INDIANAPOLIS - James Li, who guided Bernard Lagat to a history-making performance at the 2007 World Outdoor Championships in Osaka, Japan, and an American record indoors, has been named the 2007 Nike Coach of the Year by USA Track & Field. He will receive his award Saturday, December 1, at the 2007 Jesse Owens Awards and Hall of Fame Induction ceremony, held in conjunction with the USATF Annual Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The American record holder over 1,500m, Lagat became the first man to win the 1,500/5,000m double at World Outdoors, and the first American ever to medal in the 5,000 at Worlds. Earlier in the 2007 season, Lagat broke the American record indoors at 3,000 meters.