KANSAS CITY, Mo. — On Wednesday, Sept. 24, the Kansas City Chiefs announced their Week 4 Coach of the Week recipients for the 2025 season.
Staley High School Head Coach Drew Hudgins (Missouri) and Eudora Head Coach Drew Steffen (Kansas) are the Chiefs Week 4 selections for their teams' performances in the fourth week of the high school football season. This weekly honor aims to recognize Kansas City-area head coaches for their success on the field and leadership off the field.
As part of their recognition, both coaches will receive a $500 grant from the Hunt Family Foundation, a Chiefs bucket hat, a certificate of recognition and a custom game ball. Both coaches also qualify for the Eric Driskell Coach of the Year Award, which is selected at the end of the high school regular season by a panel from the Missouri and Kansas Boards of the Greater Kansas City Football Coaches Association.
The Staley Falcons are back in the win column after knocking off the previously undefeated Blue Springs Wildcats on the road 21-14. A strong defensive stand in the first half by Staley consisted of three first-half interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown, and allowed the Falcons to jump out to 21-7 lead going into the half. Staley allowed just one more score in the fourth to take home their first conference win of the season. The Falcons are set to face the Blue Springs South Jaguars at home on Friday at 7 p.m.
"This award is indicative of our players and the rest of the coaching staff's hard work throughout the week and their effort on Friday," Hudgins said. "It is a team award, and I am proud of our team."
Hudgins is in his second year at the helm and was previously the head coach at Blue Valley North for the 2023 season. Before that, Hudgins was at Mill Valley for 12 years where he coached its defense to seven Class 5A state championships, including four-straight from 2019-22. The Spring Hill, Kansas, native played defensive end at Highland Community College, where he earned second-team NJCAA All-American and first-team All-Jayhawk conference honors in 2006. Hudgins transferred to Colorado in 2007 but retired in 2008 after he faced season-ending injuries ahead of both seasons.
Eudora is now 2-0 in conference play after beating Spring Hill at home 24-14, holding the previously undefeated Broncos to 64 passing yards. The Cardinals went into halftime with a 10-0 lead and kept momentum through the remainder of the game, putting up two late touchdowns despite a strong push from the Broncos. Eudora looks to keep the momentum going as they host undefeated Ottawa on Friday at 7 p.m.
"This is one of those awards that shows the hard work our team and coaches put in each week," Steffen said. "Football is the best team sport, and it takes everyone working together to beat good football teams. Our guys played really well and believed in the plan our coordinators came up with. It is an honor, and we hope to continue to build off this momentum with a big game this week against 3-0 Ottawa."
Steffen is in his fourth year as the head coach for the Cardinals, reaching the playoffs every season.
He started his tenure at Eudora as the team's defensive coordinator in 2020 before taking over two years later, leading the Cardinals to an 8-2 record, their best finish since 2012. Steffen began his coaching career at Mission Valley in Eskridge, Kansas, for four seasons as the Vikings' defensive coordinator before moving to Shawnee Mission East where he spent five seasons as the Lancers' special teams coordinator. Collegiately, the Manhattan, Kansas, native played wide receiver at Fort Hays State.
Now in its 29th year, The High School Coach of the Week program is a joint initiative between the Kansas City Chiefs and the National Football League. In addition to highlighting head coaches for their team's performance, this award honors individuals who make a difference in the lives of high school student-athletes by preparing them for life beyond football.
The Kansas City Chiefs partner with PrepsKC to select Coaches of the Week from Missouri and Kansas each week. For the past 16 years, PrepsKC has been Kansas City's only complete multimedia outlet covering high school offering a dynamic website, weekly magazine and comprehensive weekly radio show. More information about PrepsKC, including scores, schedules and coverage can be found at www.prepskc.com.
