1.17.2003 ET

(CSRwire) FRAMINGHAM, MA - Staples, Inc. (Nasdaq: SPLS) and the National Football League today announced that Coach Mike Sherman of the Green Bay Packers is the 2002 Staples NFL Coach of the Year. The Staples NFL Coach of the Year is selected solely by the fans, who cast more than 174,000 votes in the online balloting this season.
Coach Sherman will receive an official Coach of the Year trophy, and Staples and the NFL will make a charitable contribution of $25,000 in his name, Marion House, his charity of choice. Marion House is a licensed group home for pregnant and parenting teens and their babies, which emphasizes parenting skills, education and independent living skills. Coach Sherman and his wife, Karen, are proud supporters and volunteers for the organization.

"Recognition that comes directly from the fans is truly an honor and highlights Coach Sherman's strength as a leader," said Marci Grebstein, vice president of media and marketing communications for Staples. "With his superior leadership, solid performance and dedication to his team, he demonstrates why the fans voted him as the 2002 Staples NFL Coach of the Year."

"We are grateful to all the fans who voted for their favorite coach," said Jim Schwebel, NFL senior vice president, corporate sponsorship. "It is the enthusiasm of the fans and the strong partnership between Staples and the NFL that makes the Staples NFL Coach of the Year and Staples Coach of the Week programs successful."

Coach Sherman led the Packers to the NFC Divisional playoffs for a second year in a row and closed out the 2002 season with a 9-7 record. The team finished the 2001 season with an impressive 12-4 record. Sherman was also named executive vice president, general manager and head coach just one year after being named the 13th head coach for the Packers.

He began his 24-year coaching career in 1981 as a graduate assistant at the University of Pittsburgh. From there he went on to other college teams including Tulane University, College of the Holy Cross, Texas A&M and UCLA where he held a variety of coaching positions. He began his professional coaching experience in 1997 with the Green Bay Packers as the Tight End/Assistant Offensive Line Coordinator. In 1999, Sherman transferred to the Seattle Seahawks and ultimately returned to the Green Bay Packers in 2000.

Last season, the Staples NFL Coach of the Year was Dick Jauron of the Chicago Bears. Past winners include, Jim Haslett of the New Orleans Saints in 2000, Dick Vermeil of the St. Louis Rams in 1999 and Dan Reeves of the Atlanta Falcons in 1998.

The Staples NFL Coach of the Year award complements the Staples Coach of the Week program that honors an NFL head coach each week for an outstanding game during the regular season. In conjunction with this recognition, a local school in that coach's region is randomly drawn from entries to receive a $5,000 Staples gift certificate and a visit from the NFL head coach. The Staples Coach of the Week program, now in its seventh year, has donated more than $500,000 in school supplies to schools nationwide.

About Staples, Inc.
Staples, Inc. is an $11 billion retailer of office supplies, business services, furniture and technology to consumers and businesses from home-based businesses to Fortune 500 companies in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Portugal. Headquartered outside Boston, Staples invented the office superstore concept and today is the largest operator of office superstores in the world.

The company has approximately 55,000 associates serving customers through more than 1,400 office superstores, mail order catalogs, e-commerce and a contract business. More information about the company is available at www.staples.com.

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