Finalists from left to right: Jon Knight, Scott Nelson, Ken Hans, Amy Pitzel, Brooks CEO Jim Weber, Bob Ayton, Bill Gregg, Jim O'Brien, Frank Davis. Not pictured: Clint Shultz, Bob and Katie Jazwinski.
Meet the 10 Finalists
The Brooks Inspiring Coaches program was established to recognize inspirational track/XC coaches for giving their time, encouragement, and dedication to support a team. We want to share their stories so they can inspire even more people – and we want to reward them with sweet prizes.
We received hundreds of nominations for coaches across the country. After a lot of deliberation we've selected these outstanding finalists. On June 27, we named Coach Amy Pitzel 2011 Brooks Inspiring Coach of the Year. Meet the best of the best.
Coach Bob Ayton
High school: Hatboro-Horsham High School, Horsham, Pennsylvania
Number of years coaching: 46 years
Accomplishments: Cross Country - 17 undefeated seasons, two Foot Locker Nationals finalists, one state champion, placed in the top 10 for team in PA 13 times; Track & Field - seven undefeated seasons, nine state champions, three national decathlon finalists, coached two individual Penn Relays champions, one national pole vault champion; Teaching - Wal-Mart "Teacher of the Year" award for the Greater Philadelphia Area, Suburban Bucks Jaycees "Outstanding Young Educator” award - 1986, Dr. Clifford Hendrickson "Champions of Learning" Award - 1991-92, Fellowship of Christian Athletes "Coach of the Year" award -2008, Greater Hatboro Chamber of Commerce Award – 2009, H-H School Board "Outstanding Achievement" Award – 1981, 1983, 1994, 2002, 2003
What makes Coach Bob Ayton so inspiring?
After 46 years of coaching, Coach Bob Ayton has never grown tired of guiding young athletes to their goals," wrote one of his athletes. His commitment to the sport is epitomized in this story from a former runner. "Coach suffered a stroke in the middle of cross country season and doctors were unsure if he would even be able to talk again. A few days into his hospital stay a few members of the cross country team stopped by to visit and see how he was doing. When they came in he was so excited to see them and immediately began asking them how their practices were going and how the team was doing. It was almost as if nothing had happened. By the end of the month he was back out coaching like normal. It was through this ordeal that I truly saw his love for his athletes. He wouldn’t let a thing like a stroke keep him from his runners and that is the Coach Ayton that all of his athletes admire and respect." This love for his runners and the sport has gives him "a unique ability to make every runner on his teams feel wanted, no matter what their skill level. No one ever feels like they underachieved when they run for him because he doesn’t let them."
Read a Q&A with Bob Ayton>>
Coach Frank Davis
High school: Southern High School in Durham, North Carolina
Number of years coaching: 17 years of high school track, 36 years of age group track
Accomplishments: Coached two State Championship teams, 35 individual State Champions, Crescent 6 Athletic Conference Coach of the Year (1993. 1994), NCHSAA State Champions Coach Award (1995-1996), National Age Group Track & Field Coach of the Year (1998) Raleigh News & Observer Tar Heel of the Week (2001), National Scholastic Sports Foundation Honorary Referee Adidas Outdoor Championships (2002), James E. Shepard Sertoma Club "Service to Mankind” Award (2008), NC USATF Coach of the Year (2003), USATF National Youth Chair Award (2009), USOC National Development Volunteer Coach of the Year (2009), The President Volunteer Service Award (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010), The President Call to Service Award (2008, 2009, 2010), Produced North Carolina 2008 Gatorade Player of the Year, Durham Striders President/Head Coach since 1980
What makes Coach Frank Davis so inspiring?
Nominated by a fellow coach, Frank Davis is described as "an enduring and dedicated track coach for the past 30 years, who gives his time and his personal resources to make sure that the children whom he coaches have every opportunity to achieve their dreams of college and productive lives as adults." Coaching in a disadvantaged, low income community with low graduation rates, Coach Davis believes every child deserves a chance and children only fail because others convince them they can’t succeed and are not worthy. With that in mind, he turns these athletes’ lives around through track by "developing individual strength, toughness, discipline, focus, and achievement despite, if not especially because of, the obstacles/odds in the way.” One story that really shows his how he inspired and changed the life of a former athlete starts when Frank Davis noticed her talent when she was just eleven years old on the playground. “He invited her to join his club team, the Durham Striders. She was reticent at first, had no money to register, no uniform, no shoes…he paid for her registration, her shoes, picked her up, and made sure that one of us who coached brought her home. Her father could not support her-they had been ‘lost’ to drugs and violence, but this athlete saw a way ‘out’ through Coach Davis’ encouragement and exposure to new places, new friends, and new dreams." To make a long story short, this particular athlete excelled as a high school athlete, earned her diploma and a college track scholarship, and continued on to dental school.
Read a Q&A with Frank Davis>>
Coach Bill Gregg
High school: Davis Senior High School in Davis, California
Number of years coaching: 14 years
Accomplishments: Coached eight boys District Championship teams, eight girls District Championship teams, and one individual State Champion; Sacramento Bee Boys Coach of the Year 2000, Sacramento Bee Girls Coach of the Year 2006.
What makes Coach Bill Gregg so inspiring?
"For four short years, Bill was my coach, but for the rest of my life he will be a mentor, life teacher, and a loving friend." This was written by a former runner and really epitomizes how inspiring a coach can be in a young athlete’s life. As we read through the nominations for Bill Gregg, it was hard to believe how many times we saw the word love. Every athlete he coached talked about the team as their family, how much their coach loved them, and how they could talk to him about anything. As another former athlete wrote, "he has the unique ability to connect with every person on his teams and truly change lives." The team environment made the program one of the largest in the school, because everyone was encouraged to participate. Even with over 100 athletes, he builds relationships with his athletes regardless of talent or age. As one of his runners stated, "As you can see, the term ‘Coach’ means so much more than someone who yells splits. Bill inspires desire within his runners to use this wonderful sport to become the people who they want to be."
Read a Q&A with Bill Gregg>>
Coach Ken Hans
High school: Leonardo DaVinci High School, Buffalo, New York
Number of years coaching: 12
Accomplishments: Coached team to six league championships, seven individual district championships, and three state championships; also earned numerous New York State Scholar Athlete Team Awards, Team Sportsmanship Awards, and had multiple Western New York Scholar Athletes
What makes Coach Ken Hans so inspiring?
Ken Hans has dedicated his life to coaching. As one nominator wrote, "I do not know anyone more dedicated to his kids and to the sport of running then Ken is." On many occasions, he has a brought kids into the local Fleet Feet Sports in Buffalo to buy shoes, he works hard on the Fleet Feet 15K – Run into Buffalo each year, because he knows the proceeds go to buying shoes for local high school kids who can’t afford them, and as one application put it, "he is a single guy who owns a minivan strictly to drive his athletes home after practice or to meets." His current athletes all had amazing comments to say about Coach Hans including "he pushes you to your full potential and never lets up give up", "because of Hans running became more than a season, but something part of my everyday", and "he is always willing to put his time aside to think about his runners and to help them train". Nomination after nomination said Ken Hans defines what it means to be an inspiring/dedicated coach, and we couldn’t agree more.
Read a Q&A with Ken Hans>>
Coaches Bob and Katie Jazwinski
High school: Dexter High School in Dexter, Michigan
Number of years coaching: Katie – 8 years, Bob – 15 years
Accomplishments: Eight time conference champions, eight time state qualifiers with an average placing of eighth place
What makes Coaches Katie and Bob Jazwinski so inspiring?
Katie and Bob Jazwinski not only inspire their high school athletes to run, they also inspire their parents and others in the community to join the Dexter Running Club where they coach. As one parent said, "they are so encouraging and supportive. They give so much of their time to our community." On top of coaching their running club and high school cross country, Katie and Bob run a high school cross country camp that draws over 100 runners and offer opportunities to continue running in the off season. They do everything they need to do to help their athlete’s reach their true potential. As another parent says, "they really push the girls to be the best they can be, not just in running but in life." In nomination after nomination, we continued to read how Katie and Bob want to make sure their runners have a balanced, healthy life by checking in on how much they are eating and sleeping, and how their school work is going. A great runner herself, Katie recently qualified for the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials. This accomplishment was so inspiring to the athletes she coaches, because she leads by example. As one nomination said, "her excitement and passion for running spills over onto the girls making them want to work that much harder to achieve their own goals."
Read a Q&A with Bob and Katie Jazwinski>>
Coach Jon Knight
High school: North Central High School in Spokane, Washington
Number of years coaching: 18 years
Accomplishments: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 & 2010 Washington 3A State Champions, 2007, 2008, 2009 & 2010 Northwest Regional Champions, 2008 National Champions, 2009 National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Coach of the year, Chase Youth Award of Community Service
What makes Coach Jon Knight so inspiring?
It doesn’t matter if they are the fastest or the slowest, Jon Knight has the same goal for all his athletes. He wants them to grow up to be respectable young men. To encourage this within his team, he created the "honor code" which one runner says has "changed the lives of many athletes for more than a decade." To promote the "honor code", each year Jon Knight and the team participate in several service projects, cleaning and clearing brush, at the places they like to run like parks and trails. Not only does he encourage community service with his team, he has also been known to purchase shoes for athletes that can’t afford them, hosts breakfasts and BBQs for the team after Saturday long runs, and puts together a summer cross country camp each year. As one parent stated, "It is not by accident that North Central has such an excellent cross country program. Yes, there is a team of people that make it happen, but without an outstanding 'team leader' in Coach Knight, this excellence would not be achieved." One last comment from a current athlete that truly inspired us was "he (Coach Knight) has turned my whole life around to where I have goals in my life."
Read a Q&A with Jon Knight>>
Coach Scott Nelson
High school: St. Francis High School in Wheaton, Illinois
Number of years coaching: 27 years
Accomplishments: Coached 11 state champions with 4 state records, numerous all-state athletes, several state finalists and many more all-area and all-conference athletes; earned 55 conference titles, 18 regional titles and 13 sectional titles with 43 teams earning a spot in the state finals. The 2000 and 2001 Girls St. Francis Cross Country teams finished 2nd in the state meet and the 2004 St. Francis Boys Cross Country team finished 3rd in the State meet. Was named "Coach of the Year" by the Daily Herald, Press Publications, Illinois Track and Cross Country Coaches Association and Illinois Girls' Coaches Association.
What makes Coach Scott Nelson so inspiring?
As a former athlete fondly says “he isn’t just a coach, but also a mentor and teacher to his athletes." The application goes on to state "he not only has coached numerous all-state athletes, but turned around many lives. He has mentored many kids through tough family situations
, tutored kids to help with grades, and even let an athlete live with him.” This story is one of the things that make Scott Nelson so inspiring. During his first year as a head coach, there was a very gifted runner on his team. As the season progressed, Coach Nelson saw changes in the athlete. He found out the runner was having problems at home, and those problems continued to grow. To make a long story short, there became a point where the athlete felt like he didn’t have anything to go home to, so Coach Nelson invited the athlete to live with him and his family. That action turned the athlete's life around as he began to excel in school, running, and as a person. As the nominator said, "he is not only a coach to many, but a father to many as well."
Read a Q&A with Scott Nelson>>
Jim O'Brien
High school: Arcadia High School in Arcadia, California
Accomplishments: 2011 Cross Country Men’s State Champions, NXN National Champions, USATF Jr. Olympics Cross Country Champions, and winners of the USATF Junior Nationals, Coached Ammar Moussa to the individual title at the 2011 USATF Junior Nationals where he qualified for the World Championships and eventually placed 32nd and second American, California XC Coach of the Year in 2008.
What makes Coach Jim O’Brien so inspiring?
Two common themes showed up in the nominations about Coach Jim O’Brien. First, many of his runners mention that he teaches all his athletes the joy of running and what it means to Run Happy. The second common thread was the fact that he works with each of his athletes individually. As one former athlete wrote, "he takes the time and effort to personally get to know every one of his athletes, and then uses this knowledge to create workouts that will maximize results and allow them to reach their full potential." He spends countless hours and his own resources to make sure his athletes get every opportunity available. One current athlete recounted a time when he had a season ending injury, his grades were falling, and everything was going downhill. At this time when all felt lost, Jim O’Brien was the only person who gave him hope. In the athlete's words, he was "the one person who looked me in the eye and told me to keep going and pushed me towards excellence." To sum up everything we read about Coach Jim O’Brien, here is one of our favorite quotes. "There are no specific instances in which he inspires the people around him, because there are no instances during which he is not."
Read a Q&A with Jim O'Brien>>
Coach Amy Pitzel - 2011 Brooks Inspiring Coach of the Year
High school: Taylor High School in Katy, Texas
Number of years coaching: 6
Accomplishments: Cross Country Regional Team Qualifiers, Two Individual State Qualifiers, 2011 Congress Avenue Mile coach, and board member for the Cross Country Coaches Association (CCCAT)
What makes Amy Pitzel so inspiring?
With 64 Inspiring Coaches nominations, the most of any nominee, it is easy to say that Coach Amy Pitzel (also called Coach P by many of her athletes) is loved by athletes and parents alike. Phrases like "always available to challenge, encourage, and comfort her athletes", "is totally dedicated", "leads by example", and "is the glue that bonds her team like no other"continually come up in her applications. One story about Amy Pitzel that truly inspired us was her ability to rally and comfort her team after a devastating experience. In the words of one of her former athletes, "Coach P coached our team through the most trying and inspirational season I’ve ever experienced. Three weeks before our District race, a team member collapsed and died at a morning practice due to a hereditary heart defect. Devastated, scared, and shocked – our team spent the rest of the day together trying to get ourselves together enough to get back to class. In the following weeks, Coach P truly stepped up to bring the team together. She worked with the administration to ensure that we could all attend the funeral that was held during a school day. She organized a community wide memorial service at the track – over 300 people attended and walked the memorial lap. She made t-shirts for the team in his memory – I still have mine five years later. All these efforts truly brought our team together following such a difficult loss. We became closer than we’d ever been before, leaning on each other and our coach to finish the season in memory of a wonderful teammate."
Read a Q&A with Amy Pitzel>>
Coach Clint Shultz
High school: White Mountain School in White Mountain, Alaska
Number of years coaching: 3
Accomplishments: Coached three state qualifiers, one individual regional winner, as well as won a regional team title for small school teams
What makes Clint Shultz so inspiring?
As stated in his nomination, "not only does he coach, but he believes firmly in being involved as a runner in every practice, giving kids encouragement and inspiration, not only in his words, but in his actions as a runner himself." Clint truly inspires everyone in his community to run and be active. He organizes the event Walk for Life, which is a statewide event to recognize community wellness and suicide prevention, plans a local cross country invitational for teams all over the region, and teaches martial arts to students of all ages. Although cross country is his favorite sport to coach, he dedicates his time coaching other sports to keep the students active throughout the year, so they can be ready for the next running season. This helps to maintain a love of healthy living among the youth of rural Alaska, which is critical for successful communities. One of the most inspiring stories about Clint is "during his first couple practices, students practiced in jeans and boots due to a lack of resources, but they still had the desire to become better athletes. Since that time, he will always provide students with his personal running gear and has fundraised to provide shoes and uniforms in order for them to be able to participate in daily practices and races."
Read a Q&A with Clint Shultz>>
