USC Director Quincy Watts selected NCAA National Men's Outdoor Coach of the Year

It has been an excellent year for the men's and women's track and field teams at USC. Director Quincy Watts is in charge of the program and has led both squads to high-performing seasons throughout 2024-2025.

On Monday, coach Watts was named as the NCAA Division I Men's National Coach of the Year, as shared by the team's social media page. The award is in recognition of his efforts during the outdoor season.

Track and field is not like the other sports in terms of how their schedule is set up. The indoor year, though separate, can be used to help directly build on a team's approach in the outdoor season. After securing the indoor title, coach Watts kept the members of the team centered around the overall goal at hand with a number of outstanding event results throughout the regular season. Coach Watts was hoping for his teams to be able to experience a postseason win during the outdoor season. Despite the earlier win, this aim helped to serve as continued motivation.

The Trojans were consistently ranked among the top in the nation. This Trojan roster was able to do well throughout the postseason and sent many of its members to the national championships in Eugene, Oregon, as a result.

Crowning achievement by USC track and field team

What the final, eventual co-championship-winning event and entirety of the season should show is how well-rounded and talented the roster as a whole was. Under the guidance of coach Watts, this Trojan roster was able to perform when they needed it most and put on a true team-oriented championship run that ultimately saw them as winners. 

It is a mostly young team, although the seniors and Max Thomas, who is turning pro, will no longer be able to compete for the Trojans moving forward. What this collective did during the 2025 outdoor season in particular deserves a lot of praise, and coach Watts absolutely deserves this latest honor that has been awarded to him.