Ryan McKenzie is viewed as an ‘exceptional leader on and off the field’ by his peers at Hardaway High School in Columbus.

His ‘ability to motivate and mentor his players’ has been evident in his team’s performance on the field this season, including a 55-12 victory over Jordan.

McKenzie is the winner in this week’s Falcons Coach of the Week voting, the fifth in the 10-week program recognizing high school football coaches for their impact on and off the field.

As part of the program, presented by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the NFL and Atlanta Falcons will recognize head high school varsity tackle and girls flag football coaches across the states of Georgia and Alabama and each winning head coach receives a $1,000 grant for their football program and recognition from the Atlanta Falcons and AJC at an end-of-season banquet.

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Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, facing, greets head coach Raheem Morris after a loss to the Seattle Seahawks in an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Atlanta. (Mike Stewart/AP)

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Jo'wan Bellamy taught in the GNETS program for 17 years and recently transferred to Atlanta’s new behavioral program at Crawford Long Middle School. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

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