Posted on August 8, 2019 by John Furdyna

Fisher and Hoffman Voted 2019 Kutztown Coaches of the Year

From Kutztown University

Fisher and Hoffman Voted 2019 Kutztown Coaches of the Year

KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Kutztown University wrestling coach Robert Fisher and women’s track and field coach Ray Hoffman have been named the 2019 KU Men’s Dr. Dennis Roth, and Women’s Dr. Dorothy Moyer Coaches of the Year.

It is the second consecutive year that Fisher is recognized as a coach of the year, last year earning women’s Coach of the Year honors in leading women’s golf to its first ever Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) championship. This year, Fisher brought home hardware once again, guiding the wrestling team to its first team title in program history. It is his third Coach of the Year for wrestling, having won it back-to-back years in 2014 and 2015.

Fisher and the KU wrestling program experienced a season to remember in 2018-19 as redshirt sophomore Andrew Dunn Jr. (Bethlehem, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic (Virginia Tech)) (285 lbs.) became the fifth national champion in team history, Jeff Reimel (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) (184 lbs.) and T.C. Warner (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley (Bloomsburg)) (174 lbs.) added All-America honors and Kutztown captured its best ever team finish at the NCAA Division II Championships with a 10thplace showing. The Maroon and Gold went 14-1 in duals, matching the fourth most wins and equaling the fewest losses in 57 seasons of KU wrestling.

Fisher secured his 200th career dual win on Jan. 12, 2019, against Ferrum in Hampton, Virginia. Dunn Jr., Reimel and Warner all won Super Region I championships, while Joe Renne (Great Meadows, N.J./Hackettstown) (125 lbs.) qualified for nationals with a third-place finish. Fisher’s squad finished No. 7 in the final NWCA Division II Top 25 and has produced at least one All-American 12 seasons running.

Hoffman is awarded his first Coach of the Year honor in track and field after previously winning twice for women’s cross country in 2001 and 2002.

Hoffman led the Kutztown women’s indoor track & field team to its first PSAC championship since 2006, earning PSAC Coach of the Year and United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Atlantic Region Coach of the Year honors in the process. Junior Kelly Groth (Audubon, Pa./Methacton) established new school records in the 55-meter dash (7.22), 60m (7.70) and 200m (25.42).

The Golden Bears also had a successful outdoor season with a fifth-place finish at the PSAC Championships, the program’s highest since taking second in 2013. Groth earned two more school records in the 100m (11.96) and 200m (25.21), while Megan Kirn (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) posted a new program record in the javelin by throwing 151-feet, 7-inches. Kirn qualified for the NCAA Division II Championships in Kingsville, Texas.

Members of the KU athletic department staff voted on the nominees to determine KU’s year-end awards.

Previous KU Coach of the Year Winners
Year       Winners
1987       Al Zellner, Women’s Soccer
1988       Rick Binder, Men’s Basketball
1989       Betty Wesner, Field Hockey
1990       Judy Lawes, Softball
1991       Tom York, Women’s Basketball
1992       Barry Fetterman, Football
1993       (W) Patty Weldon, Cross Country, (M) Dan Hinkel, Wrestling
1994       (W) Judy Lawes, Softball, (M) Brian Mondschein, Track & Field
1995       (W) Judy Lawes, Softball, (M) Brian Mondschein, Track & Field
1996       (W) Ken Ralph, Swimming, (M) Dan Hinkel, Wrestling
1997       (W) Brian Mondschein, Track & Field, (M) Matt Royer, Baseball
1998       (W) Betty Wesner, Field Hockey, (M) Brian Mondschein, Track & Field
1999       (W) John Gump, Volleyball, (M) Matt Royer, Baseball
2000       (W) Judy Lawes, Softball, (M) Brian Mondschein, Track & Field
2001       (W) Ray Hoffman, Cross Country, (M) Matt Royer, Baseball
2002       (W) Ray Hoffman, Cross Country, (M) Matt Royer, Baseball
2003       (W) John Gump, Volleyball, (M) Bernie Driscoll, Basketball
2004       (W) Jeff Schellenberger, Soccer, (M) Bernie Driscoll, Basketball
2005       (W) Jeff Schellenberger, Soccer, (M) Suresh Ramamurthi, Tennis
2006       (W) Brian Mondschein, Track & Field, (M) Chris Blum, Baseball
2007       (W) Judy Lawes, Softball, (M) Chris Blum, Baseball
2008       (W) Judy Lawes, Softball, (M) Bernie Driscoll, Basketball
2009       (W) Judy Lawes, Softball, (M) Bernie Driscoll, Basketball
2010       (W) Tim Flannery, Swimming, (M) Chris Blum, Baseball
2011       (W) Joseph Ambrose, Bowling, (M) Raymond Monica, Football
2012       (W) Judy Lawes, Softball, (M) Raymond Monica, Football
2013       (W) Judy Lawes, Softball, (M) Suresh Ramamurthi, Tennis
2014       (W) Erik Burstein, Soccer, (M) Robert Fisher, Wrestling
2015       (W) Erik Burstein, Soccer, (M) Robert Fisher, Wrestling
2016       (W) Marci Scheuing, Field Hockey, (M) Bernie Driscoll, Basketball
2017       (W) Erik Burstein, Soccer, (M) Jim Clements, Football
2018       (W) Robert Fisher, Golf, (M) Bernie Driscoll, Basketball
2019       (W) Ray Hoffman, Track & Field, (M) Robert Fisher, Wrestling

 

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