Whittier Prep editor Roger Murray has been covering high school sports since I was in high school, and he had an interesting take in discussing the difference between an MVP and Player of the year, and the criteria for coach of the year. Here’s Roger’s explanation.

An MVP is someone who, if subtracted from his team, would have the greatest impact on its success, or lack thereof. A Player of the Year is the individual whom, based upon his talent, you would select first if you were building a team.
Coach of the Year should be the individual who gets the most out of his players. This could be the individual whose team wins the championship even if he or she had the most talent with which to work, or perhaps someone whose roster lacked talent or experience and finished well back in the pack.