The United States Olympic Committee announced its annual award recipients for 2014 national coaches of the year.

On the Olympic side, Skogen Sprang (freestyle skiing; Olympic Valley, Calif.) was recognized as National Coach of the Year, while Brian Loeffler (Paralympic swimming; Baltimore, Md.) took home Paralympic National Coach of the Year honors. Additionally, George Ryals (archery; Monroe, Ga.) was named Developmental Coach of the Year, Kathleen Stevenson (archery; Nichols Hills, Okla.) was selected Volunteer Coach of the Year and Dave Hamilton (field hockey; Lancaster, Pa.) took home the Doc Councilman Science Award.

“We are honored to recognize this distinguished group of coaches, who have dedicated their lives to helping American athletes realize their full potential and achieve excellence, both on and off the field of play,” said Alan Ashley, USOC chief of sport performance. “Team USA is stronger because of their positive influence and tireless commitment to our athletes, and we are proud to honor them as our coaches of the year.”

National Governing Bodies selected their 2014 Coaches of the Year as part of the USOC Coach of the Year Recognition Program. Three national finalists in each category were selected by a panel of coaching and sport education professionals.

National Coach of the Year – Skogen Sprang, U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association

In his second season as the U.S. slopestyle skiing head coach, Sprang led Team USA in capturing four Olympic medals at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, highlighted by a historic sweep of the men’s podium – only the third by a U.S. team in Olympic Winter Games history. Under Sprang’s direction the men’s team of Joss Christensen, Gus Kenworthy and Nick Goepper, and women’s slopestyle skier Devin Logan combined to earn four of Team USA’s nine medals in the new Olympic events to debut in Sochi. For his success, he was recognized as the 2014 U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association Freeskiing International Coach of the Year.

Source: teamusa.org