2015-16 Stories of the Year (No. 5): Six honored as Coach of Year

MEQUON, Wis. – The 2015-16 athletic year saw more memorable moments from Concordia University Wisconsin athletic teams. As in years past, the Department of Athletic Communications tries to sort through all the great moments and give you, the fans, the top stories from the past athletic year.

The list of stories was compiled by the Department of Athletic Communications and, like all lists, is subject to debate. The top stories will be revealed over the next six weeks, with a story being released each Tuesday (exception: none on July 5). The top story of the year will be released July 26.

No. 5

Falcons have six land Coach of Year honors

Great success in sports will always be highlighted by the athletes, but teams need great leaders. They need great coaching staffs. CUW showcased its coaches this season, as six were honored as Coach of the Year in their respective conferences this year, which is the No. 5 story for the 2015-16 Stories of the Year.

In the fall, the Falcons began the Coach of the Year run with three earning the accolade. On the pitch, both Men's and Women's Soccer had the Coach of the Year after Tom Saleska and Ryan Middendorf led their teams to a NACC Championship. Steve Anschutz also earned Coach of the Year honors after leading the Women's Tennis program to an undefeated NACC regular season title.

The winter saw another NACC Coach of the Year, as Women's Basketball head coach Stacey Brunner-Jones landed the honor for the third time in her career. She guided the Falcons to a NACC regular season title as well, with the team posting a 17-3 record in league play.

Two more Coaches of the Year honorees were awarded to the Falcons in the spring season, one in the NACC and the other in the MLC. Russ De Lap was named Women's Track & Field Coach of the Meet at the NACC Outdoor Championships after leading the Falcons to a second-place finish. In Men's Lacrosse it was Michael Fahey was who named MLC Coach of the Year, also guiding the Falcons to a second-place finish in the league.

The Falcons had several other coaches who had great success in 2015-16, whether it was leading their teams to the top of the conference standings, or helping set program records in wins. Of course, when talking about leadership, the whole staff deserves to be mentioned. All of these head coaches work with outstanding assistants who helped mentor Falcon student-athletes to success at Concordia University Wisconsin in 2015-16.

2015-16 Stories of the Year
HM: Individual success, accolades big part of Falcons year
No. 5: Falcons have six land Coach of the Year honors
No. 4: June 28
No. 3: July 12
No. 2: July 19
No. 1: July 26