MEDFIELD — Longtime Medfield High School football coach Erik Ormberg was named the New England Patriots Coach of the Week and recognized during a ceremony Monday at Medfield High School led by NFL Hall of Famer Andre Tippett.
The award, announced by Superintendent Jeffrey Marsden, recognizes Ormberg’s impact on the field and in the lives of student-athletes.
“I am honored and humbled by this recognition,” said Ormberg, who also works as a school counselor at Medfield High School. “To shake hands with NFL Hall of Famer Andre Tippett, someone I watched on TV as a kid, was amazing. To be recognized by the Patriots organization and the Kraft family was tremendous.”
Ormberg, who has coached at Medfield since 2001, credited the town for its support.
“Medfield is a special place,” he said. “Having been a part of the football program for over 25 years, I am blessed to have the support of the community, the administration and the parents. Their support allows me to do what I love, which is to work and coach in the same district.”
The Warriors are off to a 3–0 start, most recently defeating the Hopkinton Hillers 35–12.
Tippett, who now serves as the Executive Director of Community Affairs for the New England Patriots, presented a $1,000 donation on behalf of the Kraft family and the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation to support Medfield’s football program.
“High school football is built on the dedication and leadership of coaches like Erik Ormberg,” Tippett told the team. “Through his commitment to his players and community, he has helped Medfield start the season with energy, confidence and resilience. We’re proud to recognize him as our third High School Coach of the Week this season.”
Ormberg deflected much of the spotlight onto his team and coaching staff.
“We have a team of selfless football players, and this recognition is more about their sacrifice and commitment to football than anything else,” he said. “And it takes a team of great coaches to coach a great team. The football staff at Medfield is made up of alumni and current staff members. They care about kids, tradition, competition, the great game of high school football and their community. They are all great role models for our players.”
Ormberg asked the team’s seniors to join him during the celebration last Monday.
“I asked the senior football players to join in this recognition, because they are the leaders of the program,” he said. “This is a reminder to us all that high school football is not better or worse than other sports, it’s just different. I love coaching these players. At our pregame meeting we talked about how love is ‘the steadfast commitment to the well-being of others.’ The team is off to a great start and fully aware that adversity will visit us at points this season. We hope that our players are prepared to handle that adversity just as we hope they continue to embrace success. Again, I’d like to thank the Kraft family, the New England Patriots and Andre Tippett for this honor.”
Tippett’s visit to Medfield will be featured on the Patriots’ weekly TV show, “Patriots All Access,” airing Friday at 7 p.m. on WBZ-TV and streaming on Patriots.com.
The New England Patriots High School Coach of the Week program is part of the NFL’s nationwide initiative to recognize outstanding coaches and promote youth football. At the end of the season, one weekly winner will be named Coach of the Year and receive an additional $2,000 for their program.
Fans can nominate coaches for weekly honors by emailing: nominatecoach@patriots.com.
