As is typical, customary and likely justified, the coach of the national champion women’s cross-country team, in turn, has been named national coach of the year.
That means the honoree is the University of New Mexico’s Joe Franklin, who presided over a Lobo team that dominated Saturday’s NCAA meet in Louisville, Ky., to conclude a dominating season. It’s the second national title of any kind in UNM athletic history, behind skiing in 2004.
The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) honored Franklin after his team scored 49 points, the lowest team score in modern meet history, per UNM.