NEW ORLEANS – Following the 2016 NAIA Outdoor Championships this past weekend in Gulf Shores, Alabama, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced Thursday this season’s National Coaches of the Year.

National championship-winning head coaches Doug Edgar of Indiana Tech and Kregg Einspahr of Concordia (Neb.) were named the Men’s and Women’s Coaches of the Year, respectively.

Concordia (Neb.) throws coach Ed McLaughlin swept the Men’s and Women’s Assistant Coaches of the Year.

The winners were determined by a vote of USTFCCCA member coaches.

Read more about all four honorees below.

MEN’S COACH OF THE YEAR

DOUG EDGAR, INDIANA TECH

Edgar, in his seventh year leading the Warriors, guided his men to the NAIA team title with 86 points, 34 ahead of the next-best team. His athletes won individual titles in the 200, 400 and high jump, earned both the 4×100 and 4×400 titles. During the regular season, Edgar led Indiana Tech to the WHAC title.

WOMEN’S COACH OF THE YEAR

KREGG EINSPAHR — CONCORDIA (NEB.) — Einspahr, in his 24th season leading the Concordia women, led the program to its first-ever national title with 71 points. He helmed a Concordia squad that produced a national champion in the hammer throw, three national runners-up, a third-place finish, and two fourth-place efforts. In addition to the 66 points scored by Concordia throwers, Einspahr’s team got points at 800 meters and in the pole vault. His women finished runners-up at the GPAC Championships.

MEN’S ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR

ED MCLAUGHLIN, CONCORDIA (NEB.)

McLaughlin, throws coach at Concordia in his 19th year, mentored Zachary Lurz to the NAIA shot put title, a fourth-place finish in the hammer and a sixth-place effort in the discus. Lurz’s results were among the eight scoring performances in the shot, disc and hammer — including four scorers in the hammer throw. At this season’s GPAC outdoor meet, Bulldog men’s throwers won titles in the hammer throw and discus (Slechta). They went 1-2-4-6-7-8 in the hammer, 1-2-4-6 in the discus and 2-3-4-7 in the hammer while compiling 15 all-conference awards.

WOMEN’S ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR

ED MCLAUGHLIN — CONCORDIA (NEB.) — McLaughlin, in his 19th year as throws coach, led Elizabeth King to the NAIA Championships title in the hammer throw as part of a weekend with at least one top-two finisher in all four throws events. His athletes were runners-up in the javelin, discus and shot put. His charges produced 22 total points in the hammer throw, 19 in the discus, 17 in the shot put and eight in the javelin for for a 66-point total – which would have tied for the national team title.

During the regular season, his crew combined for three GPAC titles (hammer, discus, shot put) and a total of 15 all-conference awards. They held down the top five spots in the hammer and also went 2-4-5-7 in the discus and 1-3-4 in the shot put at the conference meet. Bulldogs Stephanie Coley (discus) and Kali Robb (shot put) were NAIA national leaders while Liz King ranked second in the hammer and third in the javelin. Concordia throwers owned five of the top seven national marks in the women’s hammer.