Gonzaga men's cross country head coach Pat Tyson and Washington State women's cross country head coach Wayne Phipps were voted as Pac-12 Cross Country Coaches of the Year, the league announced Monday.

Tyson led the Zags to the men's cross country team championship back on Oct. 30, and his team also boasted the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Dylan Rowell, as well as the Scholar Athlete of the Year on the men's side, Joshua Augustine. Tyson also had three All-Conference first teamers (top-7 finishers) and two more second teamers.

The Coach of the Year award is a fitting cap to a 19^th and final season at Gonzaga for coach Tyson, who is retiring at the end of the 2026-2027 school year after  building Gonzaga into a premier distance running program. Under Tyson’s tutelage the Zags have had historic highs in Cross Country, including eight straight seasons with a Top-10 West Region finish and historic Top-15 finishes at NCAA Championships.

The Zags will return to the cross country course on Friday morning as Pat Tyson leads them to take on the NCAA West Regional Championship in Sacramento, California.

Phipps led the nationally ranked Cougars to a conference title at the Pac-12 cross country championships, including two of the top three finishers along with the individual champion, Nelly Jemeli (19:57.0), as well as another second team All-Conference member. He had the Pac-12 Runner of the Year (Jemeli) and Pac-12 Freshman of the Year (Millie Bii).

Phipps leads the Cougars into the NCAA West Regional Championships in Sacramento, California, on Friday, Nov. 13.

Pac-12 Cross Country Men's Coach of the Year
Pat Tyson, Gonzaga



Pac-12 Cross Country Women's Coach of the Year
Wayne Phipps