During Sunday's 27-19 win over the Cincinnati Bengals at FirstEnergy Stadium, the Cleveland Browns honored Mentor High School Football Head Coach Steve Trivisonno as the 2019 Browns High School Coach of the Year. In January, Trivisonno will represent the Browns as Cleveland's Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year nominee and attend the 2020 Pro Bowl in Orlando.
Trivisonno, who is retiring after 23 exceptional years leading Mentor's high school football program, led the Cardinals as they reached the Division I State Finals to cap a 13-1 season with a perfect 7-0 conference record. He closes his career with a remarkable 209-70 record (.749), highlighted by 19 playoff appearances, five regional championships and five Division I Ohio State Finals appearances.
A Mentor native and alumnus, Trivisonno was selected among 10 finalists for his excellence in character, on-field success, community involvement and commitment to the development of youth and high school football in the region. Each year, the winning coaches of each 2019 Browns High School Game of the Week, presented by Ohio Cat and in association with Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM), are recognized as finalists for the annual accolade.
Trivisonno was also recently recognized as the Greater Cleveland Conference Coach of the Year, Lake County Touchdown Club Coach of the Year and Northeast Lakes District Coach of the Year.
In addition to his on-field development of thousands of young men, including Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky, Trivisonno was also selected for his personal investment into his players and his commitment to encouraging young men to be responsible, dedicated individuals within their own families and communities.
"I have worked with Triv now for 28 years in some capacity and it is hard to believe that he won't be sitting in my office next fall, but he has left a lasting legacy on this place," said Mentor High School Athletic Director Jeff Cassella. "The culture of success that he has brought to the football program is an example for all programs to live by, and I know that I have tried to live up to some of the expectations he has for this school and community."
As the 2019 Cleveland Browns Coach of the Year, Trivisonno will receive a $7,500 grant ($5,000 to the annual winner, plus $2,500 for all finalists) to benefit Mentor High School's football program and is automatically nominated to represent the team for the national Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year Award. He will receive an all-expenses paid trip to the 2019 Pro Bowl in Orlando, courtesy of the NFL and the Browns, and may potentially receive another $15,000 in grants from the NFL Foundation, if named one of the NFL's national finalists.
As part of the Browns High School Game of the Week, all Browns High School Coach of the Year finalists were recognized at Sunday's game for their commitment to youth and high school football in Northeast Ohio. In partnership with Ohio Cat and in association with LECOM, the Browns made a $2,500 donation to support each finalist's football team.
For 10 weeks throughout the season, Browns fans and Northeast Ohio high school football supporters submitted votes for nominated matchups to be featured as the Cleveland Browns High School Game of the Week.
The Browns High School Coach of the Year award is based on a coach's overall body of work during the regular season and postseason, as well as character and community involvement, after being featured in the Cleveland Browns High School Game of the Week.
Cleveland completed its 10th consecutive year of the High School Game of the Week this fall. Weekly matchups are posted on ClevelandBrowns.com, with fans deciding which game the Browns should highlight by voting on the team's website or on social media. Panel members for game selections are Browns senior staff writer Andrew Gribble, Browns producer Jason Gibbs and Good Karma Brands ESPN 850 WKNR's Matt Fontana.
The 2019 Cleveland Browns Coach of the Year announcement is part of Day 2 of the Browns 10 Days of Giving initiative, along with Joel Bitonio's "Shop With a Pro" benefitting children from City of Cleveland Recreation Centers tonight at DICK's Sporting Goods. Throughout 10 Days of Giving, spanning Dec. 8-17, Browns players, coaches and staff will host unique community events and make special contributions to various organizations during the holiday season as part of the team's yearlong commitment to education, youth football and inspiring others through its signature First and Ten volunteer movement.
The extended week of community engagement, initially inspired by the Browns' signature #give10 First and Ten volunteer movement, has expanded in recent years to fully encompass the team's commitment to supporting school attendance in Ohio through the "Get 2 School, Stay in the Game!" Network and its yearlong efforts to enhance youth and high school football throughout the state.
Through Browns Give Back, the Cleveland Browns are committed to assisting the development, safety and growth of youth and high school football throughout Northeast Ohio with year-round programming for players, coaches, officials and parents. Through camps, clinics and other initiatives, the Browns' goal is to promote healthy, social, emotional, intellectual and physical development of youth by enhancing opportunities for youth football participation and education.
For more information, visit www.ClevelandBrowns.com/brownsgiveback and follow @BrownsYouthFB for all items related to youth and high school football.
2019 Cleveland Browns High School Coach of the Year finalists:
Matt Adorni - Mogadore (11-2)
Mike Collier - Clearview (8-2)
Tom DeLuca - Olmsted Falls (7-4)
Mike Elder - Avon (13-1)
Jeff Grubich - Kenston (9-2)
Larry Laird - Medina (7-4)
Marcus Wattley - Canton McKinley (9-3)
Chuck Shurman - Ellet (6-5)
Steve Trivisonno - Mentor (13-1)
Seth Whiting - Alliance (7-4)
About the Cleveland Browns and Browns Give Back:
The Browns Give Back to Northeast Ohio with a commitment to education and youth football while engaging the community through the team's signature First and Ten volunteer movement. For more information, visit www.clevelandbrowns.com/brownsgiveback.
Education – The Cleveland Browns are dedicated to improving the quality of education for students in Ohio by making investments that keep kids in school every day so they can succeed, highlighted by the "Get 2 School, Stay in the Game!" Network. The "Get 2 School" Network is a statewide initiative designed to promote the importance of school attendance and put an end to chronic absenteeism. The team engages local schools and promotes quality education by using attendance data and feedback from families to build a school-going culture, uncover and reduce common barriers to attendance and support engagement opportunities for students to thrive. To learn more, visit Get2School.org.
Youth Football – The Cleveland Browns are committed to assisting the development, safety and growth of youth and high school football throughout Northeast Ohio with year-round programming for players, coaches, officials and parents. Through camps, clinics and other initiatives, the Browns' goal is to promote healthy, social, emotional, intellectual and physical development of youth by enhancing opportunities for youth football participation and education.
First and Ten – Launched in June 2014, the Cleveland Browns First and Ten campaign is the team's community program, established to inspire fans to #give10 and help their communities by volunteering for 10 hours each year. Through First and Ten, the Browns are the only NFL club to promote a long-term volunteering program that unifies the team and its entire fan base, with the goal of impacting every individual's city across the globe, as well as the franchise's local community. To date, nearly two million hours of volunteering have been pledged through First and Ten. All Browns fans are encouraged to join the volunteering effort by signing the First and Ten pledge on the team's website and by sharing their stories with #give10.
