Pepin Honored by Big 12 Coaches

Lincoln ? On Thursday afternoon, the Big 12 Conference announced its 2009 outdoor track & field postseason honors, as selected by the league's head coaches. Nebraska Head Coach Gary Pepin was selected by his peers as Men’s Coach of the Year, the fifth time since 1998 that he has earned the men’s outdoor honor.

 

In his 29th year at Nebraska, Pepin now holds 22 Big 12 Coach of the Year honors, along with his five outdoor men’s honors, he has also been selected the men’s indoor coach of the year a conference best eight times. On the women’s side, Pepin has been selected twice outdoors and five times indoors.

 

Pepin has guided the Husker men and women to 65 conference titles, including 44 Big Eight championships and a Big 12 Conference high 21 team crowns. Pepin’s 21 team championships are unmatched in the conference, as Beverly Kearney of Texas sits in a distance second with 11 women’s titles. The Husker men’s and women’s 21 Big 12 Conference titles are also the most of any school in the conference, topping Texas’ 20.

 

At the 2009 Big 12 Outdoor Championships, Pepin grew closer to coaching 500 conference champions, adding six individual winners. Pepin has now coached 318 women’s conference champions and another 177 men’s title holders, totaling 495 conference champions.

 

Pepin and the rest of the Huskers are now preparing for the NCAA Outdoor Championships on Wednesday, June 10 ? Saturday, June 13 in Fayetteville, Ark. Pepin will look to add to his total of 445 All-American and 56 national champions.