U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee Honors Coaches and Support Staff of the Year for 2024

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee today announced its annual award recipients for eight coaches and support staff members of the year for 2024. The recipients include three winter and five summer coaches, spanning seven different sports. 
 
The award recipients include USA Fencing’s Ralf Bissdorf as Olympic Coach of the Year and USA Volleyball’s Bill Hamiter as Paralympic Coach of the Year. The summer award recipients are USA Softball’s Patty Gasso as College Coach of the Year, Linda "Dee" Mahoney as Service Provider of the Year and USA Archery’s Phil "Chad" Jones as Volunteer Coach of the Year. The winter award recipients include U.S. Figure Skating’s Steffany Hanlen as the Doc Counsilman Science and Technology Award winner, USA Hockey’s Heather Mannix as Coach Educator of the Year and U.S. Speedskating’s Tom Anderson as Developmental Coach of the Year. 
 
“Team USA's success is built on the dedication of our coaches and support staff, whose impact extends from youth development to highest levels of sport on the world’s biggest stages," said Rocky Harris, USOPC chief of sport and athlete services. "Their unwavering commitment not only empowers our athletes but also strengthens each National Governing Bodies and Team USA as a whole. As we celebrate the outstanding achievements of 2024, we proudly recognize the eight individual award winners for their relentless pursuit of excellence in their sport and beyond.” 
 
National Governing Bodies nominated their 2024 coaches as part of the USOPC Coach of the Year Recognition Program, with winners selected by a USOPC panel. The program recognizes and celebrates the work of outstanding coaches and support providers who make a significant impact within their sport and National Governing Body throughout the year. 
 
Olympic Coach of the Year – Ralf Bissdorf (USA Fencing) 
Ralf Bissdorf made history as the coach of the first U.S. fencing team to win Olympic gold, as he guided Jackie Dubrovich, Lee Kiefer, Lauren Scruggs and Maia Weintraub to victory at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Bissdorf’s strategic decision-making played a pivotal role in securing gold. Under his leadership, Team USA maintained a consistently strong presence on the international stage in 2024, earning multiple podium finishes. Beyond competition, Bissdorf has fostered a culture of inclusivity, supportiveness and development, helping strengthen the future of women’s foil fencing in the United States. His innovative training methods and emphasis on teamwork have left a lasting impact on the fencing community, solidifying his legacy in the sport. 

Paralympic Coach of the Year – Bill Hamiter (USA Volleyball) 
Bill Hamiter has built the U.S. Women's Sitting Volleyball Team into a dominant force, leading them to a historic third-consecutive Paralympic gold medal at Paris 2024. Since taking over in 2009, Hamiter has transformed the team into an international powerhouse. His preparation was evident in Paris, where the U.S. rebounded from a pool play loss to defeat China, 3-1, in the final. Hamiter’s athletes earned top individual honors, including MVP and Best Attacker for Heather Erickson, Best Blocker for Lora Webster, and Best Setter for Kaleo Kanahele Maclay. A pioneer in data-driven coaching, Hamiter has implemented advanced analytics, match video review and load-monitoring technologies to optimize training and performance. His emphasis on individualized development has created a sustainable pipeline of elite athletes, ensuring continued success for Team USA. With his unmatched record of achievement and impact on Paralympic sport, Hamiter stands as a model of coaching excellence. 

 
Developmental Coach of the Year - Tom Anderson (U.S. Speedskating) 
Coach Tom Anderson has grown the Northbrook Speed Skating Club into a thriving program, increasing membership by 22% and expanding training opportunities for skaters of all ages. Prioritizing character development alongside athletic performance, Anderson holds individual goal-setting meetings and fosters open communication between skaters and parents. His emphasis on mental resilience and teamwork is reinforced through weekly team-building sessions that focus on life skills and camaraderie. Anderson's impact extends beyond competition, as many of his former athletes remain connected and credit him as a major influence on their careers. In 2024, his skaters excelled nationally, with 14 qualifying for USS Short Track Age Group Nationals and multiple records set. Through his innovative coaching, personal mentorship and commitment to athlete development, Anderson continues to shape the future of speedskating in the U.S.. 

 
College Coach of the Year – Patty Gasso (USA Softball) 
This year, Patty Gasso solidified her place as one of the most successful coaches in NCAA softball history, leading University of Oklahoma softball to an unmatched fourth consecutive national championship in 2024. In her 31st season, Gasso has accumulated eight NCAA Division I National Championships and guided the Sooners to 17 Women's College World Series appearances. As Oklahoma transitions to the SEC, she concludes her Big 12 tenure as the conference’s all-time winningest coach, having earned 15 conference titles and 15 regular season Big 12 titles and nine Big 12 tournament titles. Under her leadership, 85 players have earned All-American recognition, and her teams have thrived both on the field and in the classroom. Beyond championships, Gasso fosters a culture of excellence, trust and personal growth. With a coaching philosophy that blends technical mastery and emotional intelligence, she continues to mold the future of collegiate softball and pave the way for women’s sports. 

 
Volunteer Coach of the Year – Phil “Chad” Jones (USA Archery) 
Phil “Chad” Jones has played a pivotal role in athlete development at In-Range Archery, promoting an environment that consistently produces top-tier competitors at the state, national, and international levels. His expert coaching, tailored to each athlete’s abilities, has led to significant achievements, including multiple archers earning spots on the USAT team and coaching a U21 archer to the World Archery Field Championships. Beyond competitive success, Jones is committed to continuous self-improvement, integrating modern coaching methodologies from USA Archery courses into his training. His dedication is further underscored by his volunteerism—coaching both individual athletes and his Junior Olympic Archery Development team free of charge. By prioritizing personal growth, mental training and community-building, Jones has created a structured, supportive environment that enables archers to excel and grow both on and off the range. 
 

Service Provider of the Year – Linda “Dee” Mahoney (USA Softball) 
Linda “Dee” Mahoney has been a cornerstone of athlete care, bringing decades of expertise to Team USA as she began her national team career with USA Track & Field in 1989. Over the years, she has traveled with and provided services to our athletes with USA Track & Field, U.S. women’s soccer, men’s and women’s diving and Para track and field, before joining USA Softball in 2021. She spent 25 years as an athletic trainer at Westfield High School in Indiana where she was inducted into the IATA Hall of Fame in 2019. She has become an integral part of USA Softball’s success. Her contributions were key to the U.S. Women’s National Team’s silver medal finish at the 2024 WBSC Women’s World Cup Finals and the U-18 Women’s World Cup Group C Event, where the Eagles went undefeated to qualify for the 2025 World Cup Finals. Mahoney is known for her holistic approach to athlete care, emphasizing both physical recovery and mental well-being. As a passionate advocate in the dugout, she ensures athletes have the resources they need to perform at their best. Her commitment extends beyond competition, as she dedicates time to individualized recovery plans, furthering a supportive environment that prioritizes long-term athlete health and success. 
 

Coach Educator of the Year – Heather Mannix (USA Hockey) 
As USA Hockey’s Manager of Education and Player Development, Heather Mannix has revolutionized coaching education, enhancing how over 30,000 youth hockey coaches are trained annually. She pioneered train-the-trainer programs, elevating the effectiveness of 150+ volunteer coach developers and fostering a culture of excellence. Her creation of facilitation materials has standardized high-quality instruction across all four levels of USA Hockey’s coaching curriculum. Recognized internationally, she has trained coach developers for the International Ice Hockey Federation and International Council for Coaching Excellence, working with top hockey nations. Additionally, she has led efforts to modernize USA Hockey’s Officiating Education Program, aligning it with best practices in learner-centered delivery. Through her innovation and leadership, Mannix has set a new standard for coaching education, making a lasting impact on the future of hockey. 
 

Doc Counsilman Science & Technology Award – Steffany Hanlen (U.S. Figure Skating)   
Steffany Hanlen, the 2024 U.S. Figure Skating Sport Science Coach of the Year, has made groundbreaking contributions to athlete development through sport science. She created The Champion’s Journey – From Purpose to Podium, a program designed to help athletes integrate research, technology and personal values into long-term success. Hanlen specializes in developing customized systems to support emotional, physical, social and mental well-being, ensuring athletes gain lifelong skills both in and beyond sport. Her approach blends visualization, journaling, neuro-linguistic programming and performance psychology with cutting-edge technology to enhance training. As co-founder of the Ice Academy of Montreal, she played a crucial role in shaping elite skaters and launched the I.AM Holistic Isolation Bootcamp in 2020 to provide athletes with training and mental support. Additionally, she pioneered proprietary power skating techniques and continues to train skating coaches in advanced methodologies, further elevating the sport’s development.