The U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) announced that Nicholas Bohanan, the Sports Performance Specialist for the United States Bowling Congress, and Michael Nyitray, a USBC Gold coach who has received multiple national coaching awards, are finalists for the 2011 USOC Coach of the Year awards.

U.S. Olympic and Pan American sports organizations selected their 2010 Coaches of the Year as part of the USOC Coach of the Year Recognition Program. The finalists in each category were chosen by a panel of coaching and sport education professionals.

The 2010 finalists:

National Coach of the Year
Dave Jarrett, Nordic Combined Skiing
Adam Krikorian, Water Polo
Brian Shimer, Bobsled

Doc Counsilman Science Award
Nicholas Bohanan (left), Bowling
Alberto Salazar, Track and Field
Grant Schaffner, Skeleton

Paralympic Coach of the Year
Craig Griffin, Cycling
James Gumbert, Wheelchair Rugby
Ray Watkins, Skiing

Developmental Coach of the Year
Bob Gunter, Diving
Barb Nelson, Basketball
Michael Nyitray (left), Bowling

Volunteer Coach of the Year
James Coombe, Archery
David Farmer, Rugby
Alex Mathew, Badminton

The USOC Coach of the Year award was initiated in 1996. The program was developed using the philosophy that, to succeed in Olympic sport, athletes must strive for excellence almost from the moment they begin to compete. The winners in each category will be announced during a dinner on Friday, June 24, as part of the 2011 National Coaching Conference in Colorado Springs, Colo.