Men's Cross Country 6/5/2013 1:31:00 PM

Tim Schwegler Promoted To Head Track/Cross Country Coach

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – Tim Schwegler has been promoted to the position of head men's and women's Track & Field/Cross Country coach at Truman State University. He replaces John Cochrane, who previously announced his retirement. Schwegler has been an assistant coach with the Bulldogs since 2006 and previously served for 20 years as the head coach at Highland (Kan.) Community College.

“I am excited that we can transition our leadership in track & field/cross country so smoothly by elevating Tim to the head coaching position,” said Director of Athletics Jerry Wollmering. “He has proven over the last seven years in the program that he is dedicated to the 'Bulldog way' at Truman State University. I am confident that our student-athletes will thrive under Tim's leadership”.

“I am thrilled about the opportunity to become the next head coach at Truman,” said Schwegler. “I want to thank Athletic Director Jerry Wollmering and the Truman administration for this chance. It is a great honor to follow in the steps of former Bulldog coaches Ken Gardner, Ed Schneider and John Cochrane. I feel a great responsibility to provide our student-athletes a positive athletic and academic experience as part of a program that makes both alumni and the Truman community proud.”

Leslie Hardesty will continue as an assistant coach in charge of the throwers and work with the team's strength and conditioning program. Hardesty has been an assistant with the Bulldogs since 2005.

Schwegler graduated from Truman in 1980 where he served as captain of the Bulldog Cross Country team and a member of the Track team. After graduation, he proceeded to work at Kirksville High School as the Cross Country coach and Boys Track & Field coach. He led the Tigers to three district titles, two North Central Missouri Conference championships and had three top ten state finishes. Following a four-year stint at KHS, Schwegler returned to Truman to complete his master's degree and served as a volunteer assistant for the Bulldog women's Track & Field/Cross Country squads.

After completing his master's in 1986, Schwegler was named head coach at Highland Community College where he built a top-20 NJCAA Track and Field/Cross Country program. He coached 106 athletic all-Americans and 192 academic all-Americans during his tenure at Highland. The Scotties won eight Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference championships and were named the NJCAA Top Academic Team of the Year nine times. Schwegler was named the 1999 NJCAA Men's Track Coach of the Year and the 2004 NJCAA Region VI Women's Coach of the Year.

Schwegler returned to the Truman and Kirksville community in 2006 to serve as an assistant coach for the Bulldogs. He has helped produce 13 MIAA champions, six NCAA Div. II all-Americans, several USTFCCCA all-Academic scholars, and new school records in nine different events.

Originally from St. Louis, he also is an Instructor in the Exercise Science Department teaching courses in Health/Fitness and Nutrition. He has Level III coaching certification from USA Track & Field and is a Level I Lead Instructor in the USATF Coaching Education Program. Schwegler is the author and co-author of numerous articles in several research publications. He and his wife, Nancy (a Truman and Track Alum), are parents of two children, Matt (a senior at Truman) and Sam (a sophomore in college).

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