Rick Conner of Linganore Football Named Buffalo Wings Coach of the Month

Rick Conner, who coaches the Linganore football team in Frederick County, is the County Sports Zone/Buffalo Wild Wings Coach of the Month!

2017 was a banner season for the Lancers. Linganore beat Milford Mill in the MPSSAA 3A state title game to finish with a 12-2 mark.

In the state title game Linganore fell behind 19-0 but scored just before halftime to make it 19-7, and continued to battle back in the second half. The Lancers completed their rally with 14 seconds left in the game when senior running back Davon Butler scored on a 2-yard run.

"We felt at 19-7 that gave us a little momentum, something to hang our hat on after a tough first half. We felt like if we changed the pace of our offense we could get results, so we made it faster-paced," Coach Conner said. "At 19-14 I told the guys it was anybody's game. We scored twice more and they scored once."

Coach Conner is a native of Silver Spring, where he attended Northwood High School. He played football collegiately for Western Maryland College, which is now McDaniel College. A talented defensive back and kick returner, Coach Conner was named the Centennial Conference MVP in 1983. He was inducted to McDaniel's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.

After graduating, Coach Conner joined McDaniel's coaching staff as a graduate assistant. In 1987 Coach Conner started coaching at the high school level, starting as the head coach at Brunswick, then as an assistant coach at Governor Thomas Johnson and Urbana. He has been the head coach at Linganore for 16 years and this is his third state title with the Lancers.

In 2014, Coach Conner was inducted to the Maryland Football Coaches Association's Hall of Fame.

"The kids at Linganore are really special. They let you coach them, they work hard and they have a lot of support at home," Coach Conner said. "Also, the community at Linganore is incredible. They really support us and it's just a neat place to be at 7 p.m. on a Friday. The atmosphere is just special, and to be a part of it is really rewarding."

To his players, Coach Conner is someone who tries to aid his students beyond the gridiron.

"Coach Conner is the best type of coach you could ask for. He's not just going to coach at you on the field, he likes to help us in the classroom too. Any issue you may have, you can always go to him," senior tight end and outside linebacker Joe Kolick said. "He's someone you can always look up to."

For being named County Sports Zone/Buffalo Wild Wings Coach of the Month, Coach Conner received a gift certificate, bottle of sauce, and hat from Buffalo Wild Wings, as well as County Sports Zone t-shirts.

If you'd like to make a nomination for next month's County Sports Zone/Buffalo Wild Wings Coach of the Month, email Wick Eisenberg at weisenberg@countysportszone.com.

Congratulations to Coach Conner!