Editor's note: This post will be updated each week with new candidates (if there are any). Check out the 10 nominees below.
SportsDayHS has unveiled its Player of the Year candidates. Today, we look at Coach of the Year candidates based on the first seven weeks of the season.
VOTE on who you think is the Coach of the Year so far at the bottom of this post.
The front-runners
Southlake Carroll's Riley Dodge
Riley Dodge was 29 when he was hired as the coach at Southlake Carroll last spring. Dodge had the pressure of taking over at a program that has won a UIL record-tying eight state championships. He had the pressure of leading a program that his father, Todd, built into one of the greatest dynasties in Texas high school football history. And Dodge was returning to the school where he was a star quarterback on a state championship team in 2006. All Dodge has done is start 6-0, with his team rising to No. 6 in this week's Class 6A state rankings.
Mansfield Lake Ridge's Kirk Thor
Mansfield Lake Ridge didn't just move up from Class 5A to 6A in realignment. The Eagles were placed in District 7-6A -- the new District of Doom -- which includes seven teams that made the playoffs in 2017. But Lake Ridge is 4-1 overall and 3-0 in district, tied for first with Mansfield Summit in 7-6A. Lake Ridge already has a win over DeSoto, ranked No. 5 in the area, and Friday the Eagles play at No. 10 Cedar Hill. Kirk Thor was the coach who took a Lake Ridge program in its fourth year of varsity play all the way to a state runner-up finish in 2015.
Frisco Reedy's Chad Cole
Reedy is in just its third season of varsity football, but Chad Cole has the team off to a 7-0 start and ranked No. 10 in the state in Class 5A. After going 3-7 in 2016, Reedy is 16-2 since. Reedy leads District 7-5A Division II and has outscored the opposition 299-99.
===Check out our MidseasonPlayer of the Year candidates here===
Allen's Terry Gambill
Allen is 6-0 after Friday's 74-36 rout of Plano East, a team that entered the game undefeated and ranked No. 7 in the area. Allen remains at No. 4 in USA Today's national rankings and continues to sit at No. 1 in The Associated Press Class 6A state rankings. The defending Class 6A Division I state champion has won 22 consecutive games overall and has won 61 straight regular-season games.
Haltom's Jason Tucker
Jason Tucker is building a strong case to be SportsDay's Coach of the Year. Especially after Friday's 48-34 win over Euless Trinity, which entered the game unbeaten and ranked No. 9 in the state. Haltom is 6-0, is the only unbeaten team in District 3-6A play and has outscored the opposition 307-136. After beating Trinity, Haltom rose to No. 8 in SportsDay's 6A area rankings. This is a team that had a record of 32-87 over the last 12 years, including a 1-19 record over the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
Five others to keep an eye on
Highland Park's Randy Allen: After winning back-to-back Class 5A Division I state championships, Highland Park (6-0, 3-0 in District 6-5A Division I) takes a 21-game winning streak into Friday's game against Samuell.
Duncanville's Reginald Samples: Duncanville (5-0, 3-0 in District 8-6A) is up to No. 5 in the Class 6A state rankings and is No. 20 in USA Today's national rankings. Duncanville has outscored the opposition 284-19, allowing 3.8 points per game. Samples recently had surgery on a nerve near his hip and wasn't able to be on the sideline for last week's 76-0 win over Lake Highlands, so Duncanville's preparation and in-game leadership was "a group effort."
Denton Ryan's Dave Henigan: After back-to-back trips to the Class 5A Division I state semifinals, Denton Ryan is 6-0 and ranked No. 3 in the state. Denton Ryan has outscored its opponents 248-80.
Flower Mound's Brian Basil: He has taken a team that was 4-6 and has it in first place in District 6-6A. Flower Mound (4-2, 3-0) faces a tough test Friday, hosting Hebron, the 13th-ranked team in the area.
Plano East's Joey McCullough: A year after finishing 3-7, Plano East is 5-1 and ranked No. 12 in the area in Class 6A. The only loss was to Allen, ranked No. 1 in the state.
Twitter: @DMNGregRiddle