COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The United States Olympic Committee today announced the finalists for its National, Developmental and Volunteer Coach of the Year honors. Finalists were also named for the "Doc" Counsilman Science Award. The awards will be presented May 3 during the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Award luncheon in Washington, D.C. 

U.S. Olympic and Pan American sports organizations selected their 2006 Coaches of the Year as part of the USOC Coach of the Year Recognition Program.  The five finalists in each category were selected by a panel of former coaches and officials.  Winners in each category will be announced at the May 3 Awards luncheon.

Finalists for the USOC National Coach of the Year are Steve Fraser (Colorado Springs, Colo./USA Wrestling), Clyde Hart (Waco, Texas/USA Track & Field), Bud Keene (Stowe, Vt./U.S. Ski and Snowboard), Ryan Shimabukuro (Layton, Utah/U.S. Speedskating) and Andy Sparks (Temecula, Calif./USA Cycling).

The Developmental Coach of the Year finalists are John Hynes (Ann Arbor, Mich./USA Hockey), Frank Madden (Colts Neck, N.J./U.S. Equestrian), Mark Mitchell and Peter Johansson (Wellesley, Mass./U.S. Figure Skating), Jhonny Prado (Miami, Fla./USA Judo) and Bill Rose (Mission Viejo, Calif./USA Swimming).

Finalists for the title of Volunteer Coach of the Year are Tom Barker (Victoria, Texas/USA Archery), Jack Kelly (Westport, Conn./U.S. Field Hockey), Patrick Barry (Las Vegas, Nev./USA Boxing), Chuck Slaughter (Amarillo, Texas/U.S. Fencing) and Booker Woods (/USA Track & Field).

The "Doc" Counsilman Award recognizes those coaches that utilize scientific techniques and/or equipment as an integral part of his or her coaching methods, or has created innovative ways to use sport science.  This year's finalists include:  Brian Shimer (Naples, Fla./U.S. Bobsled & Skeleton), Dr. Andrew Coggan (Ballwin, Mo./USA Cycling), Kat Arbour (Philadelphia, Pa./U.S. Figure Skating), Wolfgang Schaedler (Lake Placid, N.Y./USA Luge), and Dave Ellis (Colorado Springs, Colo./USA Hockey). 

USOC National Coach of the Year Finalist Bios

As National Greco-Roman Coach, Steve Fraser coached the U.S. to its best-ever performance at the 2006 World Championships in Guangzhou, China. The team placed third in the final standings, with three medalists, matching the best effort of any previous U.S. World Team. Included was only the fifth Greco-Roman World champion ever, Joe Warren, plus bronze medalists Lindsey Durlacher and Harry Lester. All seven wrestlers placed in the top 12 of their weight class.   Fraser won a gold medal at 90 kg (198 lbs.) at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, becoming the first U.S. wrestler to ever win an Olympic gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling.

Clyde Hart coached Sanya Richards and Jeremy Wariner to undefeated seasons in 2006 in the women's and men's 400 meters, respectively, as his athletes dominated the world. Both athletes won a share of the IAAF Golden League Jackpot for winning all six prestigious Golden League meets and were named the Jesse Owens Award winners by USATF as the top track athletes of the year.  In 43 years as coach at Baylor University, Hart has coached 29 national champions (14 individual and 15 relay) and 475 All-America performances and 118 women's All-Americans. His men's 4x400-meter relay teams have earned outdoor All-America status for 25 consecutive years and captured 14 NCAA titles. Hart's teams have turned in 10 World-record performances (nine individual and one relay) and nine NCAA record efforts.

Bud Keene has been the head coach of the U.S. Snowboarding Halfpipe program since 2003 and has continued to build on the success and domination that U.S. riders established during the 2002 Olympic Games.  Under his direction, U.S. Snowboarders captured four of the six possible medals at the 2006 Olympic Games including two gold and silver medals.  Two other U.S. riders both finished in fourth place.   

Ryan Shimabukuro is the head coach of the U.S. Speedskating's National Long Track Team and helped guide Joey Cheek to gold and silver medals in the 500m and 1000m at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games.  He also coached Casey FitzRandolph to a fourth-place finish at the 2006 World Sprint Championships and to four individual World Cup medals on the year.  

Andy Sparks guided Sarah Hammer through her comeback to the sport of cycling and watched her win the World Championship in the individual pursuit, becoming the first American to win a medal at a major championship since the 2000 Olympic Games.  In addition, Hammer won three national championship titles, recorded three World Cup wins, and set the national record in the individual pursuit.   Also in 2006, Sparks launched the Women's Track Cycling Fund, an organization to support and mentor America's future crop of female track cyclists. In addition, he helped form the Ouch Professional Cycling Team, the first-ever UCI women's professional track racing team. 

USOC Developmental Coach of the Year Finalist Bios

John Hynes held a 41-19-0 record during the 2005-06 season with the U.S. National Under-18 Team, part of USA Hockey's National Team Development Program. During the season, he led the team to second-place finishes at both the Four Nations and Five Nations Tournaments in Finland and Russia.  He also coached  the U.S. National Under-18 Team at the IIHF World Under-18 Championship, where the United States successfully defended its world title for the first time ever, posting a perfect 6-0-0 record en route to the gold medal.  Hynes also served as an assistant coach for the 2006 U.S. National Junior Team at the IIHF World Junior Championship, where Team USA placed fourth. Hynes oversaw the development of Erik Johnson, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2006 National Hockey League Entry Draft, while also coaching 12 other players who were drafted by the NHL, including another first-rounder (Chris Summers) and four second-rounders.

Frank Madden is one of the most successful and dedicated trainers within the ranks of the U.S. Equestrian Federation.  From his Beacon Hill Show Stables in Colts Neck, N.J., he has trained, in partnership with his wife Stacia, several of the most promising junior equitation and jumper riders.

Highlights from 2006 include coaching several of USEF's most promising young riders, including Brianne Goutal, who earned a team gold at the Buenos Aires Nations Cup and was named USEF Junior Equestrian of the Year.  She also was first at the Garden State Grand Prix.  In the North American Young Rider Championships, Madden's students took the team gold and individual silver medals.   2004 Olympic Team Silver Medalist and 2006 World Equestrian Games Team Silver and Individual Silver medalist, Beezie Madden, trained with Madden earlier in her career.   

Mark Mitchell and Peter Johansson currently coach at the Skating Club of Boston in Brighton, Mass. They have been coaching together as a team for the past 11 years.   Johansson was a four-time Swedish champion, a four time World competitor, and competed at the 1988 Olympic Winter Olympic Games.  Mitchell was a United States junior champion, U.S. Olympic Festival champion, and twice a member of the United States World Team.   In 1995, the two joined forces and began to rebuild the skating program at the Skating Club of Boston. Since that time, they have coached 34 national-level skaters to 21 national medals and 13 international skaters to 22 international medals.

Jhonny Prado, head coach of the North Miami USA Judo National Training Site, has produced more athletes that have achieved both junior and senior success than any other coach in the country.  Presently the North Miami program has six athletes ranked in the top-two nationally in their division - five of whom are between the ages of 15 and 18-years-old.  Jeanette Rodriguez (48kg) had one of the biggest breakout performances of the year, winning the Senior Nationals as a 15-year-old, followed by the Senior U.S. Open later in the year.  Rodriguez also won a silver medal at the Rendez-Vous Canada and finished fifth at the Tre-Torri International in Italy - both Senior B-Level Tournaments.  In her first Junior Worlds appearance, Rodriguez finished fifth - the second-best performance by an American.  Eighteen-year-old Bobby Lee also had an outstanding year, holding the No. 1 junior ranking at 73kg while also winning the Senior U.S. Open in an upset of a two-time Pan American Champion.  

Prado also was the coach of the Pan American Junior and Juvenile Teams that won 26 medals out of 32 divisions, including seven golds.  The team included many of Prado's own athletes who won five of the gold medals as well as two silver medals and a bronze.  

Bill Rose was the only USA Swimming coach to place two athletes on the 2006 National Junior Team that competed at the Victorian State Championships in Melbourne, Australia. The two athletes from the Mission Viejo Nadadores were Chad LaTourette and Scott Sorge, and both had top-four finishes at the meet. LaTourette won two gold medals in the 800m and 1500m freestyles. 

At the USA Swimming National Championships, nine athletes from Mission Viejo competed at the meet. Based on their performances, two athletes were selected to represent the United States in international competition. Fran Crippen and LaTourette will both compete on the 2007 World University Games team.    

Rose's athletes also had a presence on the international scene in 2006, as Crippen competed on the Pan Pacific Championships team, and Justin Mortimer was selected for the Open Water World Championships team. Crippen earned a silver medal in the open water 10K at the Pan Pacs.

As the head coach and CEO of the Mission Viejo Nadadores, Rose oversees a club of approximately 800 swimmers. On a daily basis, he coaches a group of 33 elite-level swimmers.

USOC Volunteer Coach of the Year Finalist Bios

Tom Barker got involved in coaching archery 11 years ago as a way to help his son in the sport.  Since that time, he's not only made it a long-term family activity for the Barker household but brought archery to many local area youth.   Barker believes that archery is a great metaphor for life and feels as if his job as a youth archery coach is to "keep kids off drugs and out of the legal system."  

Patrick Barry founded Barry's Boxing Center, a non-profit boxing organization catering to male and female youth in Southern Nevada.  In 2005 and 2006, Barry's gym produced elite boxers Louie, Teddy and Gino Padilla as well as Pan American Games hopeful Diego Magdelano.  Five years ago, Barry, a juvenile detective in the Las Vegas Police Department, was honored by President Clinton as "Top Cop" for his work with youth. 

Eighty-one year old Jack Kelly has been a volunteer assistant coach at Staples High School in Westport, Conn., since 1994.  Staples finished the 2006 season with a 10-7-1 record and qualified for the CIAC Class L State Tournament. During the season, he helped coach two Staples players to All-Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference honors. 

The retired Navy lieutenant began playing field hockey in Rye, Conn. at the age of 14. He later helped found the Privateers international touring field hockey team that originated with members of the 1956 U.S. Olympic team. The team served to develop the sport worldwide and provided Kelly with the opportunity to compete internationally in places such as Belgium, England, Egypt, France, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and Trinidad & Tobago. Kelly last appeared with the Privateers at the 1998 National Hockey Festival where the team won the Veteran's Division title. He scored a goal in his final game at the age of 73.

Chuck Slaughter's career in fencing began as a father/son activity and quickly evolved to him becoming coach of a recreational leisure arts program at Amarillo College.  With limited fencing experience, his program occasionally sent fencers to the Junior Olympics without any prospect of being competitive.  But due to Slaughter's hard work and dedication to increasing his coaching skills and knowledge base in the sport, his program has now come full circle.  In 2006, he was able to develop four nationally-ranked fencers and Chuck's student, Juleah Nusz, is the first A-ranked fencer from the Plains Texas Division of U.S. Fencing.  

Throughout Booker Woods' 34 years of volunteer coaching for USA Track & Field and Cross Country, he has produced 104 national champions.  During that time, his Los Angeles Jets club team has set 23 national records.  In 2006, Woods coached five athletes to wins at USA Track & Field Regional Championships, and 43 of his athletes qualified for the USA Track & Field National Junior Olympic Championships in Baltimore, Md.  In addition to pursuing success on the track, Booker's program motivates children and adolescents to perform well in the classroom and be productive citizens.  He encourages parents to be involved in the children's academics, sports, and spirituality.

USOC "Doc" Counsilman Science Award Finalist Bios

As a rated figure skating coach through the Professional Skaters Association (PSA), a licensed physical therapist, a certified personal trainer and off-ice strength and conditioning coach, and a current PhD candidate in biomechanics and movement science, Kat Arbour is able to bring a level of knowledge to working with figure skaters which few coaches possess. Currently, Arbour is using sports science in her coaching to help skaters acquire the ability to skate their programs at their best, identify injuries early to minimize the interruption to training, and to educate skaters parents and other coaches.  Although Arbour is not the head coach of any athletes, the number of elite athletes with whom she works with including Kimmie Meissner speaks volumes for her ability as a coach and her expertise in off-ice conditioning and injury prevention.

Dr. Andrew Coggan has developed several mathematical approaches for the analysis of training loads in cycling using on-bike power measuring devices.  The work has led to a better quantification of training loads available to cyclists of all abilities and has strongly influenced the way cyclists in the U.S. are being trained.  

Dave Ellis is an accomplished sports dietitian and President of Sports Alliance Inc., which provides nutrition consulting services to athletics and the food industry. He has earned a reputation as a pioneer in the field of applied sports nutrition and celebrated his 25th year of practice in athletics in 2006. In addition to being a Registered Dietitian, Ellis is also a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and a USA Hockey Level 5 (highest level) certified coach. Since starting his private practice in 2001, he now mentors many of the leading practitioners in sports nutrition while working with a distinguished list of U.S. Olympic, professional and collegiate athletes and coaches (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NASCAR, professional tennis, golf and ice skating). For USA Hockey, Ellis speaks at Player Development Camps and Coaching Education Program clinics, while coaching at the youth level in Colorado Springs. He also authors a column for USA Hockey Magazine (circ. 450,000).

Wolfgang Schaedler provides a rare combination in the luge world, blending together technical superiority in sled building along with unique coaching ability.  Since becoming USA Luge's head coach in 1986, Schaedler has guided the program to four Olympic medals, 10 World Championship medals, and four overall World Cup doubles titles.  

During the off-season, Schaedler is busy building the U.S. team sled's runners, shaping the runner's wood cores and dsigning and building sled molds based upon wind tunnel studies.  Schaedler also manufactures sled parts and machines all sled hardward, machines the sled's steel runners, sets the edge and bow for all U.S. athletes' runners and innovates numerous sled parts, including the sled's suspension.  

After retiring from the sport of bobsled after winning a bronze medal in 2002, Brian Shimer, a five-time Olympian, was eager to assist in the Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project, which looks to make American-made sleds using race car technology.  Now as a coach with the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation, Shimer has taken his knowledge from his years of experience and worked with NASCAR legend Geoff Bodine to create a new technology, research and development for the bobsleds.  

With Shimer's continued efforts, the U.S. has become a force to be reckoned with as witnessed by the recent 2006-07 season in which the USBSF had their best season ever, as the U.S. bobsled team won 17 medals.  U.S. bobsled team member, Steven Holcomb, jumped from 13th in overall World Cup standings in two-man bobsled last season to first this year while Shauna Rohbock was second in the World Cup standings as well.  

Nominees for Coach of the Year as selected by the National Governing Bodies (NGBs):

NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR by sport
Archery- Dee Wilde- Pocatello, Idaho
Badminton- Zi Min Cai- Orange, Calif.
Baseball- Davey Johnson
Basketball- Mike Krzyzewski- Durham, N.C.
Biathlon- Algis Shalna, Williston, Vt. 
Bobsled/Skeleton- Orvie Garrett-Mount Washington, Mass.
Bowling- Jerrylin Edwards- Medina, Ohio
Boxing- Paul Andrade- Providence, R.I.
Canoe/Kayak- Silvan Poberaj-Charlotte, N.C.
Curling- Bob Fenson- Bemidji, Minn.
Cycling Andy Sparks- Temecula, Calif.
Diving- John Wingfield-Fishers, Ind.
Equestrian- George H. Morris-Wellington, Fla.
Fencing- Ed Korfanty- Portland, Ore.
Field Hockey- Lee Bodimeade-Virginia Beach, Va.
Figure Skating- Pam Gregory-Newark, Del.
Gymnastics- Andrea Bieger-Coconut Creek, Fla.
Ice Hockey- Peter Laviolette- Raleigh, N.C.
Judo- Jason Morris, Scotia, N.Y.
Luge- Fred Zimny-Lake Placid, N.Y.
Racquetball- Dave Ellis-Stockton, Calif.
Rowing- Tom Terhaar-Monmouth Junction, N.J.
Sailing- Zachary N. Leonard-Branford, Conn.
Skiing- Bud Keene- Stowe, Vt.
Soccer- Glenn "Mooch" Myernick- Chicago, Ill.
Softball- Mike Candrea-Tucson, Ariz.
Speedskating- Ryan Shimabukuro- Layton, Utah
Squash- William McNally- Middletown, R.I.
Swimming- Bob Bowman-Ann Arbor, Mich.
Synchronized Swimming- Tammy McGregor-Walnut Creek, Calif.
Table Tennis- Dan Seemiller-New Carlisle, Ind.
Taekwondo- Jean Lopez- Sugar Land, Texas
Tennis- Andres Brandi- Boca Raton, Fla.
Track & Field- Clyde Hart- Waco, Texas
Triathlon- Hank Lange- Brattlleboro, Vt.
Volleyball- John Cook- Lincoln, Neb.
Water Polo- Todd Clapper-Phoenix, Ariz.
Water Skiing- Mike Meek- Albany, Ohio
Weightlifting- Dr. Kyle Pierce- Shreveport, La.
Wrestling- Steve Fraser- Colorado Springs, Colo.

DEVELOPMENTAL COACH OF THE YEAR by Sport
Archery- Linda Beck- Maple Lake, Minn.
Badminton- Radu Milevschi- Mountain View, Calif.
Baseball- Garye LaFevers- Buckeye, Ariz.
Basketball-  Doug Bruno- Chicago, Ill.; Lorenzo Romar- Seattle, Wash.
Biathlon- James Upham, Caribou, Maine
Bowling- Teresa Ross- Manteca, Calif.
Boxing- Naazim Richardson- Philadelphia, Pa.
Canoe/Kayak- Guy Wilding- Chula Vista, Calif.
Curling- Mary Jaster-Grafton, N.D.
Diving- Phil Tonne- Brentwood, Calif.
Equestrian- Frank I. Madden- Colts Neck, N.J.
Fencing- Andrey Geva- Houston, Texas
Field Hockey- Karen Klassner- Kingston, Pa.
Figure Skating- Mark Mitchell- Wellesley, Mass.; Peter Johansson- Wellesley, Mass.
Ice Hockey- John Hynes- Ann Arbor, Mich.
Judo- Jhonny Prado- Coral Springs, Fla.
Luge- Duncan Kennedy- Lake Placid, N.Y.
Racquetball- Kay Kohler-St. Louis, Mo.
Rowing- Dave O'Neill- Berkeley, Calif.
Sailing- Duffy Markham- Corpus Christi, Texas
Softball- Gary Haning- Santa Ana, Calif.
Speedskating- Dave Tamburrino- Wauwatosa, Wis.
Squash- David Kay- Chicago, Ill.
Swimming- Bill Rose- Mission Viejo, Calif.
Synchronized Swimming- Sue Nesbitt- Riverside, Calif.
Taekwondo- Patrice Remarck- Alexandria, Va.
Table Tennis- Hui Yuan Liu- Rego Park, N.Y.
Tennis- Nick Saviano- Davie, Fla.
Volleyball- Neil Mason- Long Beach, Calif.
Water Skiing- Scott Greenwood- Little Rock, Ark.
Weightlifting- Thomas Bennett, Port Orange, Fla.
Wrestling- Russ Cozart- Brandon, Fla.

VOLUNTEER COACH OF THE YEAR by Sport
Archery- Tom Barker- Victoria, Texas
Badminton- Desmond Wong- Rockville, Md.
Bowling- Jeffrey Frye- Hackettstown, N.J.
Boxing- Patrick M. Barry- Las Vegas, Nev.
Canoe/Kayak- Jim Farnum- Honolulu, Hawaii
Fencing- Chuck Slaughter- Amarillo, Texas
Field Hockey- Jack Kelly- Westport, Conn.
Ice Hockey- Joe Trimarchi- Westbury, N.Y.
Judo- Bert Becerra- Garland, Texas
Racquetball- Dennis Fisher- Spanish Fork, Utah
Sailing- Ryan Hamm- Charleson, S.C.
Speedskating- Carl Cepuran- Glen Ellyn, Ill.
Squash-Ted Clark- New York, N.Y.
Synchronized Swimming- Ginny Jasonteck- Loveland, Ohio
Table Tennis- Dr. Michael J. Scott- Seattle, Wash.
Track & Field- Booker Woods- Los Angeles, Calif.
Water Skiing- Kathy Ives- Round Rock, Texas
Weightlifting- Tim Swords, League City, Texas
Wrestling- Mike Duroe- Iowa City, Iowa

"DOC" COUNSILMAN SCIENCE AWARD Nominees
Bobsled/Skeleton- Brian Shimer- Naples, Fla.
Canoe/Kayak- Nathan Luce- Chula Vista, Calif.
Cycling- Andrew Coogan- Ballwin, Mo.
Figure Skating- Kat Arbour- Philadelphia, Pa.
Ice Hockey- Dave Ellis-Colorado Springs, Colo.
Judo- Rhadi Ferguson-Boca Raton, Fla.
Luge- Wolfgang Schaedler- Lake Placid, N.Y.
Sailing- Roger "Scott" Ikle- Geneva, N.Y.
Table Tennis- Larry Thoman- Gallatin, Tenn.
Tennis- Emilie Foster- Boerne, Texas
Wrestling- Dave Bennett- Coaldale, Colo.

For more information, please contact the USOC Media & Public Relations Division at 719-866-4529.  This press release is also available on the USOC's media specific website at www.usocpressbox.org.