As the 2020 Kansas high school football season continues, The Kansas Shrine Bowl Board of Directors has announced the selection of the 2021 head coaches. DeSoto’s Brian King and Norton’s Lucas Melvin will serve as the head coaches for the 2021 Kansas Shrine Bowl, to be held Saturday, June 26th at Gowans Stadium in Hutchinson, Kansas.
Melvin will lead the West and King the East.
The head coaches are selected by a vote of the previous games staff, including fellow coaches, camp directors, trainers, and managers.
Twenty years after competing for the East Squad in the 2000 Kansas Shrine Bowl, DeSoto’s Brian King returned as an assistant coach in 2020. Now King will join a rare list of players who have also served as head coach in the game. Coach King joins recent coaches, Warren Seitz and Scott Vang who each played in the game, then coached in 2018.
King has led a growing DeSoto program to prominence, finishing 10-1 in 2019. The Wildcats are off to a 2-1 start in 2020. Coach King prepped at Onaga before getting his degree in Education from Emporia State. Brian and his wife Audrey have three children Addison, Briggam, and Canton.
“I am very honored to be selected as the East head coach in the 2021 Shrine Bowl.” said King. “Participating in this game is a great honor, as well as a great way for us as players and coaches to serve others while playing and coaching the game we love. I participated in this game as a player in 2000 and a coach in 2020 and I have greatly valued the experience and the relationships I have built during those times. I have a great appreciation for the Shriners and Shriners hospitals and the services they provide and could not be more excited to be participating in this game in 2021.”
In 2020, Lucas Melvin joined a special list of assistant coaches that have had the opportunity to coach their own son in the Kansas Shrine Bowl, as Kade Melvin represented Norton for the West Squad. Coach Melvin will return to the Kansas Shrine Bowl sideline as the head coach in 2021.
Melvin has led a Norton program to become a consistently dominant program in the West, building a 102-47 record in 13 seasons as head coach. Coach Melvin led the Bluejays to a 9-4 record in 2019, falling to Nemaha Central in the class 2A state championship game. Norton is off to a 3-0 start in 2020 and are currently ranked #4 in class 2A.
Coach Melvin graduated from Colby High School before graduating from Hutchinson Community College and Fort Hays State University. Lucas and his wife Angela have five children, Alec, Miah, Kade, Tyce, and Noah.
“I feel very honored and privileged to be chosen as the head coach of the West forthe 2021 Kansas Shrine Bowl” said Melvin. “I had a tremendous experience last year and I am looking forward to agreat experience this time as well.”
“It’s a great honor to serve as a head coach in the Kansas Shrine Bowl,” said Kansas Shrine Bowl Executive Director, B.J. Harris. “The fact that it is decided on by a vote of their peers is certainly special for our coaches. Our 2020 coaching staffs were filled with quality coaches, any of them would have been great for our game.” “Coach Melvin and Coach King each bring tremendous experience and energy and they definitely understand the meaning behind our game,” added Harris, “I’m looking forward to working with them this year.”
The Kansas Shrine Bowl is an all-star high school senior, East vs. West, football game put on each year by the Kansas Shrine. It is a 501(c) 3 non-profit charity that produces annual events and related activities, with net proceeds benefiting Shriners Hospitals for Children. The game has been played throughout Kansas each summer for 47 year sat host cities across Kansas and will be held in Hutchinson for the first time, Saturday, June 26th, 2021 at Gowans Stadium.
Shrine Bowl Release