Nobody got the ending they wanted from the 2019-20 season. Covid-19 canceled the NCAA Championship Tournament, truncating a superb season before it could be properly concluded. But that doesn't mean we can't honor the extraordinary efforts the student-athletes put forth on the mat.

Watch the 2020 FloWrestling NCAA Awards Show Live

Friday, April 24 | 6:00PM ET

We doled out the pre-show awards last week. This week we will be revealing the nominees for the main awards, then announcing the winners Friday night. We hope you'll join us. 

The 2020 Nominees for Coach of the Year

Matt Storniolo, Northwestern

Roster limits and enrollment standards at Northwestern put up more obstacles than most coaches have to deal with, but that didn't stop Coach Storniolo from crafting a lineup that had the Wildcats ranked fourth going into the NCAA tournament. Ryan Deakin and Sebastian Rivera both earned #1 seeds before nationals got canceled.

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Tom Brands, Iowa

It would be easier to summarize all the accomplishments Coach Brands and company didn't achieve this season. The Hawkeyes didn't lose a dual meet all season long. The team didn't leave a tournament without the team trophy. The team didn't have a wrestler ranked outside the top 10 all season long (that one really blows our minds). And not only did coach Brands assemble one of the best Hawkeye teams in recent history, but he also got the team to improve as the year went on. Iowa had a remarkable season under Brands stewardship, regardless of the circumstances.

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Doug Schwab, Northern Iowa

UNI got its first national champion of the Schwab Era last season when Drew Foster won the 184-pound title. The Panther Train was poised to score back-to-back champs at that weight after Taylor Lujan received the #1 seed at the 2020 Tournament. Schwab also coached his squad to one of their most impressive victories of his tenure, an upset over Oklahoma State at home in front of over 4,000 purple and gold-clad fans. 

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Cael Sanderson, Penn State

It would be difficult to leave Coach Sanderson out any conversation regarding NCAA coaching. Despite not reaching the same heights as some of the previous legendary teams during the Sanderson dynasty, Penn State still managed to produce five wrestlers that got seeded in the top 5 of the 2020 Tournament. This Nittany Lion squad also suffered from multiple season-ending injuries to key starters, which made Sanderson keeping his team competitive and in the title hunt all the more impressive.

Chris Ayres, Princeton

Few coaches have had as dramatic an impact on a programs' status as Chris Ayres has had at Princeton. From the depths of the EIWA to being on the cusp of a top 10 finish and potentially a team trophy. Princeton has made incredible strides this season, which includes beating Cornell and winning their first Ivy Title since 1986. 

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