Shenendehowa coach Brent Steuerwald was recently named the recipient of Gatorade’s National Power of Influence Award. He will receive the award at the upcoming AFCA Coaches Convention in Dallas, Texas.

“This is the highest honor of my entire career,” Steuerwald said. “This is the biggest thing I could possibly acheive. I am unbelievably honored.”

The Power of Influence Award recognizes one high school football coach for how he has influenced his coaches, players, community and beyond. There are more than 30,000 high school football coaches in the nation. There can be one coach nominated for the award from every state. If a coach is nominated twice, he can not be nominated again for two years.

 The New York State Football Coaches Association nominated Steuerwald three times, in 2006, 2007 and 2009. In 2007 Steuerwald was named as a finalist for the award.
Steuerwald is just the 9th coach to win the award... a list that includes John McKissick, the South Carolina coach who, with more than 500 wins, has more victories than any other football coach at any level.

Steuerwald, the only football coach that Shenendehowa High School (Section 2) has ever had, is in his 53rd season of coaching this fall. In 2009, Steuerwald reached a milestone that only two other New York State coaches have reached when he won his 300th game. Steuerwald is now 3rd on the state’s all-time victory list, trailing just Howie Vogts (Bethpage, 364) and Vin O’Connor (St. Francis in NYC, 319).

There are just 87 high school football coaches that have acheived 300 wins. Among those coaches, Steuerwald is 37th in winning percentage. “I am eternally grateful and appreciative of whatever I have done for football on the state, national and international level,” Steuerwald said. “I am thrilled and absolutely humbled by this. It is a validation that everything I have ever done has been worthwile and important and contributes to the entire prospect of what it means to be a high school football coach. I am thrilled, excited and truly humbled by this.