Noel Rash, the head football coach at Beechwood High School (Fort Mitchell, Ky.) who last season led his team to a Kentucky Class A state title, was named today as the 2016 season winner of the Paul Brown Excellence in Coaching Award.

The award has been given annually by the Bengals since 2002. It honors outstanding high school football coaches in the region and includes a $5000 Bengals donation to Beechwood's athletic department.

Rash came to Beechwood in 1998 as a teacher, a role he continues at the school today, teaching human geography and American government. He joined Beechwood's football staff in 2000, spending six seasons as an assistant before being named head coach in '06. In his 11 seasons at the helm, Rash has compiled a 123-88 record (.788) and led the Tigers to four state championship game appearances, including three state titles (2007, '08, '16).

Bengals president Mike Brown presented Rash with the Paul Brown Excellence award at the Bengals' annual pre-training camp media luncheon.

"It is my pleasure to present this award to Noel, as well as the entire Beechwood High School community," Brown said. "Noel has made an exceptional impact at Beechwood, both as a teacher and a coach. My father would have especially appreciated the mark he's made as a teacher, since that's what he considered himself to be."

Rash is a six-time recipient of the Northern Kentucky Football Coaches Association's District 4 Coach of the Year Award (2007, '08, '09, '11, '12, '14). He also received the Cincinnati Bengals Coach of the Week Award during the 2008, '15 and '16 seasons. More than 35 Beechwood players have gone on to play college football during Rash's head coaching tenure.

Rash is a native of Erlanger, Ky., and currently resides in Fort Mitchell. He earned a degree in history and secondary education in 1994 from Thomas More College, where he also played LB and S on the football team.

Prior to his time at Beechwood, Rash was an assistant coach at Lloyd Memorial High School (1985-87), Simon Kenton High School ('93-94) and Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller High School ('96-99). He also taught one year (1997) at Sycamore Junior High School. Rash was Beechwood's head baseball coach from 1998-2001, and in '99 was selected as the Northern Kentucky Baseball Coaches Association's Coach of the Year.

Rash is the 16th winner of the Paul Brown Excellence in Coaching Award. Previous winners have been Dan McSurley of Clinton-Massie High School (2015 season), Nate Moore of La Salle (2014), Tim Goodwin of Marion (Ohio) Local (2013), Tom Crosby of Mariemont (2012), Bruce Kozerski of Covington Holy Cross (2011), Steve Klonne of Moeller (2010), Troy Everhart of Winton Woods (2009), Dale Mueller of Fort Thomas Highlands (2008), Jeff Giesting of Anderson (2007), Scott Datillo of Sycamore (2006), Steve Specht of St. Xavier (2005), Charles "Doc" Gamble of Withrow (2004), Doug Ramsey of Elder (2003), and Vince Suriano of Anderson and Mike Martin of Taft (2002 co-winners).