TopSports.news' Best of the Best Coaches project rolls into high gear

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

More than 29,000 reader votes have been received since TopSports.news kicked off its Best of the Best Coaches project in late June.

Voting will conclude Friday night before TSN honors Shawnee County's all-time coaching greats in a series of Best of the Best lists.

Current Washburn Rural boys and girls golf coach Jared Goehring has led the Junior Blues to five Class 6A state championships. [File photo/TSN]

Former Hayden and current Rockhurst coach Kathy Strecker won six state cross country team titles with the Wildcats. Hayden Schools]

Derick Hammes has coached Rossville to five state football championships, including the past two straight. [File photo/TSN]

Former Silver Lake coach Loren Ziegler led the Eagles to five girls state basketball titles. [Silver Lake Schools]

More than 240 current and former county coaches have received Best of the Best votes in 14 different sports, including 24 men's basketball coaches and 23 baseball and football coaches.

Ten sports have compiled more than 1,000 reader votes, while four sports have topped the 2,000-vote mark, two have topped 4,000 votes and soccer is the current leader with more than 8,400 votes.

TopSports.news believed it was imperative to give readers the opportunity to vote for their favorite coaches while also trying to make sure that the Best of the Best project was more than a popularity contest. As a result TSN has received input from current and past sports media professionals throughout the project.

Starting on Monday, TSN will begin publishing its Top 10 Best of the Best lists in each sport, based on past performances, honors, championships, etc. and will also recognize the top vote-getters with its Readers Choice Awards based strictly on reader votes.

TopSports.news realizes that lists like these are always going to be open to debate, but the major objective was to recognize as many Shawnee County coaches as possible in as many sports as possible.

It's been a rewarding experience. Enjoy!

Next up: Baseball Top 10 Best of the Best and Readers Choice Awards.