Aug. 15, 2007

Milwaukee - The Marquette University Athletics Department has announced the hiring of Mike Nelson as head cross country coach/assistant track & field coach.

"I am delighted that coach Nelson has accepted our offer to lead the cross country team and distance runners," Interim Athletics Director Steve Cottingham said. "Mike's understanding of Marquette's tradition, coupled with his passion for the opportunity to take the program to new heights, has all of us excited to have him join our program."

Nelson joins Marquette after spending the past two years at Saint Louis University. Hired as the head cross country coach in 2005, Nelson founded the track and field program at SLU in the Spring of 2006. The Billikens encountered immediate success in both competition and the classroom, competing in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Numerous student-athletes were recognized for their academic accomplishments at the conference level and the men's and women's teams also made their respective debuts at the league championship meets.

"I am extremely excited about the opportunity to join the program at Marquette," Nelson said. "The team has a storied history and I look forward to continuing that tradition of success."

Before arriving at SLU, Nelson spent two years as a graduate assistant for the Emporia State University cross country and track and field teams. He also worked with ESU's distance runners on the track and field team and served as the recruiting coordinator for the squads.

Nelson helped lead the Emporia State men to a second place finish at the 2004 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Cross Country Championships. His student-athletes won the men's 5,000 meter and 10,000 meter runs at the 2005 MIAA Outdoor Championships as ESU finished second in the team standings. Nelson coached women's school-record holders in the distance medley relay, the indoor 1,000 meter and a national qualifier in the 1,500 meter.

A 2003 graduate of Truman State University, Nelson was a four-time All-MIAA performer for the Bulldogs. He competed in the NCAA Division II cross country national championships as a junior and senior, and led his team to two top-10 finishes at the national meet. He helped lead Truman State to the 2001 MIAA Conference cross country team championship and was team captain his senior year. Nelson graduated cum laude from TSU with a degree in exercise science. He earned his master's degree in physical education from Emporia State in 2005.

Bert Rogers will serve as the acting head coach of the track & field program in 2007-08 and Mike Koenning has been promoted to acting associate head coach.

"I fully expect that coach Nelson in cross country, and coaches Rogers and Koenning in track and field, will provide us great leadership as we move into another academic year," Cottingham said.