World Athletics unveils new ‘Coach of the Year’ award
To mark ‘World Coaches’ Day’, the global governing body has introduced a revamped recognition scheme featuring an initial selection and voting process, with the recipient to be revealed at its annual honours ceremony in Monaco on 29 November. The ‘Coach of the Year’ replaces the former Coaching Achievement Award, which in recent years has been … The post World Athletics unveils new ‘Coach of the…
The global athletics organization World Athletics has introduced a new 'Coach of the Year' award to celebrate the pivotal role coaches play in the development and management of athletes. This recognition scheme, unveiled to honor 'World Coaches' Day', will be presented at the organization's annual awards ceremony in Monaco on November 29, 2026.
The new award replaces the previous Coaching Achievement Award, which had been given to several prominent figures in recent years. The inaugural recipients of the Coach of the Year honor were Helena and Greg Duplantis in 2020, who worked closely with their son Mondo, the world record holder. The Coaches' Commission, established in late 2025, will oversee the selection process for this prestigious award.
This process involves the initial shortlisting of six to eight candidates by the commission, followed by further ranking by area coaches' associations or designated bodies where no association exists. This ensures representation from all six specified areas. The three finalists will be announced on November 16, and the winner will be revealed live during the World Athletics Awards ceremony.
Frank Dick, chair of the Coaches' Commission, emphasized that this new award will allow the coaching community to choose its ambassador of excellence, while also highlighting World Athletics' commitment to recognizing the invaluable contributions of coaches as architects of opportunity and innovators in the sport. The 2026 World Athletics Awards will take place in Monaco on November 29, alongside other accolades such as 'World Athlete of the Year', the 'Rising Star and President's Award', and the first-ever 'Moment of the Year'.
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