Watterson soccer coach Scott Dempsey was selected by Dispatch.com readers as the central Ohio girls coach of the year in the 2024-25 school year.
Dempsey guided the Eagles (20-2) to their first state championship. They defeated North Royalton 2-1 (3-0 on penalty kicks) in the Division II title game at Historic Crew Stadium, and Dempsey was named Dispatch All-Metro coach of the year for girls soccer.
Centennial basketball coach Ernest Bell earned the overall girls coach of the year honor during the Central Ohio High School Sports Awards on June 18 at Upper Arlington High School, but Dempsey was the choice of Dispatch.com readers in a poll conducted July 21-25.
Dempsey received 39.6% of the vote, followed by DeSales lacrosse coach Joe Finotti (27.8%), Olentangy Liberty lacrosse coach Tim Bosco (27.1%) and Thomas Worthington field hockey coach Terri Simonetti Frost (5.2%).
Finotti guided DeSales (22-1) to its second consecutive Division II state title and fourth overall, defeating Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown 15-9. The Stallions closed the season on a 19-game winning streak.
Bosco led the Patriots (22-1) to their second consecutive Division I state title, defeating Upper Arlington 9-8 in two overtimes.
Simonetti Frost’s team defeated UA 5-0 in the state final. It was the third straight title and ninth overall for the Cardinals (17-5-1).
Also nominated were Bell, Fairfield Union basketball coach Keith Barr, Pickerington Central basketball coach Johnathan Hedgepeth and Olentangy Orange wrestling coach Brian Nicola.
The Athlete of the Week will resume in August.
Have any questions? Email sports editor Brian White at bwhite1@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Watterson’s Scott Dempsey voted central Ohio girls coach of the year
Reporting by Andy Resnik, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
