Following the end of the winter seasons, two University of Indianapolis coaches have won awards for their coaching efforts. Former Head Men’s Basketball Coach Stan Gouard was awarded the National Association of Basketball Coaches Midwest Coach of the Year, and Head Cross Country Coach and Assistant Track Coach Brad Robinson was selected as the National Women’s Track and Field Assistant Coach of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
Gouard said he is honored to receive the award, but he would have preferred to have been able to finish the season with the team. The Men’s Basketball team finished the season 24-6 and were set to host the NCAA regional tournament before having their season cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Gouard, this award is something that all of the coaches at UIndy strive for.
“We have great sports at UIndy,” Gouard said. “Dr [Sue] Willey and Scott Young have put together 30 quality coaching staff across the board. It’s so competitive in a good way. We all pull for each other, but anytime you can get a coach of the year, in your program that just, solidifies how good your program is or your or your athletic department”
This is the second coaching award Gouard has brought home in his tenure as the head coach of the Greyhounds, previously winning the 2014-2015 GLVC Coach of the Year award, according to UIndy Athletics. Assistant Basketball Coach John Spruance said something that sets Gouard apart from other coaches is his ability to relate to the players. Spruance said one of the bigger focuses of Gouard’s coaching methodology is the culture of the team.
“I think we’re demanding of them, Stan’s demanding of them, but he’s also the guy that’s willing to do anything he can to make sure that these kids are successful…,” Spruance said. “And I think when you talk to Stan, I think it’s more important that the alumni that come back and the guys that come to games and come back into the locker room, that’s actually how you define a successful program, I think Stan’s done a great job of that.
Robinson was able to help lead the Women’s Track and Field team to a number five ranking in the nation mid-season. Along with this, junior distance runners Bernice Cleyet-Merle and Lauren Bailey as well as sophomore pole vaulter Brittany Clark become national qualifiers this season. According to Robinson, winning the award shows how good the program is at UIndy and the team’s work ethic. He said that it is an award that reflects positively on the entire university. Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Scott Fangman said that this is an award that Robinson could win again.
“I think the award is well deserved, Fangman said. “Brad has done a wonderful job in the years he’s been with us. His quality of work goes well beyond what is seen on the field. He beat out some very good coaches, which is a testimony to his own value and accomplishments. I suspect this won’t be the only time he wins this award.”
Robinson said that the award is not something that he is thinking about, that he is more worried about being able to work with his athletes and help them grow not only as athletes but as people as well. According to Robinson, the award is more about the talent the team has and less about him as a coach.
“[I’m] not going to say I’m the best coach out there by any means,” Robinson said. “It’s nice to be honored with an award, but by no means does it mean you’re actually the best coach. But I feel it means that we’re getting the right people and giving them using the resources we have properly and to maximize their potential.”
