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The National Football Foundation named Nederland head football coach Monte Barrow the Bum Phillips Coach of the Year Monday.

The presentation was held at the Museum of the Gulf Coast.

Wade Phillips, Super Bowl-winning assistant coach and son of the late Bum Phillips, presented Barrow with a ring.

“My family and I are certainly pleased being able to put my dad’s name on this,” Phillips said. “It is a very special award… We are really proud to give (Monte) the award. He did a great job this year. I am really proud of the school. My dad coached at Nederland and was really proud of the history. It has really come back with Monte.”

Barrow said being associated in any way with the Phillips name is an honor.

“I know why I am standing,” he said. “If I should get any award it should be for being smart enough to put great people around me. I have done that with the coaching staff we have. I am blessed to be at a school district that is ran the right way and supports everybody and everything. They support us for sure.”

Barrow said the honor will forever signify his team’s special season.

“I wish I could take a piece of this ring and give it to each of those kids and coaches,” Barrow said. “These guys will be hard to forget anyways, but this ring is always something you can glance at. Each time, it will be a different memory, because they made a lot of memories.”

The large ring has an image of a cowboy hat, which Bum Phillips famously wore often, at the center.

Barrow led the Bulldogs to a 9-3 record, a District 21-5A co-championship and a spot in the regional semifinal round of the playoffs for the first time since 2012.

In the final game of the district season, the Bulldogs defeated Crosby, which went on to play in the 5A state championship game in Dallas.

The Bulldogs shutout Houston Sterling in the first round of the playoffs and then defeated Pine Tree 34-21 in the area round.

The Bulldogs’ season ended in the third round with a loss to Fort Bend Marshall.

Barrow said he will not wear the ring much.

“I think right now it will probably be in my office so it will be where my coaching staff is,” he said. “It will likely be there until I finish coaching and then I will find a special place for it.”