Roughly one week after seven athletes from the Iowa men’s track and field team were named as All-Big Ten selections, a member of the coaching staff has been recognized.

Assistant coach Joey Woody was named the Midwest Region Assistant Coach of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association on Monday.

The fifth-year assistant coaches sprints, hurdles, and relays for the Hawkeyes. This season, he guided runners in the 200- and 4×400-meter relays to Big Ten titles as well as bids for this weekend’s NCAA indoor championships.

Under Woody’s lead, athletes in the 60, 200, 60-meter hurdles, and 4×400-meter relay have broken school records this year.

“It’s always been one of my goals to be recognized by my peers as one of the best coaches in the country, and I’m thankful for that,” he said. “Everything I’ve done throughout my athletics career has been to be one of the best in the world. That’s the approach I take to coaching, just as I did as an athlete.”

— by Ben Schuff