HEAD COACH MIKE COX
coxm@concord.edu
Head Coach Mike Cox is in his 8th season as head Men’s and Women’s Cross Coach at Concord University.
Cox was a star runner as a student athlete, before his coaching days. At Athens (WV) High School, Cox was a nine-time state champion and earned All-American honors, finishing 12th at the Kinney -- now Footlocker -- Championships in San Diego, CA.
He was West Virginia’s 1993 Track and Field Athlete of Year, and was high point winner at the West Virginia High School State Championships two years in a row, winning the 800-, 1600- and 3200- meter races both years.
Cox still holds the West Virginia Class AA record in the mile, with a time of 4:17.54.
After high school, Cox attended Virginia Tech University. In his freshman year, he qualified for the USA Junior National cross country team and competed internationally in Budapest, Hungary.
In his career at Virginia Tech Cox was a member of 7 conference championship teams, a two-time Atlantic 10 outdoor 10K champion, indoor 5k champion, and a three-time All-Conference performer.
Coach Cox continues to run on the national level. He qualified for the United States Olympic Marathon trials twice, in 2004 and 2008, and hopes to again reach the trials in 2012. He finished 8th in the 2007 Chicago Marathon and was the top American finisher.
Under Coach Cox’s guidance Concord’s cross country programs have been on the rise. The Men’s team won the WVIAC championship in 2004 – Concord’s first since 1968 -- and added another title in 2007. Meanwhile, the women have ascended from the bottom of the WVIAC to conference contenders. Both men’s and women’s teams are expected to challenge for the WVIAC crown in 2009.
“My goal is to have the best distance program in the WVIAC every year,” Cox says, “and work to make this one of the best teams in the nation”
At Concord, Cox has coached 23 1st Team All-WVIAC runners, one WVIAC Runner of the Year, one 1st Team All-Atlantic Region runner, and one NCAA National Championship qualifier.
Mike and his wife, Tabitha, have a new baby boy, Miller. They reside in Princeton.
Mike Cox’s Personal Bests:
800m: 1:54.32 Mile (indoors): 4:04.33
2-Mile 8:51 5k: 13:54
10k: 29:30 10-Mile: 47:40
Half marathon: 1:05.42 Marathon: 2:20.12
