Schumacher Named Big Ten Coach of the Year - University of Oregon Athletics

EUGENE, Ore. – Oregon head coach Jerry Schumacher is the 2026 Big Ten Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year as announced Wednesday afternoon by the league office. The Men of Oregon ran their way to a second-consecutive team title last Friday in Madison, Wis.

Schumacher is now a 10-time conference coach of the year at Oregon including eight Big Ten accolades. Combined with the women's victory, the Ducks have won 12 of the 14 Big Ten team titles between cross country, indoor and outdoor since joining the conference.

The UO men placed its six runners inside the top nine including individual champion Simeon Birnbaum who led a 1-3-4 Oregon finish with Evan Jenkins and Aiden Smith, respectively. Connor Burns, Benjamin Balazs and Tayson Echohawk also earned first-team league honors.

Freshmen Juan Gonzalez (13^th place) and Xavier Perras-Phaneuf (20^th) earned second-team nods for with their respective finishes.

The Ducks finished the Big Ten Championships with 23 points, out-distancing meet runner-up and host Wisconsin (63 points) and Michigan State (90).

Additionally, Connor McCormick and Diana Cherotich are Oregon's Sportsmanship Award honorees. The Big Ten recognizes a men's and women's student-athlete from each school with standout sportsmanship and ethical behavior. Cherotich won the Big Ten individual title for a second-consecutive year.

The Oregon men check in at No. 5 in the latest USTFCCCA national rankings and the Women of Oregon are up four spots to No. 11 this week.

The postseason continues next week with the NCAA West Region Championships in Sacramento, Calif. The top-two teams in each race earn automatic bids to the NCAA Championships.

2026 Oregon Cross Country Schedule
Sept. 26 – Cowboy Jamboree (Stillwater, Okla.) |Recap
Sept. 26 – Mike Johnson Classic (Monmouth, Ore.) | Recap
Oct. 9 – Dellinger Invitational (Springfield, Ore.) | Recap
Oct. 30 – Big Ten Championships (Madison, Wis.) | Recap
Nov. 13 – NCAA West Region Championships (Sacramento, Calif.), 9 a.m.
Nov. 20 – NCAA Championships (Terre Haute, Ind.), 7:20 a.m.
All times PT

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