Chad Hepner of Grosse Pointe South named Detroit Lions Coach of Week 9
DETROIT — On Oct. 27, 2026, the Detroit Lions named Chad Hepner of Grosse Pointe South High School the 2026 Detroit Lions High School Football Coach of the Week for Week 9, presented by Carhartt. The honor followed Grosse Pointe South’s 36-0 victory over crosstown rival Grosse Pointe North on Oct. 23. The Lions notified Hepner during a Head Coach Hangout and posted his interview on DetroitLions.com.
The Blue Devils defeated Grosse Pointe North 36-0 on Oct. 23, giving Grosse Pointe South its ninth straight victory over the Norsemen and moving the Blue Devils to an 8-1 record. Grosse Pointe South will host Dearborn Heights Crestwood, which entered the week 5-4, on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, in the MHSAA Division 2 District Semifinals. It will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools and the Week 9 selection cited Hepner’s coaching performance and his team’s results this season.
Hepner is in his 25th season coaching high school football, all at Grosse Pointe South, and is in his fifth season as the Blue Devils’ head coach after taking over in 2022. As head coach he has compiled a 42-10 record, an 80.8 percent winning percentage, and he has led the program to the playoffs in each of his five seasons. He followed in the footsteps of his father, Russ Hepner, who was Grosse Pointe South’s head football coach from 1968 to 1986, and Hepner also teaches at the school and is a 1993 alumnus.
The Detroit Lions High School Coach of the Week program recognizes one coach each week for success on the field and contributions to player development, discipline and player health and safety. A panel of high school football media members selected this season’s winners; the panel includes Mick McCabe (retired Detroit Free Press writer), Hugh Bernreuter (Saginaw News), Bret Bakita (96.1 FM — The Game), James Cook (Traverse City Record-Eagle) and Scott DeCamp (DeCamp Creative Solutions). The program is supported by the Detroit Lions, the NFL Foundation and Carhartt and will award $12,000 this season to aid high school football in Michigan; each weekly winner’s program receives a $1,000 donation and the season Coach of the Year will receive a $3,000 donation. The program is in its 30th year and has awarded $527,000 to Michigan high school football programs since its inception.
The Lions posted Hepner’s interview on DetroitLions.com and notified him during the Head Coach Hangout, where they shared his reaction. Winners receive a certificate signed by Lions head coach Dan Campbell and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. For more information on the Coach of the Week program, contact Chris Fritzsching, the Lions’ executive director of football education, at chris.fritzsching@lions.nfl.net.
NFL Sports Blog Take
Chad Hepner’s Week 9 recognition highlights a dominant local performance and sustained program stability at Grosse Pointe South. The Blue Devils’ 36-0 win on Oct. 23 marked their ninth straight victory over Grosse Pointe North and moved Grosse Pointe South to an 8-1 record heading into the district semifinals. Hepner’s 42-10 record and five consecutive playoff appearances since he became head coach in 2022 reflect steady results for the program. The Lions’ Coach of the Week program pairs recognition with financial support that benefits local high school programs.