2023 high school football playoffs: These local coaches were voted the best football minds

USA TODAY Network reporters surveyed local high school football coaches before and during this season about which of their peers they consider "the best football mind."

The coaches who voted work in the Greater Akron-Canton area. They were granted anonymity so they would feel free to explain their selections.

No boundaries were set for the areas from which coaches could consider candidates. Some of them submitted more than one choice.

A total of 44 votes were cast, and 26 coaches received at least one vote.

There are also 10 active coaches who received multiple votes. The Beacon Journal interviewed each of them about their football journeys.

Now, with the regular season wrapped up and the Ohio High School Athletic Association playoffs beginning Friday, it's time to unveil which teams are led by coaches whose counterparts hold them in the highest regard.

The following coaches form the top 10 in our survey results:

Nordonia football coach Jeff Fox

Number of votes received: four

Coaching resume: one season as Maple Heights assistant; seven as assistant at Willoughby South, where he became offensive coordinator; 12th season at Nordonia, where he’s 88-48

What he runs: no-huddle, spread offense; 3-4 base, multiple defense

Playing background: Willoughby South wide receiver and cornerback; Baldwin Wallace safety

Biggest coaching influence: Willoughby South coach Matt Duffy and former Baldwin Wallace coach John Snell

Career aspirations: “I foresee myself being in this role for the foreseeable future. … The stability and the ability to stay in one place and hopefully influence kids in a community for a long period of time is way more attractive than the rat race that could be college coaching.” — Fox

Did you know?: Two active members of the Browns played for Fox — former Nordonia cornerback Denzel Ward and former Willoughby South running back Kareem Hunt

The word from a voter: “Jeff Fox is a genius. I've sat with him many times, and it's almost like you need a recorder. He has so many things going through his head. He can handle it, and I cannot. I've got to go back and write it down.”

2023 playoffs: No. 5 seed Nordonia (8-2) will open at home vs. No. 12 Twinsburg (6-4) in Division II, Region 5, at 7 p.m. Friday

Aurora football coach Bob Mihalik

Number of votes received: four

Coaching resume: 11 seasons as assistant at Lakewood, where he ascended from freshman coach to junior varsity coach to varsity quarterbacks coach and OC; 23rd season at Aurora, where he’s 198-69 and won a Division III state title in 2008

What he runs: multiple on both sides of the ball to fit personnel

Playing background: Eastlake North QB

Biggest coaching influence: Dr. George Mihalik, Bob’s uncle and former Slippery Rock University coach

Career aspirations: “To finish my career here at Aurora High School and retire knowing that we did our best as a staff to not only develop good football players, but also great young men who will be productive members of society in their futures.” — Mihalik

Did you know?: Mihalik tries to model Aurora after his uncle’s old college program. George Mihalik won 197 games at Slippery Rock but, as a full-time college professor his entire career, he also demanded excellence in the classroom

The word from a voter: “He always has his staff the most prepared for Friday night competition. He gets the best out of his young players year in and year out.”

2023 playoffs: No. 3 Aurora (9-1) will open at home vs. No. 14 Alliance (6-4) in Division III, Region 9, at 7 p.m. Friday

Archbishop Hoban football coach Tim Tyrrell

Number of votes received: four

Coaching resume: two seasons as tackles and tight ends coach at Youngstown State; six seasons as head coach at St. Thomas Aquinas; five seasons as HC at Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory in Hollywood, Florida; 11th season at Hoban, where he’s 124-21, including 5-2 in state championship games

What he runs: multi-formational, pro-style offense; 4-2-5, multiple defense

Playing background: Youngstown Ursuline fullback, outside linebacker and QB; Youngstown State TE

Biggest coaching influence: former YSU and Ohio State coach Jim Tressel

Career aspirations: “I never say never about anything [whenever I’m asked if I’ll ever coach in college again], but my wife and kids and I are all happy with Hoban.” — Tyrrell

Did you know?: Tyrrell played and coached under Tressel at Youngstown State, and Tyrrell was a finalist in 2020 for the head coaching job at YSU, which hired Doug Phillips

The word from a voter: “Even if you have athletes, you've got to know how to use them.”

2023 playoffs: No. 1 Hoban (8-1) will open at home vs. No. 16 Ellet (3-7) in Division II, Region 5, at 7 p.m. Friday

Walsh Jesuit football coach Nick Alexander

Number of votes received: three

Coaching resume: two seasons as QB coach at St. Edward; three seasons as co-OC at Mentor; two seasons as pass game coordinator and QB coach at John Carroll University; fifth season at Walsh Jesuit, where he’s 35-18

What he runs: spread offense with shotgun, two-back run game; 3-3 stack and 4-2-5 defense

Playing background: Mayfield QB; Capital University QB

Biggest coaching influence: former John Carroll coach Rick Finotti

Career aspirations: “To coach my kids at Walsh Jesuit one day.” — Alexander, whose two sons are 2 years old and 4 months old

Did you know?: Alexander had Finotti as his freshman coach and later defensive coordinator at Mayfield. As the HC at St. Ed’s, Finotti hired Alexander for his first coaching job. When Finotti left Jim Harbaugh's staff at Michigan to become the HC at John Carroll in 2017, he brought Alexander aboard

The word from a voter: “He is probably one the best quarterback coaches in the area. What those guys run over there is top tier.”

2023 playoffs: No. 2 Walsh (9-1) will open at home vs. No. 15 Firestone (5-5) in Division II, Region 5, at 7 p.m. Friday

Green football coach Mark Geis

Number of votes received: two

Coaching resume: five seasons as assistant at Rootstown, where he was LB coach and special teams coordinator; four seasons at Nordonia, where he was D-line coach and DC; six seasons as HC at Rootstown; one season as HC at Kent Roosevelt; fifth season at Green, where he’s 28-26

What he runs: spread, empty-formation offense; 3-4 base defense

Playing background: North Canton Hoover O- and D-lineman

Biggest coaching influence: Former GlenOak coach Gary Geis, Mark’s father

Career aspirations: “I love coaching high school football and high school kids. I will probably do it forever in some capacity. There is no better feeling than watching young men grow up in those four years and having a positive influence on them. I won't say I will never coach college, but I think I am meant to coach high school kids.” — Geis

Did you know?: Geis remembers “complaining and crying the blues about how frustrated I was” with a rash of injuries on his 2016 Rootstown team. His dad encouraged him and said he sensed great things ahead. Then Rootstown upset Mogadore 21-14 on the road in its season finale and went on a 13-game winning streak, which didn’t end until the 2017 playoffs

The word from a voter: “He is willing to change his schemes to fit his kids, and that sometimes is the hardest thing to do in coaching.”

2023 playoffs: No. 3 Green (7-3) will open at home vs. No. 14 Columbus St. Charles (5-5) in Division II, Region 7, at 7 p.m. Friday

Medina football coach Larry Laird

Number of votes received: two

Coaching resume: OC at Little Miami; HC at Goshen; OC at Springboro; OC at Kenton; one season as HC at Avon Lake, where he had also been OC; three seasons as HC at Strongsville; two stints as HC at Medina, 2010 and 2017-present. He’s 62-28 at Medina

What he runs: spread, empty-formation offense; 4-3 base defense

Playing background: Fairport Harding QB and middle LB; Edinboro MLB

Biggest coaching influence: former Kenton coach Mike Mauk and former Avon Lake coach Dave Dlugosz

Career aspirations: “I wanted to coach at the big school like Mentor. Well, now I coach at a big school the same size as Mentor, so I think I've reached [my goal].” — Laird

Did you know?: Laird said he adopted an empty offense in the middle of a game against Strongsville in 2018. Medina then won its next three games to end that season, and Laird has never turned back. “When you go to the empty offense, it’s something you have to marry. You can’t date it,” he said.

The word from a voter: “Larry's going to make you defend every inch of the field in the pass game. It's so out of the norm of what you normally see.”

2023 playoffs: No. 6 Medina (7-3) will open at home vs. No. 11 Cleveland John Marshall (4-5) in Division I, Region 1, at 7 p.m. Friday

Canton Central Catholic football coach Jeff Lindesmith

Number of votes received: two

Coaching resume: 38 years at CCC, coaching O-line, TEs, RBs, QBs and every position on defense; 10th season as HC at CCC, where he’s 69-47, including 1-2 in state title games

What he runs: spread, jet-veer offense; multiple defense

Playing background: Canton Timken guard and D-tackle

Biggest coaching influence: former CCC coach Lowell Klinefelter, Lindesmith’s predecessor

Career aspirations: “I'm real happy with where I'm at. … I really just fell in love with the game as a young coach about how close it was to being an educator, and I really fell in love with the idea of educating kids about life through football.” — Lindesmith

Did you know?: Otherwise known as “Trucker,” Lindesmith played first base for the Wilmington College baseball team

The word from a voter: “His teams are so disciplined. Year after year, you turn the film on and those guys look the same.”

2023 playoffs: No. 8 CCC (6-4) will open at home vs. No. 9 Middlefield Cardinal (6-4) in Division VI, Region 21, at 7 p.m. Friday

St. Edward football coach Tom Lombardo

Number of votes received: two

Coaching resume: QB and DB coach at Gilmour Academy; OC at University School; three seasons as HC at Mentor Lake Catholic; eight seasons as HC at Highland; ninth season at St. Ed’s, where he’s 100-16

What he runs: spread, read-option offense; multiple defense

Playing background: Gilmour WR, DB and QB

Biggest coaching influence: the late St. Joseph and Gilmour coach Bill Gutbrod, former Lake Catholic and St. Edward coach John Gibbons, who’s Lombardo’s father-in-law, and former Mount Union coach Larry Kehres

Career aspirations: “I feel I'm a high school coach. I did have the opportunity in the MAC to be an offensive coordinator a few years back, and my son was going to be coming up to his senior year [at St. Ed’s], and it was just too tough for me to [leave]. You look back and think, 'What if?' But I have no regrets at all.” — Lombardo

Did you know?: Lombardo is the only HC in OHSAA history to win state titles in football at two different schools — Lake Catholic (Division III in 2001) and St. Ed’s (Division I in 2015, 2018, 2021 and 2022)

The word from a voter: “It is obviously hard to not jump to Coach Lombardo with what he has not only been able to accomplish at St. Ed’s, but also what he did even prior to that at Highland.”

2023 playoffs: No. 1 St. Ed’s (9-1) will open at home vs. No. 16 Elyria (1-9) in Division I, Region 1, at 7 p.m. Friday

Cleveland Heights football coach Mac Stephens

Number of votes received: two

Coaching resume: one season as HC at Lutheran East; one season as assistant O-line coach at Euclid; one season as LB coach at Villa Angela-St. Joseph; two seasons as D-line coach/defensive run game coordinator at Glenville; seven seasons as D-line/outside LB coach at Euclid; ninth season at Cleveland Heights, where he’s 63-30

What he runs: triple option flexbone and spread concepts on offense; attacking, 4-3 defense

Playing background: Firestone LB and TE; University of Minnesota LB; New England Patriots, New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings LB; Toronto Argonauts LB

Biggest coaching influence: former Firestone coach Dave Marshall and former East coach Jim Shealey

Career aspirations: “I have been given opportunities to coach on the collegiate level, but I think right now I am operating within my God-given purpose, which is to influence young people in a positive way utilizing football on the high school level.” — Stephens

Did you know?: Stephens’ son Linden played cornerback in the NFL, appearing in games with the Miami Dolphins in 2019 and Seattle Seahawks in 2020 after the elder Stephens did the same with the Jets in 1990 and Vikings in 1991

The word from a voter: “I respect what he does as a football mind and from a motivational standpoint. I love what those guys [at CH] do from an offensive perspective, being able to mesh the triple option with empty formations.”

2023 playoffs: No. 2 Cleveland Heights (9-1) will open at home vs. No.15 Euclid (1-9) in Division I, Region 1, at 7 p.m. Friday

Wadsworth football coach Justin Todd

Number of votes received: two

Coaching resume: four seasons as assistant at East Knox, where he coached RBs, QBs and DBs; three seasons as DC at Loudonville; QB coach/co-DC at Danville; three seasons as HC at Loudonville; one season as HC at Mount Vernon; eighth season at Wadsworth, where he’s 57-30

What he runs: spread, read-option offense; odd front, attack-style defense

Playing background: East Knox RB and LB; Mount Union OLB

Biggest coaching influence: former East Knox coach Chet Looney and Mount Union’s Kehres

Career aspirations: Todd said he has received opportunities to coach at other high schools and a chance to become a college position coach, but he and his family are entrenched in Wadsworth. His oldest son will enter his freshman year of high school next summer and plans to play football for Wadsworth. “We're so invested in this community and in the football program. … The reason why we didn't leave was because my kids truly feel like they're Grizzlies.” — Todd

Did you know?: Todd has drawn inspiration from the schemes of former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer. He has picked the brain of Buckeyes assistant HC for offense/RB coach Tony Alford. “We've talked a lot about our favorite run scheme out of the zone-option offense,” Todd said.

The word from a voter: “He does such a good job of doing some unique things scheme-wise, but in a simple way for his kids. They execute their stuff extremely well.”

2023 playoffs: No. 3 Wadsworth (8-2) will open at home vs. No. 14 Brunswick (3-7) in Division I, Region 1, at 7 p.m. Friday

More on Akron-area high school football: Ohio State recruiting targets Elbert Hill and Eli Lee are among the stars on Hoban's defense gearing up for playoffs

Note: Former Jackson coach Tim Budd also received two votes, but he is not a member of a coaching staff this season

The following coaches received one vote apiece:

• Mogadore’s Matt Adorni

• Canton South’s Matt Dennison

• Avon’s Mike Elder

• GlenOak’s Scott Garcia

• Barberton’s Tony Gotto

• Hudson’s Jeff Gough

• Canton McKinley’s Antonio Hall

• Norton’s Glen Kruger

Norton leans on 'great senior class': Panthers roll into Division III playoffs with a 10-0 regular-season record

• East Canton’s John "Spider" Miller

• Firestone’s Eric Mitchell

• Massillon’s Nate Moore

• Fairless’ AJ Sarbaugh

• Manchester’s Kevin Stacy

• Streetsboro’s Pete Thompson

• Buchtel’s Bryan Williams

Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: 2023 OHSAA playoffs: Coaches vote on top football minds