USTFCCCA Release

NEW ORLEANS, La. - The United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) named Kennesaw State track and field head coach Andy Eggerth the Men's South Region Indoor Coach of the Year on Friday.

"This award is a huge blessing that is not taken for granted," Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Andy Eggerth said. "This is essentially the highest award a coach can receive short of winning the National Championship. The South region is loaded with many of the best programs and coaches in the country, so it amazes and humbles me to be recognized by my peers."

Eggerth received the honor after the men's team claimed its fifth consecutive Atlantic Sun Indoor conference title championship over the weekend. The Owls scored 221 points to beat runner-up North Florida by 102 points, the largest margin of victory in conference history.

"Ironically the coach of the year award has little to do with me," Eggerth said. "First I need to thank my wife. Not only does she allow me to work endlessly, but Agne works tirelessly right alongside me. In fact, it was Agne who recruited Bilal, and we all know that it doesn't matter how well one can coach if they have no talent to work with. Our staff as a whole really puts in the time and the effort to make our program as successful as it has been and I'm very thankful to them!"

Eggerth was named the Atlantic Sun Indoor Coach of the Year for the fifth consecutive season. He has helped lead the men to five track and field conference titles and four outdoor titles.

At the indoor meet, Eggerth helped guide the male combined eventers and assisted with the jumpers who scored 71 combined points in the high jump, long jump triple jump, and heptathlon. Senior Bilal Abdullah claimed titles in both the long jump and the 60m-dash and will represent KSU at the 2016 NCAA Indoor Championship in the heptathlon and the long jump.

"Of course none of this is accomplished without the trust our athletes have in us and the commitment and efforts they put in daily. Naturally, I'm grateful to President Papp and Vaughn Wiiliams and our donors for the resources and support that allow us to be successful. Last, but not least, I need to thank all of our support services. Sport medicine, the business office, compliance, SASS, marketing, communications, admissions, housing, financial aid, etc, etc. All of these groups work very hard to accommodate the needs of our program and our student-athletes. The support staffs are key because they allow us to focus on recruiting and coaching and our kids to focus on being great students and athletes," Eggerth said.

Eggerth and Abdullah will travel to Birmingham, Ala. for the 2016 NCAA Indoor Championship on Mar. 11-12 at the Birmingham Crossplex.


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