Alamosa. Wasinger was named the Denver Broncos High School Coach of the Year in 2001.
The Denver Broncos will recognize 10 High School Coach of the Week honorees during the regular season, as well as a Coach of the Year at the end of the season. The program is presented by the Colorado National Guard with a selection committee led by The Denver Post's Neil Devlin. The committee also includes Broncos Ring of Fame defensive back Billy Thompson and 850 KOA's Andy Lindahl.
Each weekly winner will receive a $2,000 donation made possible by the NFL Foundation and the Colorado National Guard to be used by the school's football program. Additionally, the Coach of the Year will be honored and presented with a $4,000 donation to the respective school's football program during the Broncos' home game on Dec. 28 against the Oakland Raiders.
