NCAA Champion Coaches Holloway, Shaver Honored as National Coaches of the Year

NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced that Florida’s Mike Holloway and LSU’s Dennis Shaver are the National Coaches of the Year for outdoor track & field for NCAA’s Division I. Holloway led his men’s squad to their first NCAA outdoor title and Shaver’s Lady Tigers claimed the women’s national team crown with the most points scored at the NCAA meet since 2002.

NATIONAL MEN’S COACH OF THE YEAR: Mike Holloway, Florida

Holloway, in his tenth year as the Gators’ coach, guided Florida to their first NCAA outdoor track & field national team title in school history. The Gators scored 50 points for the crown, besting LSU by two points. Florida won the 4×400 relay, the concluding event, to leap over LSU in the final team standings. The Gators had been down to the Tigers by two points before the finale.

With last weekend’s result, Florida became the first team to sweep NCAA indoor and outdoor men’s team titles in Division I since Arkansas in 2005.

Florida won three event titles at the NCAA Championships. In addition to the 4×400 relay championship, Tony McQuay claimed top honors in the 400 meters and Omar Craddock won the triple jump. Jeremy Postin finished second in the hammer throw, Dwight Barbiasz took third in the high jump, Eddie Lovett was fifth in the 110 hurdles, and Stipe Zunic claimed seventh in the javelin.

Past Winners:
2012: Mike Holloway, Florida
2011: Pat Henry, Texas A&M
2010: Pat Henry, Texas A&M
2009: Pat Henry, Texas A&M
2008: Bob Braman, Florida State
2007: Bob Braman, Florida State
2006: Bob Braman, Florida State

NATIONAL WOMEN’S COACH OF THE YEAR: Dennis Shaver, LSU

Shaver, at his eighth year at the helm at LSU, led the Lady Tigers to the national team title – making it a record-extending 15th NCAA outdoor crown for the program and the second for Shaver as coach. LSU scored 76 points, 14 ahead of Oregon for the victory. The tally was the most by a squad at the NCAA Championships since 2002 when South Carolina scored 82 for the team title.

Kimberlyn Duncan claimed the national title in the 200 meters and anchored the 4×100 relay to victory. In addition, senior Cassandra Tate added a national crown in the 400 hurdles. Duncan also finished runner-up in the 100 meters, Rebecca Alexander was second in the 400 meters, Charlene Lipsey was second in the 800 meters, and the 4×400 relay took runner-up honors. Semoy Hackett finished third in the 100 meters and fifth in the 200 while Jasmin Stowers notched a fifth-place showing in the 100 hurdles.

Shaver was also named the SEC Women’s Coach of the Year after leading the team to the SEC Championship crown.

Past Winners:
2012: Dennis Shaver, LSU
2011: Pat Henry, Texas A&M
2010: Pat Henry, Texas A&M
2009: Pat Henry, Texas A&M
2008: Dennis Shaver, LSU
2007: Greg Kraft, Arizona State
2006: Ralph Spry, Auburn