Lacey Football Coach Lou Vircillo Contending for State, National Coach of the Year Honors

Lacey High School football coach Lou Vircillo is among eight coaches in contention to be named the inaugural New Jersey High School Football Coach of the Year by USA Today.

Vircillo, the only coach the program has had since its inception in 1981, has won four South Jersey Group 3 championships. He’s collected over 250 wins, only the third coach in Shore Conference history to accomplish that feat.

The Lions won titles in 1988, 1989, 2006 and 2010, and have gone undefeated three times, including the 1989, 2006 and 2010 championship teams, according to laceyfootballfoundation.org.

Lacey is 3-0 so far this season, and visits Toms River South on Friday night.

Vircillo is competing against coaches from St. Joseph (Hammonton), West Deptford, Piscataway, Sayreville, Don Bosco Prep, St. Peter’s Prep and Montville.

For the full list of New Jersey contenders and to vote in the contest, visit usatoday.com.

The contest began Monday at noon in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Voting in the state round concludes at noon on Tuesday, Oct. 8.

The winners from each individual contest advance to the regional round, where voting will take place from Oct. 9-18. The eight regional winners advance to the national finals, and USA Today’s first National High School Football Coach of the Year will be selected on Oct. 29.

Winners in each round are decided by most votes.

The grand prize is $2,000, for the Athletic Department of the winning coach. Second place brings in $1,000; third place nets $500; fourth place is worth $250; and the fifth place coach receives $100.

The eight finalists receive banners for their schools.

The 408 total coaches competing in the contest were selected by staff members at USA Today following a month of conversations with local media and other state and school officials.