Cast your vote to decide Darling Downs best sports coach of 2025

The Darling Downs has some amazing sports coaches and you can decide who is number one. Find out who made our shortlist and vote for your favourite mentor here.

Matt Cox, Wayne Collie, Kent Reimers and Lachlan Peden are among the coaches nominated.

From rugby league and swimming to bull riding and cricket, Darling Downs sports coaches are helping athletes fall in love with the game and boost their skills.

More than 45 junior and senior sports mentors from across the region are now in the running to be crowned Darling Downs’ best sports coach.

See who was nominated and vote for your favourite coach in our poll below.

The winning coach will be interviewed for a special feature story online and in print.

Wayne Collie

Highfields Eagles

‘Cabbage’ as he is more well known in Toowoomba rugby league circles is the chief architect behind Highfields Eagles dominance the past two seasons.

Collie and his dedicated Eagles squad broke Gatton’s stranglehold on the Toowoomba Rugby League women’s premiership when they beat the Hawks 20-14 in last year’s grand final.

In this year’s decider Eagles were a force to be reckoned with hammering Oakey 44-0.

Back on board for 2026 Cabbage will look to serve up another premiership for the Highfields faithful when he picks up the coaching clipboard again.

Highfields Eagles senior women's coach Wayne Collie.

Matt Cox

Toowoomba Mountaineers

Cox literally started from bottom before taking the Toowoomba Mountaineers all the way to the top.

A real ‘student of the game’ Cox was handed the Mountaineers women’s coaching reins in 2021 after the club’s winless 2020 season.

Focusing on youth, squad unity and culture Cox slowly built the Neers into a QSL 1 contender before realising the ultimate dream this season.

At home to SD Spartans Cox and the Neers triumphed beating the visiting Brisbane team 83-63 to end a 50-year championship drought.

Toowoomba Mountaineers coach Matt Cox talks with the team at quarter time against Brisbane Capitals. Picture: Kevin Farmer

John Flint

Gatton Hawks

Winning one TRL A-grade premiership is hard enough. Securing back-to-back titles is nearly impossible but Flint proved why he is one of the best this season.

Hawks didn’t drop a game this season – sweeping everyone aside on their way to winning a second straight title.

Flint’s teams are known for their workrate, mistake free footy and ‘belief in the plan’.

They looked in trouble a few times this season but still managed to find a way to win every time and Flint’s coaching is a big part of that.

Kent Reimers of K78 Cricket Coaching and Consultancy puts Hugh Mansfield through his paces in a session. Photo: Contributed

Kent Reimers

K87 Cricket Coaching and Consultancy

One of Toowoomba cricket’s most experienced and respected mentors.

Since ‘going into business for himself’ Reimers and his team have played leading hands in the development of some of the region’s top cricketers.

From promising juniors to established rep stars eager to take their game to another level – Reimers knows how to help cricketers lift their game.