ALLENDALE, Mich. – In his 27th year at the helm, head coach Jerry Baltes has been named the National Men's Coach of the Year for the 2026 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field season, as announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) this week. The national honor is in addition to him being named the USTFCCCA NCAA DII Midwest Region Men's Coach of the Year last week.
 
Baltes led the men, 29 of whom qualified for the national championships, to their second outdoor team title in program history with 66 points and two individual event wins. Ahead of nationals, Grand Valley State won their 19th team title at the GLIAC Outdoor Championships, totaling 285 points and 12 event wins.
 
Coach Baltes previously earned the honor in 2021 after leading the men's team to their first outdoor national title in program history. The men scored 75 points across eight events, including 44 in mid-distance and distance events. During the regular season, Baltes guided GVSU to the team title at the GLIAC Outdoor Championships, totaling 300.5 points with 24 podium finishes.