David Halliday, the head coach for Flagler Palm Coast High School’s track and field program, has been named a finalist for the 2024 National High School Coach of the Year award. The award is given out by the National High School Athletic Coaches Association, and Halliday is up for consideration in the track and field category.
Halliday is one of eight finalists who will be recognized at the National Coach of the Year Awards Banquet. He’ll find out if he was selected on Wednesday, June 26th at the Bismarck Hotel and Convention Center in Bismarck, North Dakota.
If he receives the honor, Halliday will have one more distinction to add to a decades-long career of success and acclaim in high school coaching. He’s been the leader of FPCHS’ track and field program for 20 years, leading the organization to regional championships in 2007, 2009, 2019, and 2023. Of those years, the Bulldogs also won the Florida state track and field championship in ‘07 and ‘09. Prior to joining FPCHS, Halliday coached at Columbia High School in Lake City, where he also won the regional and state championship in 2002.
“This selection was based on longevity, service to high school athletics, honors, championship years and winning percentage,” a Flagler Schools spokesperson said in a statement. “The nominees and finalists are evaluated by experts in the field of coaching using a sport-specific rubric to assign points in each category. The National High School Athletic Coaches Association is the oldest coaches association in the nation and is formed by coaches, for coaches, and has been recognizing national coaches of the year since 1978.”
Author’s Note: As a former member of Coach Halliday’s track team, this honor is both pleasing to see and not surprising in the least. Congratulations, Coach!
