Landon Grove Named Detroit Lions High School Football Coach of the Week for Week 6
DETROIT — Oct. 6, 2026. The Detroit Lions on Tuesday named Landon Grove of Grand Rapids West Catholic High School the 2026 Detroit Lions High School Football Coach of the Week for Week 6, presented by Carhartt. The honor recognizes a high school coach who demonstrates success on the field while emphasizing player health and safety. The Lions notified Grove of the selection on Head Coach Hangout and he discussed his work with Detroit Lions Football Education.
On Oct. 2, Grove’s Falcons defeated the Spring Lake Lakers to improve to 5-1 on the season, and West Catholic currently holds the No. 1 ranking in Division 5. The Falcons are scheduled to travel to Grand Rapids Christian High School on Friday, Oct. 9, in the 40th meeting between the two programs. The Week 6 recognition follows a stretch of strong results for the program under Grove’s direction.
Grove is in his ninth season coaching high school football and his fifth season as West Catholic’s head coach, compiling a 49-8 record during his tenure, an 86 percent winning rate. He has guided the Falcons to the playoffs in each of his first four seasons and captured four conference championships across the OK-White and OK-Blue leagues. Those accomplishments have become a hallmark of Grove’s time leading the program.
Under Grove, West Catholic won the Division 5 MHSAA state championship in 2022 with a 59-14 victory over Negaunee and returned to win the state title last season with a 42-14 win over Pontiac Notre Dame Prep. The Falcons reached the regional finals in 2023 and the district finals in 2024, marking sustained postseason presence. Those two state championships represent Grove’s first and second titles as West Catholic’s head coach and contributed to the school’s seven total football state championships.
The Detroit Lions High School Coach of the Week program is in its 30th year and is selected each week by a panel of Michigan high school football media members: Mick McCabe, Hugh Bernreuter, Bret Bakita, James Cook and Scott DeCamp. This season the program will award $12,000 to support high school football development in Michigan with contributions from the Detroit Lions, the NFL Foundation and Carhartt. Each weekly winner receives a $1,000 donation to his school’s football program, and the season’s Coach of the Year will receive a $3,000 donation. Winners also receive a certificate signed by Lions head coach Dan Campbell and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, and the Lions provided contact information for Chris Fritzsching, executive director of football education, at chris.fritzsching@lions.nfl.net.
NFL Sports Blog Take
Landon Grove’s recognition reflects a sustained run of success at West Catholic that is measurable by state championships, postseason appearances and a dominant winning percentage. The program’s No. 1 Division 5 ranking and consecutive deep playoff runs demonstrate consistency rather than a single-season peak, and the Lions’ Coach of the Week program helps provide tangible support to high school programs producing that stability. Grove’s background and recent results suggest West Catholic will remain a benchmark in Michigan’s Division 5, and the financial and public recognition from the Lions and partners can directly benefit player development and safety initiatives at the grassroots level.