CHICAGO (AUG. 21, 2018)

Today, U.S. Cellular's Most Valuable Coach program returns for its third year to honor current coaches of K-12 school-affiliated sports teams who connect to the good in all of us by inspiring their players through true leadership and community involvement. At the end of the program, the final three winning coaches will receive a donation of $50,000, $20,000 and $10,000, respectively, to help their school. The first place coach will also be awarded with a Samsung tech prize package, valued at $30,000, for their school.

Beginning today until 11:59 a.m. CT on Sept. 10, people can visit TheMostValuableCoach.com to nominate their favorite current coach of K-12 school-affiliated sports teams, who has made a profound impact on them or their team, school or community.

"At U.S. Cellular, we know that coaches do more than just coach — they connect to the good in all of us, by motivating their athletes in unexpected ways," said Grant Leech, vice president of brand marketing at U.S. Cellular. "We are a company that strives to be a part of the markets we serve, and we look forward to hearing inspirational coaching stories from our friends, neighbors and local sports fans."

U.S. Cellular is teaming up with Green Bay Packers wide receiver, Randall Cobb, to help identify the Most Valuable Coach. Along with online voting from fans, Cobb will be part of a panel of judges who will help choose the three winning coaches based on leadership qualities and the positive impact they have on their community, school and players.

"I am fortunate to have worked with great coaches who have had a significant influence on both my professional and personal life," said Cobb. "Coaches have the unique opportunity to motivate their players to excel as leaders both in the game and in their city. I'm looking forward to recognizing these men and women who are making a difference."

Following the nomination period, U.S. Cellular will evaluate each nominee based on the positive impact they have had on their players, school and city, as well as their leadership qualities. The Top 50 coaches will be announced on Sept. 18 at noon CT, which marks the beginning of public voting to help select the Final 15 coaches, ending at 11:59 a.m. CT on Oct. 8. U.S. Cellular will award the school of each Final 15 coach with a $5,000 donation and will celebrate with them at a local event at the school. A short video sharing each coach's story will also be posted on TheMostValuableCoach.com.

About U.S. Cellular
U.S. Cellular is the fifth-largest full-service wireless carrier in the United States, providing national network coverage and industry-leading innovations designed to elevate the customer experience. The Chicago-based carrier offers coverage where the other carriers don't and a wide range of communication services that enhance consumers' lives, increase the competitiveness of local businesses and improve the efficiency of government operations. U.S. Cellular has the Highest Wireless Network Quality Performance in the North Central Region, according to the J.D. Power 2016 U.S. Wireless Network Quality Performance Study, and 99 percent of customers have access to 4G LTE speeds. To learn more about U.S. Cellular, visit one of its retail stores or uscellular.com. To get the latest news, promos and videos, connect with U.S. Cellular on Facebook.com/uscellular, Twitter.com/uscellular and YouTube.com/uscellularcorp.