- Nominations from all coaches are submitted to the Athlete of the Year chairperson
- Accomplishments of all nominees are compiled for comparison (teams, championships, intramural participation for the current year)
- All interested coaches meet to come to a consensus on a short list and express opinions on strengths of each candidate s/he feels qualified to speak for
- Coaches who have coached that year may then vote if a vote is need OR may decline to vote. A vote may not be called if all coaches agree on a candidate