He’s no longer the Stillwater boys head track and field coach, but Scott Christensen was recently recognized in a big way during the National High School Athletic Coaches Association annual convention.
The legendary Ponies coach was named the National Coach of the Year for boys track and field on June 26 at the Bismarck Hotel and Convention Center in North Dakota.
The NHSACA honors eight finalists in each of 19 categories, including one for athletic directors, as part of an event that brings together the most accomplished coaches in the country.
“This was clearly the best thing I’ve been at as far as an awards deal,” said Christensen, who is already a member of seven hall of fames. “You have all these sports and coaches and every single person there, it’s like wow.”
Christensen was a four-time recipient of Minnesota’s Boys Cross Country Coach of the Year Award, but this was the first time he was nominated for the national honor. The NHSACA serves nearly 335,000 member coaches and administrators while affiliated with the organizations from each state, including the Minnesota State High School Coaches Association.
Christensen was chosen from a list of finalists that also included Josh Allmaras of North Dakota (Kindred), Shane Baltz of Mississippi (Sanatobia), Tim Daggertt of Colorado (Classical Academy), David Haliday of Florida (Flagler Palm Coast), Dave Sellon of Nebraska (Fremont), Rob Stanton of Montana (Billings West) and Clinton Tabb of New Jersey (Pennsauken).
“I didn’t have any expectations,” Christensen said of his prospects. “Half of the finalists I’ve brought in to speak at the Minnesota clinic over the past 10 to 12 years and I’ve been to their states to talk. These are my friends and I don’t want to be in competition with them because they’re all great coaches.”
Christensen has previously been inducted into the Minnesota State High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the Minnesota Track and Field Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the Minnesota Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the Minnesota True Team Track and Field Hall of Fame and the USATF Minnesota Track and Field Hall of Fame.
In 42 years coaching track and field at Stillwater, Christensen’s teams won 29 section titles, five Minnesota State High School League state titles and three True Team state titles.
His cross country coaching achievements were not a consideration for this latest honor, but he also racked up 31 section titles and five MSHSL state championships in that sport.
Track and field was one of the last categories recognized at the banquet and Christensen said he was less optimistic after viewing the presentation slides for his fellow nominees.
“It was just incredible. It didn’t take many slides to think I didn’t want my slide up there,” Christensen said.
The criteria included many factors, with successful results just part of the evaluation process. Taking an active role in coaching associations by serving on committees and/or serving in leadership roles at the local, state or national level were also considerations, along with previous coaching honors and recognition. Individuals receive an extra bump as a previous nominee, which is why Christensen didn’t anticipate winning.
“I was a first-time nominee and it’s almost unheard of for a first-time nominee to win,” said Christensen, who added you can only be nominated every three years. “I didn’t really realize the rubric all that much, but was told the reason first-time nominees don’t normally win is not getting the points of getting nominated before. When I heard that I thought we’re all even anyway, and now I’m in the hole.
“As I got deeper you see that it’s also leadership. You couldn’t win it without state titles, but you also can’t win it with just state titles.”
Expenses are paid for finalists, but they are not told ahead of time if they will be honored as the winner.
“I found out at the banquet,” Christensen said. “(Organizers) are the only ones who know.”
After stepping down as boys head coach a year ago, Christensen returned as an assistant with the girls track and field program at Stillwater this spring. He said he enjoyed working with this year’s runners even more than he anticipated, but is undecided about returning next season.
The coaching change did not impact his eligibility for this award, which began with his notification as a finalist in late 2023.
“It takes a year to put together and they don’t even have nominations for 2024 yet,” Christensen said. “It’s a long process and has nothing to do with what happened this year.”
Christensen wasn’t the only Ponies mentor honored at the awards banquet.
Stillwater coach Kathy Henderson, who guided the synchronized swimming team to its fourth consecutive state championship this spring, was one of eight finalists in the “Special Sports” category, which also includes coaches in dance, flag football, powerlifting, indoor track and field and water polo. The winner was a field hockey coach from Connecticut.
“I talked with Kathy and they announced we were the only school that had two nominees,” Christensen said. “To have two from the same high school is crazy, so that was kind of fun.”
Christensen was also pleased to see one of his Minnesota cross country peers honored as well. Jeff Morris of Perham received the National Boys Cross Country Coach of the Year Award.
“It was quite the evening,” Christensen said.
Contact Stuart Groskreutz at stuart.groskreutz@apgecm.com
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