Mike Potter honored as New York State High School Track and Field Coach of the Year

Warwick Valley Central School District boys track and field coach Mike Potter received the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coach of the Year for New York State.

One boys coach and one girls coach from 50 states – as well as the District of Columbia – were honored for their successes during the spring of 2026, as selected by a committee of experts from around the nation (two coaches are honored, if they share coaching responsibilities).

State-by-state winners were selected based on their teams’ performances throughout the 2026 outdoor track & field season. Among the factors taken into consideration were team score and placement at the state championships, margin of victory, performance against rankings if available, individual championships, and how their teams’ performances stacked up to previous years (e.g. first title in school history, consecutive titles, etc.).

Each honoree will receive a trophy from the USTFCCCA recognizing their achievements.

The winners from each state are in consideration for the Association’s National High School Track and Field Coach of the Year award. One boys coach and one girls coach from among all the states will be selected by a panel of experts and be announced next week as the national winners.

“I am deeply honored to receive this award, which reflects the incredible collective effort of our entire program. This achievement would truly not be possible without the tireless dedication of our student-athletes, as this recognition is ultimately all about the kids. I am incredibly fortunate to share this honor with my outstanding assistant coaches—Curtis Akacki, Ron Introini, Tim St. Lawrence, and Wes Burley—whose hard work and commitment drive our success every day. I also want to extend my sincere gratitude to our athletic director, Greg Sirico, for his unwavering leadership and guidance. Finally, thank you to the parents, administration and the Board of Education at the Warwick Valley Central School District for providing the continuous support necessary to make achievements like this happen.”