Green is Sugar Bowl's Louisiana college Coach of Year

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Alan Green earned another award Monday when he was named Outstanding College Coach in Louisiana for 2015-16 by the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

The Sugar Bowl-sponsored Greater New Orleans Sports Awards Committee selected Green, who led XU men's tennis in May to second place at the NAIA's national tournament in Mobile, Ala. It was the first XU team in any sport to reach the championship round of an NAIA national tournament and the first XU men's team to advance past the quarterfinals. The Gold Rush were voted No. 2 in the postseason NAIA coaches poll.

"It's truly an honor to win this award considering the candidates and the sports," Green said. "I could not have done this without the help of my assistant and players on the team. My athletics director, SID and administration also played a key support role in all of our accomplishments this year. This is an award for Xavier."

On Friday the Gold Rush were named an NAIA Scholar-Team for producing a collective 3.03 GPA during the 2015-16 academic year.

Green and other recipients — including the winners of the Corbett Awards, which recognize the top male and female amateur athletes in the state — will be honored at the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame Banquet Aug. 6 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

According to Sugar Bowl records, Green is the first from Xavier to win one of the annual awards.

"I am so glad to hear that news," said three-year XU letterman Tushar Mandlekar. "This season was really special and I would like to thank coach Green for all his help and support. He deserves this award because of the hard work he has put in on and off the court during all these years. Congratulations, coach!"

The Sugar Bowl award is Green's third this year. In May he was named ITA/NAIA Region IV Coach of the Year and ITA/NAIA National Coach of the Year. Green, who will enter his 14th season at Xavier in 2016-17, has received 12 awards for coaching XU's men and 10 for his work with the XU women's team.

Previous winners of Outstanding College Coach in Louisiana include five NCAA-champion coaches, including LSU's Les Miles and Paul Mainieri, and Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame members such as Dale Brown of LSU and Eddie Robinson of Grambling.


Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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