The Open Mat presents awards annually in three categories for each division of college wrestling at the conclusion of the season. Awards are presented for Freshman of the Year, Coach of the Year and Wrestler of the Year.

Alexio Garcia has been named the 2026 NCAA Women's Coach of the Year by The Open Mat after leading McKendree to a historic 2025–26 season.

Garcia guided the Bearcats to the inaugural NCAA women's wrestling national championship, setting the standard for the sport's new era. McKendree scored 171 team points to secure the title, finishing ahead of Iowa and North Central. The Bearcats crowned three national champions and produced 10 All-Americans in a dominant performance.

In January, McKendree finished runner-up at the NWCA National Duals, advancing to the finals before suffering its only dual-meet loss of the season to North Central.

Garcia guided the Bearcats to a 16-1 in dual meet record, which included a Great Lakes Valley Conference dual meet championship.

McKendree opened the postseason with a dominant performance at the NCAA Region VI Championships. The Bearcats won all 10 individual titles and claimed the team championship, becoming the only program across the six regions to sweep every weight class. They also posted the highest team score of any regional, finishing with 199.5 points.

That momentum carried into the NCAA Women's Wrestling Championships in Coralville, Iowa, where McKendree placed nine wrestlers in the semifinals and advanced five to the finals.

Yu Sakamoto (117), Cameron Guerin (131), and Tristan Kelly (207) won national titles. Sakamoto secured the team championship with her first career title at 117 pounds, Kelly repeated as national champion, and Guerin closed out the tournament with her fifth individual national championship.