RICHARDSON, TX (09.10.20) - Two members of the UT Dallas coaching staff are among the finalists for the inaugural NCAA Division III LGBTQ One Team Administrator/Coach/Staff of the Year Award, announced by the NCAA national office.

Comet head volleyball coach Marci Allison and UTD head women's basketball coach Polly Thomason are two of just 10 nominees division-wide for the award, which was unveiled during the LGBTQ and Allies Reception at the 2019 NCAA Convention. The selection committee reviewed nominations and conducted two rounds of evaluations with the purpose of identifying standout nominees. The award's inaugural winner be notified in November and will be publicly recognized in conjunction with the virtual 2021 NCAA Convention.

"Marci Allison and Polly Thomason have built our volleyball and women's basketball teams into nationally recognized programs through their hard work and dedication," said UTD Director of Athletics Bill Petitt. "They use their programs to empower young women and help build strong-minded individuals to be prepared to make a difference in their community. While they have won a lot of games and conference championships, it is the off-the-court successes through community service and the personal development of our student athletes that will leave a mark that will not be erased."

Allison started the UTD volleyball program in 2004 and since has developed the Comets into a perennial regional contender. Allison guided the Comets to their sixth American Southwest Conference title this past fall and is a nine-time ASC Coach of the Year honoree during her 16 years with the program. In 2016, she was honored as the American Volleyball Coaches Association Region Coach of the Year after leading the Comets to the NCAA D-III "Sweet 16" for the first time in the history of the program. She also collected the same honor after the 2019 campaign. Allison boasts a 386-133 career record at UTD, recently climbing into the top 20 of active NCAA D-III coaches in regards to winning percentage (.744).

"I am thankful to be employed by such a progressive, welcoming, accepting community here at UT Dallas," said Allison. "Our university and athletic department has allowed me to live my true self openly with my wife and our son. Therefore, our staff has been able to create a culture of diversity, inclusion, acceptance, and support within our volleyball program for all sexual orientations, races, and religions. Our goal is to provide a safe space within our team, department, and university where young people have the ability to discover who they are and who they want to be."

Thomason became just the second-ever coach of the UTD women's basketball program in 2005 and has collected nearly 300 wins in her 15 years with the Comets. A six-time ASC East Coach of the Year, Thomason has led UTD to four conference titles and six trips to the NCAA D-III National Tournament. In 2018, she was appointed to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Board of Directors, serving as the board's NCAA D-III Legislative Liaison. In her 15 years with the Comets, Thomason boasts a 298-115 career record, sporting a 72.2 winning percentage with the squad.

"To be recognized and honored for creating an environment of acceptance and inclusivity within the women's basketball program and athletic department is truly a honor," said Thomason. "My goal as coach has been to make sure ALL are welcome, ALL are seen, and ALL are loved."

To be eligible for the award, a nominee must self-identify as LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning or another underrepresented sexual orientation or gender identity), must have worked for a minimum of five years at a NCAA DIII institution, employed full-time at a NCAA DIII institution at the time of nomination and must have demonstrated service/leadership in LGBTQ inclusion in athletics.

NCAA Division III One Team Administrator/Coach/Staff of the Year Award Final Nominees
Marci Allison - Head Volleyball Coach, University of Texas at Dallas
Hillary Arthur - Head Women's Soccer Coach, Willamette University
Melissa Brooks - Head Women's Basketball Coach, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Florham
Chad Cooper - Director of Athletic Communications, Widener University
Kate Costanzo - Head Women's Basketball Coach/Senior Woman Administrator, Allegheny College
Karen Heggernes - Head Women's Lacrosse Coach, Hamline University
Lauren Nadler - Head Women's Soccer Coach, University of California, Santa Cruz
Octavia Juliet Saunders - Head Soccer Coach, Salem College (North Carolina)
Brienne Smith - Head Women's Soccer Coach, Clark University (Massachusetts)
Polly Thomason - Head Women's Basketball Coach, University of Texas at Dallas

In addition to the Administrator/Coach/Staff of the Year Award, the NCAA also announced nominees for One Team LGBTQ Student-Athlete of the Year and Department/Conference of the Year earlier this month.