The Commanders' Week 3 Tackle Coach of the Week is Gar-Field's Zachary Edmunds. At the Prince William County school, Coach Edmunds exemplifies the highest standards of leadership, integrity, and community engagement, making a lasting impact on his athletes and the broader Gar-Field community. Edmunds leads with purpose and vision, creating a program that prioritizes the health, safety and personal development of every student-athlete. His commitment to character-building and accountability is evident in the way his players carry themselves both on and off the field, and his leadership extends beyond football through meaningful community initiatives.
This season, Coach Edmunds organized the Red-White Scrimmage on Family Day, a celebration that brought families, alumni, and community members together to support the team and foster school spirit. He also played a key role in PWCS Community Day, strengthening ties between the school and local organizations. Coach Edmunds has cultivated partnerships with local businesses to provide resources, sponsorships and opportunities for his athletes. These relationships reflect his dedication to building a program that is deeply rooted in community support and service.
Commanders.com sat down for an exclusive with Coach Edmunds following his Coach of the Week win.
Q: Congratulations on being named the Commanders' Week 3 Tackle Coach of the Week! How does it feel to receive an honor like this?
A: "It's great. Super proud for our program and our guys to be recognized. That's how I take it. It's a recognition for all of us, and I appreciate it."
Q: What's the biggest life lesson football has taught you, and how do you pass that lesson on to your players?
A: "I think everybody has a purpose and everybody finds their avenue to success in different ways. For me, it was football. It made me want to go to school. It made me want to get good grades. It made me want to be a better person. I kind of tell my guys the same thing, to kind of use football as their avenue to success. I'm sure everyone says it, but I think football is a great metaphor for life. You experience troubles, you experience stress, you experience physical and emotional pain, you go through it all. You have to be smart mentally and in shape physically. Everything you do to be a good football player is reflected in life so that's kind of how we approach it."
Q: Do you have a motto or mantra that anchors you in your work?
A: "It's written on my board, and I tell my guys all the time: 'We're gonna outwork failure.' It's not saying that if you work really hard, you're always going to win championships, but I think you'll be in a better place than you would have been if you just let the chips fall as they may. We show up every day and bust our butt."
Q: In your mind, why is it so important to connect your student-athletes to the local community?
A: "The vehicle we have for change and the vehicle we have to be the change we want to see around us is football. There's always somebody watching you is what I tell our guys. Right now, Friday nights, you might not be an NFL player but to that eight-year-old, you're a hero in his eyes and you're exactly who he wants to be. He sees it, and that's a real thing that he can do, so you have a chance to impact him, her, to impact the community with everything we do. What I tell them all the time is, 'you do what you do to everybody in the room.' So we try to be the best versions of ourselves every day so our teammates, coaches, everybody that's a part of our program, it reflects positively on them."
