With 2020 bringing in an era of “pandemic MMA” that none of us will soon forget, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to continue on with this year’s not-so-quiet theme of highlighting the unheralded talent that performed at new levels in spite of the serious hurdles and sacrifices that were added to the equation.
I don’t blame anyone for wondering why I didn’t go with the deserved-frontrunner in Eugene Bareman, who has turned in another banner year with the City Kickboxing team. Bareman’s ability to instill his striking focuses and strategies into a team that has quietly been shoring up its wrestling has been nothing short of impressive, and he deserves to be mentioned here (along with others, like perennial contenders Trevor Wittman and Henri Hooft).
That said, even though I typically think of two-way ties as a copout of sorts, I honestly believe there is a strong case to make each of my selections for 2020’s Coach of the Year.