Detroit City Wire

Eric Pettway, head coach at Wayne Memorial High School, has been named the Detroit Lions High School Football Coach of the Week for week one of the 2025 season. The award is part of a program presented by Carhartt.

Pettway led the Wayne Memorial Zebras to a 35-26 win over Romulus Eagles, ending a 17-game losing streak and marking only their second victory since 2019. The Zebras will host Livonia Stevenson Spartans on September 5 in their first home game of the season.

This is Pettway’s first year as head coach at Wayne Memorial. He previously spent three seasons as head coach at River Rouge and was an assistant coach and defensive coordinator there for 13 years. While at River Rouge, he won a state championship in 2019 and finished as runner-up in 2020. Pettway began his coaching career at Southfield Lathrup High School, where he played as a student.

Detroit Lions Football Education interviewed Pettway about the recent victory, team preparations for upcoming games, and the significance of embracing the school mascot. His reaction to being named Coach of the Week can be seen at www.DetroitLions.com/coachoftheweek.

The Detroit Lions High School Football Coach of the Week Program recognizes coaches who demonstrate success on the field while developing players’ character and emphasizing health and safety. A panel including Mick McCabe, Hugh Bernreuter, Bret Bakita, James Cook, and Scott DeCamp selects each week's recipient.

For this season, $12,000 will be awarded to support high school football in Michigan through contributions from the Detroit Lions, NFL Foundation, and Carhartt. Each weekly winner receives $1,000 for their school's football program. At season’s end, one coach will be named Coach of the Year with an additional $3,000 donation awarded to that school’s football program. Winners also receive certificates signed by Lions' head coach Dan Campbell and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

The program is now in its 29th year and has distributed $515,000 to high school football programs across Michigan. Further information is available from Chris Fritzsching, Executive Director of Football Education for the Detroit Lions.