Undefeated Nebraska state champion Gretna was voted by its peers as the 2024-25 ATEC/NFCA High School National Coaching Staff of the Year, the Association revealed on Tuesday.

Under the guidance of head coach Bill Heard and assistants Todd Mills, Channon Oseka, McKenna Nixon, Luke Brenn and Gabe Wurth, top-ranked Gretna went a perfect 38-0 and won its first state Class A title in school history with an 8-0, six-inning victory over No. 18 Millard North on Oct. 21.

The Dragons outscored their final three opponents — all nationally-ranked at the time — by a 26-0 margin.

Along the way, Gretna captured the NFCA Kaiti Williams Memorial Leadoff Classic on Sept. 7, going 5-0 and outscoring its opponents 33-1, including beating Millard North, 10-0, in the final.

It was Gretna’s second time winning that tournament in the past three seasons.

The reigning NFCA Summer/Fall High School Top 25 Coaches Poll champion Dragons also won the Bellevue East Invitational, Omaha Westside Invitational, Eastern Midlands Conference and district crowns during their historic season.

They had six players named all-state and broke 11 school records!

Gretna is supposed to be playing in a lower class, due to enrollment, but opted to compete against larger schools and have still dominated. The Dragons were the state Class A runner-up in 2022 and have a state crown (2015) and a second-place finish (2016) as a Class B school.

Seven of the 10 teams that earned ATEC/NFCA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year honors this past season joined Gretna in winning their respective state title, including Wesleyan (Region II), Owyhee (Region III), Carrollton (Region V), Saint Thomas Aquinas (Region VI), Doral Academy (Region VII), Kenton Ridge (Region VIII).

Notre Dame (Region IV) lost to eventual Southern Section runner-up El Modena in the California state quarterfinals, while Marlboro (Region IX) fell to state champion Miller Place in the New York Class A state quarters.

Region X honoree Avon was not recognized for how far it advanced, but for how far the Falcons have come, going from a winless season two years ago to a 15-win campaign in 2025.

That was more than twice as many victories as 2024 and helped them secure spots in both their conference tournament and the Connecticut state Class L tournament.

To be eligible for Regional or National Coaching Staff of the Year recognition, a school’s head coach must be an NFCA member and nominated.

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The NFCA is the professional organization for fastpitch softball coaches. Known for its highly-regarded coaches polls and All-America awards, the NFCA also educates and supports softball coaches on a variety of different levels: from podcasts to awards, to in-person events and National Convention. 

Learn more about the NFCA and consider joining its lineup of over 7,000 coaches today!

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