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January 18, 2011
HIGHLANDS
FOOTBALL

HIGHLANDS COACH DALE MUELLER NOMINATED FOR NFL’S SHULA AWARD

Head coach Dale Mueller of Highlands High School in Fort Thomas, Ky., is among 28 football coaches from across the nation who have been named as nominees for the inaugural Don Shula NFL Coach of the Year Award.

The award was created to honor exemplary football coaches at all levels of the sport who display the integrity, achievement, and leadership demonstrated by the winningest coach in NFL history, Don Shula.

The coaches were nominated by NFL teams and by USA Football, the sport’s national governing body on youth and amateur levels. Mueller’s nomination was supported by the Bengals, and a coach from Columbus, Ohio -- Tom Sappington of Hastings Middle School -- was the USA Football nominee.

Mueller is among 16 high school coaches nominated. The list also includes six coaches from the NFL, three from colleges and three from youth football or middle school. Coaches were chosen for “their character and integrity, inspirational leadership, commitment to the community and on-field success.”

The national winner is to be announced during Super Bowl week. The eight-person selection panel includes Don Shula, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, former NFL head coaches Tony Dungy and John Madden, and General Raymond Odierno, commander of the United States Joint Forces Command. The national winner will receive $25,000 in addition to a trip to the Super Bowl.

Mueller, a Fort Thomas native and a Highlands graduate, has had remarkable success at his alma mater. In 17 seasons (1994-2010) as head coach, he has won 10 state championships, with a record of 215-34 (.863 winning percentage).

Although Highlands’ student enrollment is that of a Kentucky Class 3A school, the Bluebirds have accepted the option to play in the Class 5A ranks the past four seasons and have won the state title each year. They were 14-0 in 2010.

Mueller was also the 2008 season winner of the Paul Brown Excellence in Coaching Award. The award is given annually by the Bengals to an outstanding high school football coach in the region.

In addition to his football success at Highlands, Mueller is an accomplished academic instructor, having taught courses that range from entry level algebra to advanced physics. Dale and his wife, Patty, have four children and will celebrate their 33rd wedding anniversary in August.

Asked during the Shula Award nomination process to describe his motivation for coaching, Mueller said:

“I became a teacher because my mom was just a wonderful teacher. She loved her students and worked as hard as she could to help make them successful. I became a football coach because being a teacher presented me that opportunity, and I could see that coaching was a way to have a big positive impact on young men.

“Ultimately, my philosophy is that through football, we can help students develop as men and become the kind of men who can be counted on and be a blessing to their families and their communities.”