Garden City’s Dave Ettinger named Jets High School Coach of the Week
The Jets named Garden City High School’s Dave Ettinger the High School Coach of the Week for the week of Nov. 4.
The Jets High School Coach of the Week award, now in its 29th year, recognizes a coach in the tristate area who exemplifies the best of the game. This includes teaching strong football fundamentals, inspiring young players to excel, and supporting youth football through dedication to their community, school and student-athletes.
Coach Ettinger began his coaching career at Garden City Middle School in 1999 and became an assistant coach for the Trojans in 2006. Since taking over as head coach in 2015, he has led the team to eight Nassau County Championships and six Long Island Class II Championships. Earlier this season, Ettinger became the fastest coach in Nassau County history to achieve 100 career victories. On Nov. 30, he led the Trojans to their 54th consecutive win—a Long Island record—by defeating Sayville, 31-28, to secure the Long Island Class III Championship.
Ettinger, a 1993 graduate of Commack High School, played football at Hofstra University as a four-year starting kicker and earned All-American honors. He later competed in the 1997 Hula Bowl and participated in the 1998 NFL scouting combine. His overall coaching record now stands at an impressive 105-3.
As part of the award, Ettinger received a $1,000 donation for the school's football program and was invited to attend a New York Jets game, where he was honored on the field at MetLife Stadium. Garden City High School also earned an automatic bid to compete in the 2025 New York Jets 11-ON Tournament.
