The Green Bay Packers have announced that Kevin Shillcox of Two Rivers High School in Two Rivers, Wis., has been named the Packers High School Coach of the Week. The program is presented by Buffalo Wild Wings.
In his 11th year as the varsity head coach of Two Rivers, Shillcox has the Purple Raiders out to a perfect 5-0 start to the season. Last season marked the first time the program had won a conference title in 32 years. Shillcox and his team continue to build on that success this season both on and off the field. Shillcox attributes part of the team's success over the past couple of years to the program's greater emphasis on the players' work in the classroom and in community.
"Probably the biggest thing I took away in the last three to four years was the leadership part of it," said Shillcox. "That was something that lacked in the first six years [as head coach], and I really took that to heart. And I think between the leadership and the academics portion, not even so much the football part, the X's and O's, it was the leadership and academics part that have really put us in a place to be successful in the classroom, on the field and in the community. If you have all that in place, what you put on the field will be good."
Away from the Friday night lights, Shillcox has his players making an impact by participating in community service. The team helps with a wide range of local events from aiding elderly citizens to reading to daycare children. This support not only translates to bettering the community, but it also teaches the players important life lessons.
"It makes them understand how the whole thing fits together, how you grow up and mature. If they go help out, they feel good about themselves. You got to learn how it makes you feel better inside and then it carries over to their teammates. With our senior players helping the freshman, it's just the opposite of helping elderly, instead of helping older people, you're helping younger people and you want them to grow in such a way that it makes them a better person every day. It's just endless where you can go with those qualities."
Shillcox grew up in Two Rivers and is an alumnus of Two Rivers High School, where he graduated in 1989. He then went on to graduate from Lakeshore Technical College in Cleveland, Wis. Shillcox's coaching career began at the youth football level in Two Rivers where he coached for three years. He then joined the high school program as a freshman and varsity assistant coach for another three years until he was named the varsity head coach in 2013.
Shillcox doesn't view the Coach of the Week Award as an individual award, but more as product and a reward for the program as a whole.
"It's not our football team, it's not my staff, it's not me, it's our program," he said. "Our program includes our whole school district, the community, the city and everybody around. I think that's the most rewarding part of it. To see the support that we get on Friday night, and just how far that can go with making the community a better place to live and I think the kids see that. You know we are just to be glad to be Raiders every day and show our pride in no matter what we do."
Shillcox and his staff oversee a program of 64 players with 48 of them suiting up for the varsity games. His assistant staff includes his two sons, Shawn and Kraig Shillcox, along with Travis Glandt, Dan Hartwig, Scott Jansky, Tim Klinkner and Tom Johnson. Outside of coaching, Shillcox is a plant manager for Kahlenberg Industries. In addition to their sons, Shillcox and his wife, Brenda, have one daughter, Brooke.
About the Green Bay Packers High School Coach of the Week Program:
The Packers will recognize one outstanding high school coach as their 'Coach of the Week' winner during the 2023 high school football season. Winners are awarded several items and privileges, including a $2,000 donation to the school's football program from the Green Bay Packers, Buffalo Wild Wings and the NFL Foundation, as well as recognition of the award on Packers.com, Wissports.net and Wifca.org.
Nominations for Coach of the Week should be submitted by 10 a.m. every Monday to Ryan Fencl, Football Outreach Manager, at coachoftheweek@packers.com. Please include the nominee's name, address, school, phone number and reason he/she is deserving of the award.
