INFO | Complete USTFCCCA national XC awards release
 
New Orleans, La.----Wingate University's Pol Domenech is the 2025 NCAA Division II men's cross country national Coach of the Year, as named by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The sixth-year Wingate head coach led his Bulldogs to the NCAA Division II men's cross country national championship last weekend.
 
Over the last four years, Wingate men's cross country has two first-place finishes (2023, 2025) and two second-place showings (2022, 2024) at NCAAs. On Saturday, the Bulldogs placed five runners inside the top 30 to claim its second NCAA Division II title in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The Bulldogs defeated Adams State (Colo.) 62-71, led by senior Antonin Saint-Peyre and his second-place finish with his 10K time of 29:41.8.
 
What They Are Saying about Pol Domenech
Wingate director of cross country and track and field Matt van Lierop
 
"Pol's first NCAA COTY was two years ago...but this time around was nothing like the first. He had an entirely different team with entirely different pressure and stress. Once the team results were official Saturday, it was as if the weight of the world was lifted from his shoulders…and all that hard work paid dividends."
 
"I'm a witness to what Pol does to create what the nation sees at the big dance. The hours he spends, day after day and month after month. Pol recruits 24/7 and then trains these harriers meticulously throughout every season. NOBODY works harder than Pol Domenech…hands down. I watch it every day and it's an honor to be a part of it all."
 
Carson-Newman assistant cross country coach/distance assistant Whitney Lee
 
"This is a remarkable honor and accomplishment for Pol. Many times, recognition like this is because of a result, but with Pol, you have to really consider his long-term management of the program. There's no doubt he can find talented runners across the nation and world, but he has figured out the formula for success from a culture and performance standpoint. Getting the team to buy into a 'team-first approach' regardless of when you race…and then performing at a high level nationally year after year...This is a proud month for the folks at Wingate." 
 
Pol Domenech quick hits
USTFCCCA NCAA Division II men's XC Coach of the Year (2023, 2025)
 
4x SER men's XC Coach of the Year (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
3x SAC men's XC Coach of the Year (2021, 2022, 2023)
3x SER women's XC Coach of the Year (2023, 2024, 2025)
2x SAC women's XC Coach of the Year (2021, 2022)
 
- Led Wingate men to '25 and '23 NCAA D2 national championships
- Mentored WU women to a program-best, third-place showing at '25 NCAAs
- Coached both Wingate XC teams to SAC and SER XC championships this year
 
Domenech continues WU national Coach of the Year legacy
 
Pol Domenech is the sixth Wingate head coach to earn NCAA national Coach of the Year honors. He is only the second Bulldog head coach to be honored twice. The others are:
 
- Jeff Gregory, baseball (2021)
- Michael Cabana, women's tennis (2019)
- Gary Hamill, men's soccer (2016)
- Kirk Sanocki, women's swimming (2016); men's swimming (2012)
- Shelton Collier, volleyball (2013)
 
In addition, current men's lacrosse head coach Tim Boyle was named the national Coach of the Year in 2012 when he led Dowling (N.Y.) to a national championship.
 
Wingate University
 
Wingate University is a lab of difference-making that serves more than 3,400 students in North Carolina and offers 60 degree pathways, including 37 undergraduate majors, 10 pre-professional tracks and five dual-degree programs. Graduate students choose from seven master's and five doctoral programs. The University is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences, the Levine College of Health Sciences, the Byrum School of Business, the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences.
 
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a leader in healthcare education where nearly one in five undergraduate students is preparing to be a pharmacist, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist or nurse. Student-athletes on Wingate's 30 teams compete in NCAA Division II and have brought home the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award the past 17 times it has been awarded. The University's motto is "Faith, Knowledge, Service." View current news and videos at www.wingate.edu.
 
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(Editor's note: Wingate University assistant director of athletics for athletic communications Hugh Patton contributed information to this article.)