BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced the organization’s annual awards for the 2013 NCAA Division III indoor track & field season, and Bridgewater State University head coach, TJ Smith, was named the New England Region Men’s Head Coach of the Year.

Smith, in his sixth season with the Bears, coached the BSU men’s team to the best indoor season in school history winning two championships and having 13 school records broken, with many broken multiple times throughout the season.

The Bears captured the program’s first Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) and New England Alliance championships. Smith’s student-athletes also clamed six individual MASCAC titles and three Alliance individual titles, while earning 33 All-MASCAC honors and 22 All-Alliance honors.

At the Division III New England Championships, the Bears finished in fifth place, which tied for the best placing by a MASCAC school since 1989.  Smith, who specializes in middle- and long distance events, is sending a student-athlete to the NCAA Division III Championships for the second straight track and field season as senior Michael McPherson (Mansfield, Mass.) will be competing in the shot put at the national meet this weekend.

Smith graduated from Stonehill College in 2006, where he was a four-time Northeast-10 All-Conference selection in cross country and track. He is also the school record holder in the 10,000 meter run (31:04.77). Prior to coaching at Bridgewater, Smith was the assistant coach for cross country and track at Stonehill.