NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announces the national award winners for 2013 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field season as chosen by the nation’s coaches. National-championship coaches Chris Bucknam of Arkansas and Oregon’s Robert Johnson were named National Coaches of the Year. Arkansas’ Travis Geopfert and Kansas’ Wayne Pate are the National Assistant Coaches of the Year.

MEN’S NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR

Chris Bucknam, Arkansas

The Razorbacks, coached by Bucknam in his fifth year, won their first NCAA Indoor team title since 2006 and their first under Bucknam. His Arkansas team, which was ranked No. 1 the entire indoor season, claimed three event titles – a collegiate-record-setting 4×400 relay, Andrew Irwin in the pole vault and Kevin Lazas in the heptathlon – en route to a 15-point victory over three-time defending champ Florida. The Razorbacks’ 74 points was the highest winning total since Arkansas scored 94 in 1994.

Arkansas also won the team title at the SEC Championships with 152½ points. The win was Bucknam’s fourth SEC indoor title and 10th overall SEC team crown.

Recent Winners:
2013: Chris Bucknam, Arkansas
2012: Mike Holloway, Florida
2011: Mike Holloway, Florida
2010: Mike Holloway, Florida
2009: Dan Steele, Oregon
2008: Greg Kraft, Arizona State
2007: Ed Nuttycombe, Wisconsin

WOMEN’S NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR

Robert Johnson, Oregon

Johnson, in his first season as head coach of the Ducks after serving as associate head coach, guided the program to its fourth consecutive NCAA Indoor team title, joining LSU (1993-97) as the only other program to win at least four straight championships. The Ducks scored 56 team points, clinching the meet on the final event with a victory in the 4×400 relay from the first heat to beat runner-up Kansas (44). That 4×400 team headlined a nation-best 17 USTFCCCA first-team All-American honors, including runner-up showings in three events.

The Ducks also claimed the MPSF team title with 112 points, defeating Arizona State by 16 points.

Recent Winners:
2013: Robert Johnson, Oregon
2012: Robert Johnson, Oregon
2011: Robert Johnson, Oregon
2010: Vin Lananna, Oregon
2009: J.J. Clark, Tennessee
2008: Greg Kraft, Arizona State
2007: Greg Kraft, Arizona State  

MEN’S NATIONAL ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR

Travis Geopfert, Arkansas
Geopfert, in his fourth season coaching field events for the Razorbacks, coached a number of student-athletes at the NCAA Indoor Championships that scored a combined total 29 points of the Razorbacks’ championship-winning 74. Heptathlete Kevin Lazas headlined Geopfert’s student-athletes, winning with a school-record 6,175 points, while Raymond Higgs and Tarik Batchelor each finished third in the long jump and triple jump, respectively.

Geopfert’s athletes scored 57 points at the SEC Championships helping Arkansas win the SEC title.

Recent Winners:
2013: Travis Geopfert, Arkansas
2012: Mario Sategna, Texas
2011: Dick Booth, Florida
2010: David Dumble, Arizona State
2009: Brian O’Neal, Florida
2008: Jason Vigilante, Texas

WOMEN’S NATIONAL ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR

Wayne Pate, Kansas

Pate, in his sixth season with the Jayhawks as the jumps and women’s combined events coach, mentored Andrea Geubelle to the first long jump/triple jump dual NCAA Indoor championship since 2003. Geubelle’s winning 46-6½ (14.18m) is the fourth-best triple jump in collegiate history. He also guided Francine Simpson to a third-place showing in the long jump for a total of 23 of the runner-up Jayhawks’ 44 points at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

Pate coached three individual Big 12 Champions and contributed 53 points en route to a team crown for Kansas. Guebelle won the triple jump, Simpson won the long jump title and Lindey Vollmer claimed the indoor pentathlon with the sixth-best collegiate score this season.

Recent Winners:
2013: Wayne Pate, Kansas
2012: Wayne Pate, Kansas
2011: Vince Anderson, Texas A&M
2010: Robert Johnson, Oregon
2009: Vince Anderson, Texas A&M
2008: David Dumble, Arizona State