October 26, 2016
USA Rugby Coach of the Year Nominations
USA Rugby Release: October 25, 2016
Nominations for 2016 Coach of the Year are now being accepted until Nov. 18, 2016. Four coaches will be honored, one for each of the following categories: Participation Coach of the Year, Competitive Coach of the Year, Senior Club Coach of the Year, and Female Coach of the Year.
The Participation Coach of the Year award recognizes a coach that demonstrates dedication to expanding the game of rugby in his or her local community. Submissions for this category are limited to coaches that do not receive monetary or any additional compensation for coaching services. Lee Kelly of Gonzaga College High School won the award in 2015.
The Competitive Coach of the Year award honors a youth, high school, or college-level coach. Outstanding nominees demonstrate the ability to produce competitive, successful sides while facilitating the development and refinement of athletes. Last year’s winner was Mike Purcell, formerly with D1AA National Champion University of California, Davis.
The Senior Club Coach of the Year award recognizes a Senior Club level coach that demonstrates excellence at one of the highest levels of coaching rugby in the United States. The 2015 award for this category was presented to Glendale Raptors’ Mark Bullock, who coached the women’s side to its second consecutive Women’s Premier League National Championship.
The final category, Female Coach of the Year, honors a female coach that continually demonstrates dedication to empowering female rugby athletes and the advancement of female involvement in the game of rugby. Kate Daley, the head coach of Pennsylvania State University Women’s Rugby Club, won the award in 2015 after winning Division I titles in both 15s and sevens.
Nominations for all categories are being accepted until Nov. 18, 2016. Submissions will be evaluated by a reviewing committee and winners will be announced and awarded mid-January 2017 at USA Rugby’s National Development Summit in Baltimore, Md.
