USA Triathlon Announces the 2021 Coaches of the Year Honorees, Presented by Zone3 


COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — USA Triathlon today recognized seven influential and impactful coaches as 2021 Coaches of the Year, presented by Zone3. The honorees were selected for their contributions during the 2021 triathlon season. The awards for 2021 focused on athlete development, community impact, coaching education, collegiate performance, and achievement during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympics Games. 

Erin Carson (Boulder, Colo.), Cliff English (Tempe, Ariz.), Wesley Johnson (Sandy, Utah), Ian O’Brien (Boulder, Colo.), Chris Palmquist (Geneva, Ill.), Dave Sheanin (Boulder, Colo.) and Derick Williamson (Colorado Springs, Colo.) received Coach of the Year honors across seven categories. Nominations were open to the public, and category winners were determined by a selection panel of coaching and sport education professionals, including the USA Triathlon National Coaching Committee and USA Triathlon education and high performance staff. 

“Every leader should read the nomination letters for these coaches – whether you are a coach who is leading athletes or a business leader at the helm of a company. They are truly leading by example,” said Earl Walton, USA Triathlon Director of Education. “Congratulations to these coaches for providing a road map to success and an exciting glimpse of the future of both our sport and USA Triathlon.” 

Olympic Coach of the Year: Ian O’Brien 

O’Brien, a USA Triathlon National Team Coach, was named the Olympic Coach of the Year, given to the coach of a national-level team, or the coach of an elite athlete who competes at the highest level of his/her sport.

O’Brien is a USA Triathlon Level III Elite Coach and founder of Ian O’Brien Coaching with Origin Performance Group. He was awarded the Elite National Coach of the Year in 2018 and 2019. His coaching style was formative to the success of Team USA at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, including the success of one of his athletes, USA Triathlon National Team Member Taylor Knibb, earning the silver medal as a member of the Team USA Mixed Relay event. Knibb also won the 2021 World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) Finals in Edmonton on her way to second overall in the 2021 WTCS.  

O’Brien’s elite roster also includes Kirsten Kasper, who he helped comeback from an injury in 2020 to earn multiple World Triathlon Cup podiums in 2021, as well as Matthew McElroy, one of only three U.S. men to medal in a WTCS race. He also played a vital coaching role to Olympic silver medalists Kevin McDowell and Morgan Pearson during Team USA training camps. O’Brien’s science-based approach to training and his ability to create meaningful relationships with his athletes is what makes him standout as a phenomenal coach. He is also praised as being able to stay emotionally stable during races, which helps his athletes stay calm and focus on performing at their best.  

Paralympic Coach of the Year: Derick Williamson 

Williamson earned the Paralympic Coach of the Year, given to a coach of a national-level team, or the coach of an elite athlete who competes at the highest level of his/her sport. 

Williamson, a USA Triathlon Level II Certified Coach, is the head coach of the Toyota Elite Paratriathlon National Team and Toyota Resident Team Program, and this past August helped the U.S. lead all nations with five total medals, including three golds at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Williamson’s athletes contributed to that tally by bringing home two gold medals (Kendall Gretsch, Allysa Seely), one silver medal (Hailey Danz) and three top-ten finishes (Melissa Stockwell, Kyle Coon, Jamie Brown).  

Williamson’s impact goes beyond the on-course achievements as he helped the elite paratriathlon team bond as a team leading up to the games and is described as a calm, measured, analytical and caring coach and truly has an “athlete first” mentality. He also is an advocate for elite paratriathletes to be recognized on the same level as able-bodied athletes.   

Developmental Coach of the Year: Wesley Johnson 

Johnson earned the Development Coach of the Year, which honors a coach at the youth club, high school or junior level, or a coach who is directly responsible for training athletes to reach the junior and/or elite level. 

Johnson, a USA Triathlon Level II Certified Coach, leads a squad of elite, junior and elite paratriathlon athletes as the founder and head coach of Balanced Art Multisport in Salt Lake City. He is a USA Triathlon Level II, Youth & Junior and Paratriathlon certified coach. In 2019, Johnson was named the Paralympic Coach of the Year at the Team USA Awards. 

A great accomplishment for Johnson in the 2021 season was discovering John Reed, who was just named the 2021 USA Triathlon Rookie of the Year. Reed, 20, started his 2021 season with a third-place finish at the Clermont Draft-Legal Challenge U25 Elite Development Race and made his elite debut at the Americas Triathlon Cup Long Beach and placed ninth in the U23 Championships at the Americas Triathlon Championships St. George. Johnson also has been working on growing the success of the sport globally by helping athletes from other countries, including Egypt, Peru, Dominican Republic, Chile, Mexico and Argentina, who come to Utah to train with his squad and give other developing U.S. athletes exposure to international competition.

College Coach of the Year: Cliff English

English was named the College Coach of the Year, given to a coach at the NCAA level.  

English, a USA Triathlon Level II Certified Coach, has been the head coach for Arizona State University since 2015. Last year, he coached the women’s varsity triathlon team to win their fifth consecutive Division I Women's Collegiate Triathlon National Championship.

As a lifelong athlete and coach for more than 20 years, English embraces challenges and has the ability to get to know and listen to each athlete and work to not only meet f their individual needs, but also have them work cohesively together in a for the betterment of the group. 

Service Provider of the Year: Erin Carson 

Carson earned the Service Provider Coach of the Year, given to an individual who is a National Governing Body (NGB)/High Performance Management Organization (HPMO) affiliated service provider such as a strength and conditioning coach, physical therapist, sport psychologist, dietician, or other that has made an impact in your NGB. 

Carson is the co-owner and operator of RallySport, a Boulder, Colorado training facility and health club, and provides strength training programs for endurance athletes as the head coach for ECFIT. As a strength coach, Carson works with athletes of all different ages, sports and ability levels, including O’Brien’s National Team athletes and multiple current and past IRONMAN and World Triathlon champions.   

Her greatest strength is her respect and understanding for the training that is necessary for each discipline and will modify workouts according to how an athlete is performing on a given day. She takes pride in collaborating with others for the good of the athlete, community and sport.  

Coach Educator of the Year: Chris Palmquist 

Palmquist has been named the Coach Educator of the Year, which honors a Coach Educator or American Development Model (ADM) Sport Educator who has made an impact in the coaching education space. 

Palmquist is a USA Triathlon Level III Certified Coach and founder and head coach of Cloud 10 Multisport Inc. She is a member of USA Triathlon’s National Coaching Committee, a USA Triathlon Paratriathlon National Team Coach and a member of the World Triathlon Paratriathlon Committee. Palmquist is one of the top educators for all levels, including a lead instructor and mentor at USA Triathlon Level III coach certification clinics for those aspiring to be a top coach, and is a leader in the area of relationship dynamics between athletes and coaches. 

Community Impact Award: Dave Sheanin 

Dave Sheanin earned the Community Impact Award, which is given to a coach who has demonstrated significant impact in their community and epitomizes the USA Triathlon mission of growing and inspiring the triathlon community. .Sheanin, a USA Triathlon Level I Certified Coach, is a coach for D3 Multisport and has positively influenced and profoundly impacted triathletes who have a wide range of abilities and age. He also has guided, shaped, influenced, mentored and supported hundreds of athletes through the organizations he is involved with, including D3 Multisport, the University of Colorado Boulder Triathlon Team and the YMCA of Northern Colorado. Beyond his coaching role, Sheanin has set an example for what it means to give back to the community through his involvement with Athletes in Tandem.   

Sheanin is an ambassador for the sport of triathlon as he promotes the benefits of camaraderie, sportsmanship and inclusion. One of his many strengths is his love for the sport of triathlon and encouraging not only those he coaches at D3 Multisport and the University of Colorado Boulder but also those he competes against and alongside.

To learn more about the Coach of the Year program and view past USA Triathlon Coaches of the Year, click here.

Athletes can find USA Triathlon Certified Coaches through the revamped Find a Coach tool at member.usatriathlon.org/coaches. Those who are interested in becoming a USA Triathlon Certified Coach can learn more on usatriathlon.org or reach out to coaching@usatriathlon.org. 

The 2021 USA Triathlon Coach of the Year selections are as follows: 

Olympic Coach of the Year: Ian O’Brien (Boulder, Colo.) 
Paralympic Coach of the Year: Derick Williamson (Colorado Springs, Colo.) 
Developmental Coach of the Year: Wesley Johnson (Sandy, Utah) 
College Coach of the Year: Cliff English (Tempe, Ariz.) 
Service Provider of the Year: Erin Carson (Boulder, Colo.) 
Coach Educator of the Year: Chris Palmquist (Geneva, Ill.) 
Community Impact Award: Dave Sheanin (Boulder, Colo.) 

About USA Triathlon Coaching Certification 
USA Triathlon provides its certified coaches unparalleled resources to ensure they are qualified, confident and successful throughout their coaching career. The coaching education department develops prospective coaches, cultivates the need for coaches within the multisport community and assists coaches in turning their passions into vocations. Certification provides standards of quality and credibility in the marketplace, and helps coaches turn a passion into a career through paid opportunities, entrepreneurship education, and marketing and communication support. 

About USA Triathlon 
USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon, as well as duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike, winter triathlon, off-road triathlon, paratriathlon, and indoor and virtual multisport events in the United States. Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon sanctions more than 4,000 races and connects with more than 400,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work at the grassroots level with athletes, coaches, and race directors — as well as the USA Triathlon Foundation — USA Triathlon provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including World Triathlon Championships, Pan American Games and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. USA Triathlon is a proud member of World Triathlon and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC).