NEW ORLEANS – The College of New Jersey head cross country coach Justin Lindsey has been named the Metro Region Men's Coach of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
 
Lindsey earned the honor after guiding the Lions to their first regional championship since 2005.
 
For Lindsey and his squad, 2025 was a historic year. The Lions placed seven runners on the All-Region Team: Brandon Chen, Matthew Granizo, Kevin Matthews, Evan Melito, Phil Pace, Moksh Patwari, and Josh Santiago. Chen also claimed the program's first individual regional title since 2002 under Lindsey, who has just completed his 13th year at TCNJ.
 
The regional championship capped a dominant fall campaign for the Lions, who earlier captured the NJAC title with a commanding performance. At the conference championships, TCNJ scored just 22 points while placing seven runners in the top 10, including five in the top seven. The team's average time of 25:18.0 was nearly 32 seconds faster than runner-up Rowan, while their top-five spread of just 40.7 seconds demonstrated exceptional pack running.
 
Lindsey previously earned NJAC Coaching Staff of the Year honors alongside Michael Walker and Cassidy Quinn after the conference championship victory.