Richard McWhirter, Assistant Executive Director of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA), has been named one of 13 recipients of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Citation Award for 2026. The award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to high school activity programs nationwide.
The NFHS Citation is considered a prestigious honor in high school athletics and performing arts. It acknowledges achievements across several areas, including state high school associations, athletic director and coaching professions, officiating, and fine arts or performing arts programs. This year’s citations will be presented at the annual NFHS Summer Meeting on June 28, 2026, in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Eight of this year’s honorees are from NFHS-member state high school associations. The remaining five represent professional organizations for officials, coaches, music leaders, and directors in speech, debate, and theatre.
McWhirter has worked in Tennessee high school athletics for over four decades. Since 2010, he has served as assistant executive director at TSSAA with oversight responsibilities for football, cross country, and track and field. He is particularly recognized for his work advancing middle school athletics in Tennessee. During his tenure leading the TSSAA middle school division, membership more than doubled and now includes 23 state championships across seven sports. McWhirter has also been a frequent presenter on middle school issues at national meetings.
On a national level, McWhirter recently completed a term as chair of the NFHS Football Rules Committee and has represented Tennessee as its voting member since 2010.
Before joining TSSAA, McWhirter was activities coordinator for Clarksville Montgomery County School System. He also served as a TSSAA football official for 27 years and officiated baseball and softball games for eight years.
A complete list of this year’s citation winners can be found at https://www.nfhs.org/.
