Dr. Colin Young, a former Division III national champion, will take over the reins of the Little Giants' cross country program as its next head coach.
 
"Coach Young comes to us highly recommended, with a great pedigree from top-notch Division III programs," Wabash Dean of Students Mike Raters said. "He will make our transition a smooth and successful one. I know he was attracted to our position due to the quality of the young men in our program, on and off the course."
 
Young, who will also serve as assistant track and field coach, brings a wealth of experience as a coach and former Division III student-athlete. He comes to Wabash after serving as assistant cross country and track field coach at Williams College last season, where he helped guide the men to a sixth place finish at the NCAA DIII Cross Country Nationals, while the women placed eighth.
 
In track, Young coached the distance runners at Williams, and his athletes produced six All-America performances and five school records.
 
"Coach Young brings so much experience to Wabash, both professional and personal," Director of Athletics and Wellness Joe Haklin said. "He has developed national distance runners at several institutions. He believes in the Division III athletic model, which promotes student-athlete development in the context of the liberal arts. We are excited to welcome Colin to the Wabash community as he builds on the strong tradition in the 'running arts,' which Wabash has enjoyed for many years."

 

Young graduated cum laude from North Central College in 2000 as a history and physical education major and was a GTE Academic All-American. As a team captain, he won the 2000 Division III national championship in the 10,000-meter run and placed sixth in the 5,000 meters to help the Cardinals earn the team championship for the fifth time in school history. He added All-America honors with a sixth-place finish in the 5,000 at the 2000 indoor national championships where North Central placed second. At the 1998 NCAA Outdoor Track National Championships, Young earned All-America honors in the 10,000 placing third, as the team won the Championship. Young was also a two-time All-American in cross country in 1998, finishing 15th as North Central won the team championship, and 1999, finishing second, and captained North Central to its third national championship in a row. 
 
"I am happy to be at Wabash," Young said. "I strongly support the Division III philosophy and wanted to be at a program that can be successful while maintaining a high academic focus. Wabash is one the top perennial Division III programs in the country. I feel very fortunate for the opportunity to coach the Redpack."
 
Young attended graduate school at the University of Tennessee, where he earned a master's degree in sport psychology in 2002 and doctorate in sociology of sport and education in 2005. He also served as a volunteer assistant men's cross country and track and field coach, helping the Volunteers capture the 2002 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field title.
 
"In addition to my coaching experience, I love the sport and have continued to train and race myself," Young added. "I've learned a lot of lessons through my own running that can help the athletes.  Ultimately, I see my role as a teacher and guide. I will work together with our student-athletes to help them reach their highest potential as a team and as individuals."
 
Young returned to his alma mater in 2005 as a volunteer assistant for men's cross country and track, and helped North Central's cross country team produce a conference championship and a 12th-place finish at the national championships. He taught sports studies at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan China from 2006-2014. In addition to his teaching duties, he worked with the middle and distance runners on the university track team. He also spent 16 months in Ethiopia researching elite distance runners and coaches.
 
Young holds USATF Level II coaching certifications in endurance, jumps, and sprints.
 
The Wabash College cross country team captured NCAA DIII Great Lakes Regional titles in 2013 and 2014 along with three North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) cross country titles over the past four seasons (2011, 2013, 2014). The Little Giants have qualified for the NCAA DIII cross country championships five consecutive years, and finished 16th in 2014.
 
The track and field team has captured five consecutive NCAC indoor and outdoor championships. The Little Giants finished 11th in the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Program of the Year rankings, a combination of national performances by DIII cross country and track and field teams. Both the cross country and track and field teams were also honored by the USTFCCCA as all-academic teams for the 2014-15 season.
 
Young takes over for Roger Busch '96, who was named head cross country and track and field coach at the University of Hartford in early August. Young and his wife, Xu Pei, will be relocating to Crawfordsville from Williamstown, MA.