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John Curtin, Head Coach

Curtin joined Emory University as track and field coach at the start of the 1985-86 school year. His belief in individualized training programs has resulted in athletic and academic success for his student-athletes within a team concept.

The latest proof of his excellence is a 10th-place finish, highest in school history, by the Emory men's team at the 2004 NCAA Division III national outdoor championships. A school-record four men's performers earned All-America honors at that NCAA meet. On the women's side, Curtin coached four All-America performances by Emory athletes at the 2002 NCAA Division III national outdoor championships, including two national champions (steeplechase and hammer). The women's team finished ninth, the best finish in school history, at the NCAA championships.

Other recent highlights include three All-America performances by Emory athletes at the 2001 NCAA Division III national outdoor championships, including a national hammer throw champion; an All-America javelin thrower in 2000; eight All-America performances by Emory athletes at the 1997 NCAA outdoor championships; a national triple jump champion in 1995; and a school-record five All-Americans at the 1994 NCAA outdoor championships. That same year, Curtin was honored as the region's Coach of the Year.

In his 19 years at Emory, Curtin's track and field athletes have amassed 47 All-America certificates and 256 conference event championships.

Curtin was selected the region Coach of the Year by the U.S. Track Coaches Association for the 1994 outdoor season, 2003 indoor season (men), 2003 outdoor season (men), and the 2004 outdoor season (men).

Thirteen times, he and his assistants have been honored by the University Athletic Association as its track and field "Coaching Staff of the Year." The most recent honor came in 2004 after Emory won the men's team title and its women's team finished second at the UAA outdoor track and field championships.

Prior to Emory, Curtin was the head men's cross country and track and field coach at Simpson College (Iowa) from 1979-85. He also coached the Simpson women's cross country and track teams for two years. In 1995, Curtin was inducted into Simpson's Sports Hall of Fame.

He is the track and field director for the Atlanta Track Club, a member of the Georgia TAC, and has served on the NCAA track and field committee. Curtin coordinates the invitation of elite runners for Atlanta's "Peachtree Road Race," one of the world's largest 10,000-meter race. Since 1992, he provided race commentary on television for which he won a regional Emmy award, along with others members of the broadcast crew, for "Outstanding Achievement in Live Sports Programming."

In 1991, Curtin received his highest TAC honor when he was selected as head coach for the USA Women's National Ekiden Team that competed in Yokohama, Japan. He spent the spring and summer of 1996 as the assistant competition director for track & field at the Atlanta summer Olympic Games.

Curtin is a 1974 graduate of Drake University (Iowa) and earned his master's degree from Drake in 1984.