Johnson, Henry, Powell & Buford-Bailey Named National Coaches of the Year for Division I Outdoor T&F

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Johnson, Henry, Powell & Buford-Bailey Named National Coaches of the Year for Division I Outdoor T&F
June 18, 2014

NEW ORLEANS – Robert Johnson and Andy Powell of Oregon, Pat Henry of Texas A&M and Tonja Buford-Bailey of Texas have been voted by their peers as recipients of the National Coach of the Year winners for the 2014 NCAA Division I outdoor track & field season, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced Wednesday.

On the heels of winning national team titles at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Ore., Johnson of Oregon was named the National Men's Coach of the Year, while Henry of Texas A&M earned the National Women's Coach of the Year honor.

Powell of Oregon was named the National Men's Assistant Coach of the Year, and Buford-Bailey of Texas was awarded the National Women's Assistant Coach of the Year distinction.

MORE INFO: Past Winners


Robert Johnson
Oregon

Johnson, in his second year as head coach of the Oregon track & field team, led the Ducks to their first men's team title in 30 years in meet-record fashion. In defeating 2013 national co-champion Florida by 18 points, 88-70, his Oregon squad posted the best winning score by a men's champion since the current eight-deep scoring system was first introduced in 1985.

His student-athletes won individual titles in four different disciplines throughout the weekend: distance events (Edward Cheserek, 10,000 meters), mid-distance (Mac Fleet, 1500 meters), hurdles (Devon Allen, 110-meter hurdles) and throws (Sam Crouser, javelin). His student-athletes also scored points in the sprints and combined events.

Prior to the NCAA Championships, his Ducks won the Pac-12 team title for the second consecutive year under his watch and the eighth time in a row overall. They defeated runner-up Southern California by more than 60 points, 163¼ - 99.


Pat Henry
Texas A&M

Henry, now in his 10th year guiding the Texas A&M track & field program, coached the Aggie women to their first national team title since 2011 and their fourth in the past six years.

The Aggies topped an historically high-scoring field to claim the title, defeating pre-meet favorite Texas by nine points, 75-66. Their 75 points was the highest winning total since 2002 when South Carolina scored 82 points.

Four event titles boosted A&M to its team title, with Kamaria Brown claiming crowns at 200 meters and as part of the 4x100 relay. Frosh Shamier Little won in the 400-meter hurdles, and Shelbi Vaughan earned the discus title.

His Aggies finished third at the SEC Championships.


Andy Powell
Oregon

Powell's Oregon distance crew was a significant deciding factor in the Ducks winning their first outdoor national team title since 1984.

In his ninth season at Oregon, coached Cheserek to a title at 10,000 meters and a runner-up showing at 5000 meters, while he mentored Fleet to a defense of his 2013 1500 meters title in a victory over 2013 The Bowerman Finalist Lawi Lalang of Arizona.

His student-athletes also finished second, third and fourth at 5000 meters; first, fifth and eighth at 10,000 meters; and sixth in the 3000-meter steeplechase for 47 total points – a score that by itself would have finished second in the team race.


Tonja Buford-Bailey
Texas

Buford-Bailey, in her first season at Texas, guided her athletes to similar success in the sprints and hurdles as the Longhorns finished runners-up.

Led by a national 400 meters title by Courtney Okolo and another title in the 4x400 relay, Buford-Bailey's student-athletes to a combined score of 52 of Texas' 66 total points. Earlier this season, Okolo also broke the collegiate record at 400 meters in 50.03.

With Okolo leading the way, Buford-Bailey's competitors at 400 meters finish first, third and fourth, marking the first time one team has put three in the top four at 400 meters since South Carolina in 2002.




U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association
1100 Poydras Street, Suite 1750
New Orleans, LA 70163

Contact: Kyle Terwillegar
Communications Assistant
kyle@ustfccca.org
(504) 599-8905