Stait pictured with the Agnes Irwin squash team

US Squash honored Alex Stait at the 2019 FS Investments U.S. Open with the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee National Coach of the Year nomination. Stait, Team USA’s junior men’s head coach, was presented the award by Adam Hamill, US Squash director of national teams.

Hamill welcomed Stait onto the ASB GlassCourt. “US Squash has the best coaches at the highest level,” Hamill said, “and Alex Stait is the epitome of that. In 2018 he led the boys team to a bronze finish at the World Juniors in Chennai, India—thus fulfilling US Squash’s mantra of ‘always on the podium.’”

Stait said that he was deeply honored to receive the award. He thanked Merion Cricket Club where he first worked when he came to the U.S., as well as Agnes Irwin School, where he is the head squash coach. He also thanked his doubles partner, Ed Garno, with whom he has won a national doubles title, and his supportive family. “It is amazing to be a part of an incredible team at US Squash,” Stait said, “and I am excited about the Specter Center opening next year.”

Since 1998, the USOC National Coach of the Year has honored the best coaches at the highest levels of the game. Last year’s honoree was Mike Way, the head coach at Harvard.