Wilsonville assistant football coach Ned Walls was recently named winner of the 2025 High School Frank Broyles Coach Award. (Staff Photo: Miles Vance)

*This story has been updated

It isn’t about profile.

It sure as heck isn’t about pay.

And most of the time, it isn’t about recognition.

But this time, the spotlight landed on Wilsonville’s Ned Walls, a longtime assistant coach and defensive coordinator for the Wildcat football team.

Back in June, Walls was named the Oregon winner of the High School Frank Broyles Award, an award that recognizes the top high school assistant football coach in every participating state.

“I think it’s great that they started acknowledging the hard work that assistant coaches put in,” Walls said. “No one even knows about the assistants, which is fine. I don’t coach for recognition. I coach to teach kids the game I love, but it’s nice to get recognized this year.”

Walls, 62, has been a fixture in Wilsonville football for a very long time, beginning his coaching career in 1999 after his oldest son began to play in the fourth grade. He ran the city’s youth program from 2000-2010, then moved over to coach at Wilsonville High School after that.

During his time at Wilsonville, Walls also served as freshman defensive coordinator, JV head coach and varsity defensive line coach.

“When my kids got old enough to play, I really wanted them to experience the great fun and success I had playing football,” Walls said. “So I got them into it and they really needed helpers, dad helpers, so I said ‘Sure. I can help.’”

As defensive coordinator for head coach Adam Guenther’s Wildcats, Walls has been a key part of the program’s incredible success, winning state championships in 2023 and 2024, and making championship-game appearances in 2016, 2018 and 2022.

In addition to the Broyles Award, Walls was also named Assistant Coach of the Year for Special District 2 at the conclusion of the 2024 fall season.

Flattered as he is by this flurry of recognition relatively late in his coaching career, Walls remains focused on why he loves coaching and why he continues to do it.

“I know the game a little bit and I love it,” said Walls, who played at Wenatchee High School in Washington, and later, at Central Washington University. “I absolutely loved working with the youth guys and I love working with the high school guys even better.”

As it turns out, it was Guenther who nominated Wells for the Broyles Award. The Wildcats’ head coach said Walls has served Wilsonville football endlessly, as the father of a youth player, youth coach, youth coordinator, youth president, founder of the Wilsonville Touchdown Club, freshman coach, JV coordinator and JV head coach before finally moving up to the varsity.
“When good stuff goes on, people look to the players and the head coach. When bad stuff goes on, they look to the head coach,” Guenther said. “They never really focus on the assistants as much as they should and that’s one of those guys that they should focus on.”
Beyond that, Guenther said that Walls’ love of the game and love for his players made him a natural choice for the Broyles Award.
“He loves the game. You can tell just by the way he approaches it,” Guenther said. “And the kids will give him everything they got. He’s a no-nonsense type of guy. He knows when to have fun, but he’s a straight shooter and he knows when … to get down to business. He’s intense, but the kids respond (because) they know right where they stand with him. There’s no wishy washiness or anything like that. I mean, it’s black and white.”

His email notification from the Broyles Award said, in part, “Your commitment to excellence, leadership, and the impact you’ve made in your program has truly set you apart. This recognition is a testament to the vital role you play in shaping not only athletes but the future of your community.”

Regardless of the awards, the kind words and the praise, Walls said he’ll keep his focus on what’s important – the work, the process and the players.

“It’s kind of weird. I’m happy that we won the state championship two years in a row – it makes my heart feel happy – but I coach week to week,” Walls said. “My goal is that we’re at this place week one, and we progress to this place in week two, and progress to this place in week three, and so on throughout the season.”

Additionally, Walls said he plans to continue at Wilsonville as long as Guenther will have him.

“I love the game. I work my tail off. I try to get better all the time. I’m always trying to learn and I really try to impart the knowledge that I’ve gained from football to the kids,” he said. “Not just in the plays we run and the schemes we run, but we talk about their home life and all that stuff. It’s almost a holistic approach, but I love the X’s and O’s. … I like trying to stop good guys.”

*This story has been updated with quotes and info from Wilsonville head football coach Adam Guenther