The Greater Cleveland Football Coaches Association (GCFCA) will honor former Independence Varsity Football Coach, John Shirilla, for his dedication and excellence as a football coach. Shirilla is currently the physical education teacher at Independence Primary School.
This honor is known as the Golden Deed Award and is presented by the GCFCA. This non-profit organization aims to promote high school football in the Cleveland area, work to improve the conditions of football by introducing the latest methods of teaching football, and to provide scholarship money to deserving high school football players who will be attending their first year of college and playing football.
The criteria for the Golden Deed Award is twofold. The first point of criteria is, "to honor people who have contributed to the promotion of high school football in the Greater Cleveland area and to the activities of the Greater Cleveland Football Coaches Association." The second is, "Recipients come from occupations related to high school football. The major criterion is that the person has been involved with or has promoted high school football. Coaches eligible for the award can be retired from coaching, or an active coach who has been coaching at least twenty-five years in the profession."
Shirilla graduated from Normandy High School in 1982 where he played football for coach Ray Paglio. Under the direction of Paglio, Shirilla quarterbacked the 1981 team to a league championship and a Regional Final game in the OHSAA playoffs. This team was the first Parma City School team to ever make it to the playoffs. The time spent with Paglio is what drove Shirilla to want to pursue education and coaching. He graduated from Ohio University where earned a spot on the Bobcat Football Team.
During his senior year at OU, Shirilla did volunteer coaching at Orange High School and was hired as an assistant coach the following year by Head Coach Charlie Reisland. He spent ten years from 1987-97 coaching and teaching Physical Education in the Orange School District. While he coached at Orange, the 1988 team won the League Championship and advanced to the State Semi Final game.
Shirilla was hired as the Defensive Coordinator at Independence High School in 1997 under Mark Raiff. In 1998, John was named the Head Football Coach at Independence and began teaching Physical Education at Independence Primary School. During his 13 years coaching at Independence, he concluded with 88 wins, 48 losses, 3 League Championships, and 5 trips to the State Playoffs and was a Regional Finalist in 1997.
He was named League Coach of the Year twice, Cleveland Browns Coach of the Week, and was also named AP District Coach of the Year. After the 2009 season, he resigned as Head Coach at Independence to watch his own son's football careers at Brecksville Broadview Hts. High School. The following season, Brecksville's Head Coach Jason Black hired Shirilla as a freshman coach.
After two seasons working with the Brecksville freshman, Shirilla joined the varsity staff in 2012 and became the Defensive Coordinator in 2013. That season, the defense set the school record for least points allowed in a season, won the SWC Championship, and advanced to the Semi Final game in the state playoffs. During all these accomplishments, he got to watch and coach his two sons, Nick, who is now 22 years old, and Danny who is now 20.
During Shirilla's eight seasons from 2012-2017, the Bees had 59 wins, 26 losses, 1 championship, and 5 trips to the State Playoffs. This past 2017 season was his last as a Brecksville Bee as he will return to Independence as the Defensive Coordinator in 2018.
Shirilla has volunteered his time with the GCFCA throughout his years coaching. He served as the Vice President in 2007-08 and acted as President for two years from 2008-2010. He was also the Head Coach for the GCFCA East/West All Star Game and assisted in 3 other GCFCA all-star games. Shirilla has been married for 25 years to his wife Ann and is in his 31st year of teaching Physical Education.
He is invited to attend the Golden Deeds Award Banquet on Monday, April 23 at the Holiday Inn on Rockside Rd. His biography along with other winners, will be published in the Golden Deeds Banquet program which will be distributed to the guests that evening and posted on GCFCA's website until next year's banquet.