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John Curtin, Head Coach

Curtin joined Emory University as cross country 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 six consecutive NCAA Division III men's regional titles. His women's teams won 13 consecutive regional titles and made 13 straight appearances in the NCAA national championships from 1991 to 2003, highlighted by a best-ever finish of seventh place at the 1997 championships. His men's teams have made 10 appearances at the national championships highlighted by a 12th-place finish in 1986 and 16th place in 2003.

In 1992, Curtin guided the Emory women's and men's cross country teams to the NCAA national meet, the first time in school history that both teams went to the nationals in the same season. That feat was repeated in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003.

Curtin was named NCAA regional men's cross country Coach of the Year in 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2004 and women's cross country Coach of the Year by the United States Track Coaches Association in 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006. He was named men's Region Coach of the Year by Southregionrunning.com in 2002, 2003 and 2004.

In his 22 years at Emory, Curtin has coached 11 cross country All-Americans, 176 all-region performers and 78 all-conference honorees. Twice, he and his assistants have been honored by the University Athletic Association as its cross country "Coaching Staff of the Year."

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 USA Track & Field (formerly The Athletic Congress), and has served on the NCAA track and field committee. For several years, Curtin coordinated the invitation of elite runners for Atlanta's "Peachtree Road Race," one of the world's largest 10,000-meter race. Every year since 1992, Curtin has been a television commentator for the Peachtree race 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 Olympic Games.

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

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