(Story courtesy Southwestern University athletics)
GEORGETOWN, Texas - Director of Athletics Dr. Glada Munt announced Steve Cary as the new head men's and women's cross country coach for the Southwestern University Pirates.
Cary joins the staff after eight years with the NCAA Division II Georgia College Bobcats of the Peach Bell Conference (PBC), starting as a graduate assistant in 2011 and working his way up to head coach in 2015.
In his four seasons running the Bobcats cross country teams, the program had a strong track record combining academic and athletic excellence. In the classroom, his teams produced three PBC Elite 15 recipients, 50 PBC All-Academic award winners, and 24 USTFCCCA All-Academic award winners. On the cross-country courses, Cary coached the 2017 PBC women's cross-country champion in Katherine Yost, and produced 10 All-Conference runners, six DII Southeast All-Region runners, and two runners combining for three qualifications for the NCAA Championships.
"We're delighted to have Coach Cary join the Pirate family," Dr. Munt said. "He built a strong program at Georgia College, competing at a national level, and we look forward to him bringing our programs up to that standard."
Cary ran four seasons at Valdosta State University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in English in May of 2011. He received his Master of Education in Kinesiology: Human Performance degree from Georgia College in May of 2013.
"I am excited to join the family at Southwestern. My wife, kids and I are eager to begin this next chapter in our lives," Cary said. "I want to thank Dr. Munt, Glenn Schwab and Doug Ross, as well as the rest of the athletics staff, for allowing me the opportunity to lead the Pirate Cross Country teams moving forward.
"Family is important to me and I intend to emphasize that with the cross country student-athletes. I expect the men and women to compete at a high level in the SCAC and the NCAA DIII South/Southeast Region, but do it as one unit, as a family. I look forward to helping establish a culture that SU student-athletes, fans and alums will be proud of for years to come."
The Pirates men's cross country team finished No. 15 in the South/Southeast Region and fourth in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) last season. The women's team finished fifth in the SCAC.