Ducks Digest

Oregon Hires Jerry Schumacher as New Track and Field, Cross Country Head Coach

Schumacher has a storied history as one of the nation's best distance running coaches.

Graham Metzker

University of Oregon Athletic Director Rob Mullens has found his man to lead the school's storied Track and field and cross country teams, hiring Coach Jerry Schumacher on Monday.

This comes after the school decided not to retain former head coach Robert Johnson in June. 

"Jerry Schumacher is a world-class track and field leader with a unique ability to build a dynamic team atmosphere to support a first-class experience for the athletes," Mullens said in a press release.

Schumacher is one of the most successful collegiate track and field coaches ever, and he has a strong connection to the University of Oregon. For the past 15 years, Schumacher has served as director and head coach of the Nike Bowerman Track Club -- one of the nation's foremost running clubs made up of both youth runners and a national-level team.

The Bowerman Track Club has a special connection to Oregon, as it's named after legendary Oregon Track Coach and co-founder of Nike Bill Bowerman. In his tenure leading the Bowerman Track Club, Schumacher coached 28 olympians and was named USATF Coach of the Year in 2017.

"Track and field at the University of Oregon is unique in so many ways," Schumacher said. "From its incomparable history of success to the unparalleled support of the TrackTown community."

Schumacher started his coaching career as an assistant at North Carolina, but rose to the top of the NCAA Track and Field world as the head coach of Wisconsin's men's distance and cross country programs. In his decade with the Badgers, Schumacher brought home two NCAA team titles, 24 Big Ten championships and was named the 2005 National Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year.

Schumacher projects as a strong hire, becoming the 14th head coach in program history.

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Graham Metzker
GRAHAM METZKER

Graham Metzker is a junior at the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication. Hailing from Long Beach, California, Graham is also a reporter for DuckTV covering news and sports.

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