NEW ORLEANS – Northern Arizona University Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Eric Heins was named the Mountain Region Men's Coach of the Year for the 2013 indoor season, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced Monday. The award is the second of Heins' career for indoor track and field, having been honored for the first time in 2010.

"It means a lot to me to be recognized by my peers and be named Mountain Region Coach of the Year," said Heins. "I think it shows the caliber of student-athletes and coaches we have in this program, and even though the head coach gets honored, the award is a reflection of the effort put forth by our team as a whole."

Heins, who is currently in his sixth year at NAU and third at the helm of the track and field program, is in the midst of a historic streak when it comes to his coaching accolades. The regional award is the latest in a string of honors compiled by the coach over the last 18 months in particular.

Beginning with the 2011 cross country season, Heins has won five-straight Big Sky Conference coaching honors on the men's side across the discipline (cross country, indoor/outdoor track and field). In addition, he earned his first-career Mountain Region Coach of the Year award for cross country in November after his Lumberjack men upset two of the nation's top 10 teams to win the regional title.

"For Coach Heins to be named Regional Coach of the Year is outstanding for our program," said NAU assistant coach Kenny McDaniel. "He's the type of coach that requires nothing but the best from his staff and student-athletes."

Heins' honor comes after Lumberjack fans witnessed yet another great indoor season from the NAU track and field program. Two weeks ago, the NAU men captured their second-straight conference indoor team title, while 15 athletes (12 men, 3 women), five of whom won individual titles as well, earned All-Big Sky honors in at least one event.

One of those athletes, senior standout Diego Estrada, captured titles in the men's mile and 3,000 meters at the Big Sky meet and will represent NAU at the NCAA Indoor Championships Friday and Saturday. Heins is accompanying Estrada, who ranked second in the 5,000 meters and fifth in the 3,000 meters nationally this season, to his third-straight NCAA Indoor meet, being held this year in Fayetteville, Ark.