Division II Indoor National Coaches of the Year Announced
NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announces the national award winners for 2013 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field season as chosen by the nation’s coaches. National Championship coaches George Williams of Saint Augustine’s and Charles Ryan of the Academy of Art were named National Coaches of the Year, while Grand Valley State’s Blaine Maag and U-Mary’s Dennis Newell were named National Assistant Coaches of the Year.
National Men’s Coach of the Year
George Williams, Saint Augustine’s
Williams, in his 40th season at Saint Augustine’s, guided his Falcons to their first NCAA DII Indoor team title since 2009 with a total team score of 72, the highest since Adams State’s 89 in 2010. The Falcons earned a combined 16 All-America honors, including three individual event titles, en route to its 12th NCAA Indoor Championship.
Saint Augustine’s entered the meet with a nation-best 18 entries into the meet, and the Falcons also won their 16th-straight CIAA conference crown this season.
Recent Winners:
2013: George Williams, Saint Augustine’s
2012: Tom Flood, Grand Canyon
2011: Roosevelt Lofton, Abilene Christian
2010: Damon Martin, Adams State
2009: Jud Logan, Ashland
2008: David Astrauskas, SIU Edwardsville
2007: George Williams, Saint Augustine’s
National Women’s Coach of the Year
Charles Ryan, Academy of Art
Ryan, in his third season as the head coach of the Urban Knights, guided the Academy of Art to its first-ever NCAA DII Indoor Championship with a team score of 59 points. His Urban Knights earned a nation-best 13 All-America honors, including two individual titles as part of five from Vashti Thomas. Half of the final field of the 60 hurdles, one of Ryan’s coaching fortes, was represented by Academy of Art, leading to 20 total points.
Recent Winners:
2013: Charles Ryan, Academy of Art
2012: Jerry Baltes, Grand Valley State
2011: Jerry Baltes, Grand Valley State
2010: Victor Thomas, Lincoln (Mo.)
2009: Jerry Baltes, Grand Valley State
2008: Jud Logan, Ashland
2007: Jerry Baltes, Grand Valley State
National Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year
Blaine Maag, Grand Valley State
Maag, the throws coach at Grand Valley State in his second year, coached a nation-leading six men’s NCAA entries in the shot put and weight throw combined. At GLIAC Championship, his athletes accounted for 26 team points helping GVSU win their 13th title in 14 years. Freshman Darien Thorton was named GLIAC Freshman Field Event Athlete of the Year. He owns the longest weight throw mark by a freshman in DII history.
National Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year
Dennis Newell – U-Mary
Newell, in his seventh season with U-Mary, coached two event champions at the NCAA DII Indoor Championships and his student-athletes accounted for all but one of the team’s 25 points, good for a ninth-place finish. Melissa Agnew won the mile, and also anchored the championship DMR team the previous night, while sister Jennifer finished fifth at 5000 meters.
His runners scored 80 points en route to a third-straight NSIC title with five event championships.