St. Thomas Aquinas head football coach Roger Harriott has been named the 2025 National Football Coach of the Year by the National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA), in partnership with High School Football American (HSFA) yet another milestone in a career defined by consistency, leadership, and elite programme building.
Reflecting on the honour, Harriott said:
“The National Coach of the Year award is humbly received with gratitude. This blessed recognition was the result of an inspiring team effort of devout players, coaches, support staff members. It was only by God’s great grace that we were able to achieve this national honor as grateful champions for Christ.”
A Record-Setting Season in Florida
The award follows a historic 2025 season for the Fort Lauderdale-based school, which under Harriott’s leadership captured the High School Football America National Championship and secured a seventh consecutive Florida state title—the longest championship streak in the state’s history.
The team finished the season ranked number one nationally and remained the top-ranked programme in Florida, reinforcing St. Thomas Aquinas’ reputation as one of the most dominant high school football teams in the United States.
Building a Championship Programme
Harriott has served as head coach at St. Thomas Aquinas since 2015 and has guided the school to nine of its fifteen state championships during his tenure. Before joining Aquinas, he also led NSU University School to a Florida state title in 2012, demonstrating an ability to build winning cultures across multiple programmes.
The National Football Coach of the Year award is one of the highest honours in American high school football, recognising long-term success, leadership, and programme stability. Harriott becomes just the 16th coach nationally to receive the award since the NHSCA and High School Football America partnership began in 2010, and only the second coach from St. Thomas Aquinas to earn the distinction.
From Mandeville to the National Stage
Born in Mandeville Jamaica, Harriott spent his early years on the island, attending Flower Hill Primary School in Montego Bay and later Priory High School in Kingston before migrating to the United States. His Jamaican upbringing remains a key part of his identity, grounding a coaching philosophy built on discipline, preparation, and structure.
Sport is deeply rooted in the Harriott family. Two of his daughters have represented Jamaica with the Reggae Girls, including his younger daughter, who at just 17 years old is already part of the national setup.
Extending the Legacy Through Football Development
Harriott’s influence also extends back to Jamaica through his brother, Jerome Harriott. Together, they co-founded the National Tackle Football Association (NTFA), the recognised governing body for American football in Jamaica.
The NTFA, endorsed by the Government of Jamaica, oversees the development of tackle and flag football across the island, primarily at the secondary school level. The programme is now expanding flag football into primary schools for both boys and girls and is working towards structured implementation at the tertiary level, while also maintaining an active national tackle team.
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Looking Ahead
As St. Thomas Aquinas prepares to enter the 2026 season as defending national and state champions, Harriott’s 2025 National Football Coach of the Year award reflects more than a single season’s success. It recognises a career built on sustained excellence—linking championship performance in the United States with long-term football development and opportunity creation in Jamaica.
