Riverdale's Coffman earns another national coach of the year award

Riverdale girls basketball coach Randy Coffman has hauled in another major honor.

Coffman was recently named Girls Basketball Coach of the Year by the National High School Coaches Association.

He had already been named Naismith High School Girls Coach of the Year.

"Again, when somebody thinks favorably of you, it's nice," said Coffman. "But it's not why we get in it. We want the kids to get better and see them succeed.

"It's a really humbling experience. I got a call (from NHSCA) and very nice plaque in the mail."

Coffman led Riverdale to a 34-0 record and Class AAA state championship — the team's second title in a row — during the 2016-17 season.

The Lady Warriors finished ranked No. 1 nationally by both USA Today and MaxPreps.

Riverdale is currently riding a 42-game winning streak dating back to the 2015-16 season.

Coffman has won state titles in each of his first two seasons at Riverdale, going 66-4 during that span. The former Dyersburg High coach is 433-164 overall.

The veteran coach is the second from Murfreesboro to be named NHSCA Coach of the Year. Former Blackman coach Chad Hibdon garnered the award in 2015.

Riverdale returns eight of its top nine players from the 2016-17 squad. The one loss is highly decorated standout Anastasia Hayes, who is now a freshman at Tennessee.

Coffman was named Coach of the Year at the Daily News Journal All-Sports Awards as well as earning the same honor at The Tennessean All-Sports Awards.

Recent winners of the award include:

2016 – Antwain Scales, Wichita South Kansas

2015 – Chad Hibdon, Blackman, Tennessee

2014 – Mike Kopp, Allentown Central Catholic, Pennsylvania

2013 – Miner Webster, Highland, Arizona

2012 – David Schlabach – Hiland, Ohio

2011 – Kevin Kiernan – Mater Dei, California

2010 – Cathy Self-Morgan – Duncanville – Texas

2009 – Brian Harrigan – Sacred Heart Cathedral, California

2008 – Dorothy Gaters – John Marshall, Illinois

2007 – Leta Andrews – Granbury, Texas

2006 – Bob Mackey – Christ the King, New York

2005 – Brad Smith – Oregon City, Oregon

2004 – Ed Grezinsky – Murry Bergtraum, New York

Reach Cecil Joyce at cjoyce@dnj.com or 615-278-5168 and on Twitter @Cecil_Joyce.