Paul Barrett Award Information

History of the Award

In 1975, the Paul V. Barrett Memorial Coach of the Year award was established with memorial gifts in honor of Paul Barrett, former coach at The College of Wooster. This award honors a College of Wooster graduate who has made significant contributions as a coach of any sport. The award recognizes a coach at any level (college, high school, professional, youth). The award factors in both on field success as well as off the field impact.

This award seeks to recognize and honor “teacher coaches” who have had an impact on the lives of student‐athletes, by encouraging them to succeed and by helping them to develop self‐confidence, ambition, a sound work ethic, and other skills or values necessary or helpful for success in their later lives. Award recipients should have a record of encouraging student‐athletes to be well‐rounded (i.e. displaying excellence in areas of scholarship, citizenship, leadership, etc.), as well as a reputation, among their peers and the athletic community, for fair play, good sportsmanship, and the development of these attributes in their student‐athletes.

The recipient of the award is given the opportunity to designate the income of the endowment to a sports program of their choosing at The College of Wooster. The recipient will be provided a list of programs from which to select. The Paul Barrett Award endowment fund allows for the presentation of two $1,500 awards each year.

Criteria for Selection

  • A College of Wooster graduate who
    • demonstrates commitment to quality coaching
    • embodies the ideals of good coaching by striving to win while also pursuing the important goal of teaching life lessons through sports
    • has made an outstanding contribution to the coaching profession
    • is dedicated to the athletes, the sport, and the profession 

Nomination Process

  • Submit the nomination form
  • An ad hoc committee of the W Association will review nominations each January and present recommendations to the full W Association Board for approval

Paul Barrett Award Recipient

Each recipient will select an athletic program at the College to receive income from the award and notify the W Association president and/or director of athletics and physical education. The director of Athletics and physical education will contact the College’s business office to move the money from the award's spending account to the designated team's discretionary fund.  

Presentation of Award

Varies, but is typically at a late-season home basketball game.

All-Time Recipients

Billie J. McFarren (1975)

Arch W. Rodgers (1976)

Tom Dinger (1977)

Jim Rattay (1978)

Chuck Stocker (1979)

Mo Hejazi (1980)

Gene Schindewolf (1981)

Howard Sales (1982)

Dave Wilber (1983)

Don Roseberry (1984)

Mark Pruiss (1985)

Jim Stoll (1986)

Williams McMillian (1987)

Mary C. Vlahos (1988)

Tom Grippa (1989)

George Bell (1990)

Dennis Zeiters (1991)

C. Jeff Durbin (1992)

Nelson O. Glover (1993)

Thomas P. LaMonica (1994)

Andrea J. Simmers (1995)

John Pizzarelli (1997)

Judy Donaldson (1999)

Brian Stevens (2002)

Mark Schlabach & Jacki Zody (2016)

Bob Bruce & Jodi Shilling (2018)

Carly Carey & Roy Messer (2019)

Mike Beitzel & Brenda Meese (2022)

Mike Hatfield, Kathleen Majeski (2023)

Jennifer Snaguski, Duane Sunagel (2024)