University of Tennessee Athletics
Carlson Named USTFCCCA South Region Men’s Coach of the Year
November 21, 2023 | Cross Country
NEW ORLEANS – For the second time in as many years, head coach Sean Carlson has been named by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) as its South Region Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year.
Regional award winners were determined by a vote of USTFCCCA member coaches and are automatically placed on the ballot for national awards, which are set to be announced on Monday, Nov. 27.
Carlson led the Vols to another strong season – placing third at the SEC meet and having three individuals earn All-SEC honors for the second year in a row.
Tennessee defended its NCAA South Region title as it won the championship in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1994-95. The Vols had five runners finish inside the top 31 with four capturing All-Region accolades.
The region crown punched Tennessee's ticket to the NCAA Championships where it finished 26th as a team. Its appearance at the national meet marked the first time UT has made consecutive trips to NCAAs since 2001-02.
He guided senior standout Yaseen Abdalla to a pair of top-five finishes at the SEC and regional meets – finishing fourth and third, respectively. Transfer Gabriel Sanchez captured All-SEC and All-Region honors in his first season as a Vol, while Dean Casey became the first UT athlete to win SEC Men's Freshman Runner of the Year.
For Carlson, it is his fourth career regional coaching award, and he joins George Watts as the second coach in program history to win USTFCCCA South Region Coach of the Year honors in consecutive seasons.
Regional award winners were determined by a vote of USTFCCCA member coaches and are automatically placed on the ballot for national awards, which are set to be announced on Monday, Nov. 27.
Carlson led the Vols to another strong season – placing third at the SEC meet and having three individuals earn All-SEC honors for the second year in a row.
Tennessee defended its NCAA South Region title as it won the championship in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1994-95. The Vols had five runners finish inside the top 31 with four capturing All-Region accolades.
The region crown punched Tennessee's ticket to the NCAA Championships where it finished 26th as a team. Its appearance at the national meet marked the first time UT has made consecutive trips to NCAAs since 2001-02.
He guided senior standout Yaseen Abdalla to a pair of top-five finishes at the SEC and regional meets – finishing fourth and third, respectively. Transfer Gabriel Sanchez captured All-SEC and All-Region honors in his first season as a Vol, while Dean Casey became the first UT athlete to win SEC Men's Freshman Runner of the Year.
For Carlson, it is his fourth career regional coaching award, and he joins George Watts as the second coach in program history to win USTFCCCA South Region Coach of the Year honors in consecutive seasons.
Players Mentioned
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