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WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — The seventh annual Nexstar Sports Awards and Hall of Fame banquet kicked off at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 10, 2025, inside D.L. Ligon Coliseum on the campus of Midwestern State University.

The nominees for College Coach of the Year included three individuals who coached one or more athletic programs for a college or university located within Texoma during the 2024-2025 school year.

The three nominees for the 2025 College Coach of the Year are listed below:

• Justin Leslie — Midwestern State University (Men’s Basketball)
• Lyndsey Lipscomb — Vernon College (Softball)
• Jaylan Thomas — Vernon College (Volleyball)

WINNER — Justin Leslie (MSU Men’s Basketball)

The Midwestern State University Mustangs are fresh off their best men’s basketball season in nearly a decade, racking up 23 wins, including 17 in the Lone Star Conference, the most since 2016.

Leslie led the Mustangs to a third-place finish in the regular season, earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Back in the South Central Regional for the first time in nine seasons, the Mustangs hit a school record 23 three-pointers in a win over St. Edwards University, marking the program’s first postseason win since 2015.

During the course of this historic season, MSU earned national recognition. The Mustangs were ranked inside the Top 25 in the D2 Coaches Poll for the first time in 10 years.