The Seattle Seahawks named Renton High School head football coach Mark Cross as their Class B/2B and A/2A High School Head Coach of the Week for Week 4.
Cross got an email from former Seahawks receiver Paul Johns.
“I thought it was pretty cool,” Cross said. “It’s a testament not only to myself because one man can’t run a football team. But a testament to our very strong assistants and the kids.”
He gave props to the players’ work ethic and drive this season as well as school and district administration.
“It takes a village,” Cross said.
Interestingly, he doesn’t know how he was picked for the nomination.
“That was the first thing that popped in my head. How did I get selected? I have no idea,” he said.
He is the first coach of a high school in the city of Renton to win the award, which began back in 2021. The Seahawks started this program, nominating two coaches for each week of the season. Along with receiving a $500 donation to Renton’s football program, Cross will be honored on the field pregame at a home Seahawks game this season with the other participants.
“It’s very cool. As hard as we work on fundraising and getting funds through the boosters, it’s always a struggle. Football is one of the most expensive programs. We do team dinners, and on top of that, we have incorporated pregame meals … It’s a long time from lunch to the end of the day. So we tried to provide a game day meal to keep them full. All in all I’m excited for the money to come through,” said Cross.
While attending the game with the coaches, 20 coaches will come to a Seahawks home game, where they will be recognized with a pregame brunch. One coach will be named Coach of the Year, and they will receive an additional $2,000 toward their football program, according to Seahawks.com.
Cross has grown up a Seahawks fan and has continued to be one. He is impressed with Coach Pete Carroll’s philosophy on coaching.
“I borrowed some structural stuff from him and other coaching in the area and applied that to our team,” Cross said.
All of the coaches including Carroll and his assistants have influenced his coaching style and got him to where he is now.
“(Thank you to) all of the coaches that I was groomed under. I’m constantly talking to them and wanted to thank all the other coaches, whether it’s clinics or coaches in the area for sharing their ideas with me,” Cross said.
If he were to meet Pete Carroll, he wouldn’t ask him a question about X’s and O’s, but a different aspect of football would be his inquisition: “My thing would be that motivational piece. How do you motivate your players at such a high level… As I have gotten older and in the meat of my coaching career, I want to know what makes athletes tick,” Cross said.
Cross and the other nominees will be honored at a December Seahawks game.
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