Detroit City Wire

The Detroit Lions have announced Robin Marttila of Iron Mountain High School as the recipient of the 2024 High School Football Coach of the Week for week eight. Marttila's team, the Mountaineers, secured a 42-0 victory over Manistique, marking their second win against this opponent and bringing their season record to 8-0. The team is currently ranked No. 2 in Division 8 and is set to face Negaunee on October 24th for their final regular season home game.

Marttila is concluding his 23rd season with Iron Mountain High School, having served nine years as an assistant coach before leading as head coach for the past 14 years. He plans to retire at the end of this season. His coaching career includes guiding his team to playoffs in 12 out of his 14 seasons and reaching state semi-finals three times.

In an interview with Detroit Lions Football Education, Marttila discussed his decision to retire, his experiences coaching, and what it means to coach his son. His reaction to being named Coach of the Week can be viewed on www.DetroitLions.com/coachoftheweek.

The High School Football Coach of the Week Program honors coaches who excel both on and off the field by fostering player development and emphasizing health and safety. A panel consisting of high school football media members selects each week's winner.

This program will distribute $12,000 this season to support high school football in Michigan, funded by contributions from the Detroit Lions and NFL Foundation. Each weekly winner receives a $1,000 donation for their school's football program, while the Coach of the Year will receive $3,000 at season's end.

Now in its 28th year, this initiative has awarded $503,000 across Michigan high schools. For more information about the program, contact Chris Fritzsching at chris.fritzsching@lions.nfl.net.