Guy Brickell, a varsity football assistant and former head wrestling coach at Glenwood Springs High School, has been selected as one of the 500 scholastic and collegiate assistant coaches to be awarded as a AFLAC National Assistant Coach of the Year award.

A panel of judges from Scholastic Coach and Athletic Director magazine, the nation’s leading publication for the team athletic marketplace, made the selections.

The criteria of the AFLAC National Assistant Coach of the Year program allows for coaches to be awarded based on longevity, expertise, contributions to the school and community, and special achievements throughout their careers.

Selections were based on nominations made by head coaches, athletic administrators, past and current student-athletes, and fans. The winners were selected from a field of more than 350,000 coaches across the nation.

Brickell is starting his 16th season as a high school coach. For the past three years, Brickell has been Glenwood’s head freshman football coach and a varsity football assistant.

He was the Demons’ head wrestling coach for 13 years before the school dropped the program. However, Brickell has remained active in the sport, as a volunteer assistant coach at Basalt High School.

“I was surprised and honored. It’s a nice award to receive,” said Brickell. He said the best thing about coaching is “getting to work with kids.”

“You get real close because it’s so emotional and we have the same goal,” said Brickell.

AFLAC, sponsor of the National Assistant Coach of the Year Program, is one of the world’s leading providers of insurance at the worksite, insuring more than 40 million people worldwide.