Schumacher Named Big Ten Cross Country Coach of Year
Oregon's head coach earns league honor after the men's team won its second straight Big Ten cross country title in Madison, Wis.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Track & Field
The Big Ten named Oregon head coach Jerry Schumacher 2026 Big Ten Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year. The honor follows the Oregon men's cross country team winning its second consecutive Big Ten team title in Madison, Wis.
Why it matters
The award recognizes Schumacher's sustained success at the conference level and reflects Oregon's continued dominance in Big Ten distance competition. It also highlights the program's rising standing heading into the postseason.
Oregon men placed six runners inside the top nine and finished with 23 points, while Simeon Birnbaum won the individual title. Schumacher has now received eight Big Ten coach of the year accolades and ten conference coach of the year honors at Oregon.
The players
Jerry Schumacher
Jerry Schumacher is the head coach of Oregon's track and cross country program, known for building the Ducks into a perennial national distance powerhouse.
Simeon Birnbaum
Simeon Birnbaum is an Oregon distance runner who won the individual Big Ten men's cross country championship.
The details
Oregon men placed six runners inside the top nine at the Big Ten Championships, with Simeon Birnbaum taking the individual crown and Evan Jenkins and Aiden Smith finishing third and fourth. Freshmen Juan Gonzalez and Xavier Perras-Phaneuf earned second-team league honors, and Diana Cherotich won the women's individual title for a second straight year.
Timeline
Friday before the announcement: Oregon men won the Big Ten team title in Madison, Wis.
Wednesday, November 4, 2026: Big Ten announced Schumacher as Coach of the Year.
Next week: NCAA West Region Championships in Sacramento, Calif.
Season Trajectory
The men's title extends Oregon's run of 12 Big Ten team championships in 14 chances across cross country, indoor and outdoor since joining the conference. With the team ranked No. 5 nationally, the Ducks enter the NCAA West Region meet in Sacramento as one of the conference's strongest programs.
Oregon's top finishers and the automatic-qualifying rules at the NCAA West Region meet determine which Ducks runners advance to nationals. Fans tracking the postseason can follow the top-two finishers in each race to see who earns a bid.
The takeaway
Consistent team depth, not just a single star, drove Oregon's Big Ten success, with six men finishing in the top nine. That balance is what positions the program to compete at the NCAA level.
What happens next
The NCAA West Region Championships take place next week in Sacramento, Calif., where the top two teams in each race earn automatic bids to the NCAA Championships.
Further reading
Explore more Track & Field coverage from Eugene for context on Oregon's distance program.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KPIC.
