Women's Track & Field Coach Robert Neely, just a few weeks after he was recognized as the 2025 Western State Conference Coach of the Year, has been selected as the Cuesta College's 2024-25 Coach of the Year. Neely coaches four sports for the Cougars, including both track & field teams in the Spring and both sets of harriers in the Fall. This year it was his work with Women's Track & Field that earned him his greatest accolades as he led his team to its first, non-Covid, title since 1988. After securing the program's 5th conference title since its inception in 1976, his squad sent a large contingent to the 2025 CCCAA State Championship. In San Mateo, the Cougars battled both the weather and other competitors to post seven scoring marks and finish 22nd overall. Freshman Thrower Kiera Taylor earned all-State Honors in the Discus to lead the team, while posting the second best mark in school history. Neely's athletes excelled in every discipline and, including Taylor's Discus mark, landed 13 new Cuesta All Time Top 10 marks put up by seven different competitors on the season.
This award recognizes the highest level of coaching achieved at Cuesta College during a year of competition. It was developed in 1996 but was not officially presented in 2009. The award is based on a mathematical formula that weighs a coach's individual performance as well as the on-field success of his/her team.
Cuesta Coaches Award
Cuesta College Coach of the Year (est. 1996)
1995-96 Terry Bowen, Women's Swim & Dive
1996-97 Larry Lee, Baseball
1997-98 Terry Bowen, Men's Swim & Dive
1998-99 Gary Meissner, Wrestling
1999-00 Mike Napoli, Women's Tennis
2000-01 Terry Bowen, Men's Swim & Dive
2001-02 Mike Napoli, Women's Tennis
2002-03 Pete Schuler, Women's Water Polo
2003-04 Joe Dansby, Wrestling
2004-05 Mike Napoli, Women's Tennis
2005-06 Allison Merzon, Softball
2006-07 John Marsh, Men's Swim & Dive
2007-08 Mike Napoli, Women's Tennis
2008-09 Mike Napoli, Women's Tennis
2009-10 Rusty Blair, Men's Basketball
2010-11 Joe Dansby, Wrestling
2011-12 Brian Locher, Women's Cross Country
2012-13 John Marsh, Men's Swim & Dive
2013-14 Joe Dansby, Wrestling
2014-15 Joe Dansby, Wrestling
2015-16 Bob Miller, Baseball
2016-17 Brian Locher, Men's Cross Country
2017-18 John Marsh, Men's Swim & Dive
2018-19 Rusty Blair, Men's Basketball
2019-20 John Marsh, Men's Water Polo
2020-21 Brian Locher, Women's Track & Field
2021-22 Brian Locher, Women's Track & Field
& John Marsh, Men's Swim & Dive
2022-23 John Marsh, Men's Water Polo
2023-24 Greg Enloe, Men's Water Polo
2024-25 Robert Neely, Women's Track & Field
