2009 Coach of the Year Selections
November 23, 2009

Courtesy of USATT

USATT annually takes part in the U.S. Olympic Committee’s (USOC) Coach of the Year recognition program. Each Olympic Program sport is allowed to submit to the USOC one selection in each defined coaching category. Those categories include: National Team Coach of the Year, Development Coach of the Year, Volunteer Coach of the Year, Paralympic Coach of the Year and the Doc Councilman Coach of the Year (Best Use of Technology in Coaching).

We posted the respective nomination forms and the call for nominations on the website in late October with a posted close for nomination submissions of November 13, 2009. By November 13, we had received a total of 12 nominations for four of the coaching recognition categories.

It is important to note that in 2007 USATT’s nomination to the USOC in the Doc Councilman Coach of the Year category was Sean O’Neill and he was selected by the USOC as their Coach of the Year in that category. Equally impressive is the fact that in 2008, USATT’s nomination to the USOC of Rajul Sheth as Development Coach of the Year, was also selected as their Coach of the Year in that category.

The USATT’s 2009 Coach of the Year Selection Committee consisted of Richard McAfee, Chairman of the Coaching Advisory Committee, Whitney Ping, USATT’s Representative to the USOC’s Athlete Advisory Council, Ashu Jain, Vice Chairman of the USOC’s Athlete Advisory Council and USATT CEO, Mike Cavanaugh. The Selection Committee met via teleconference on Nov 17 after receiving all of the nominations received. The following individuals were unanimously selected for respective Coach of the Year honors and they will be submitted to the USOC for consideration of their Coach of the Year recognition program.

2009 National Team Coach of the Year - EMILIA GHEORGHE

2009 Volunteer Coach of the Year – JERRY MINTZ

2009 Development Coach of the Year – RAJUL SHETH

2009 Paralympic Coach of the Year - DANIEL RUTENBERG

Please join us in extending our congratulations to these individuals for their well deserved recognition and for their dedication to their athletes and the sport of Table Tennis!