SCSU Men’s Cross Country/Track and Field Head Coach John Wallin enters his 12th year as the Owls’ head coach in 2021-22.
John Wallin Highlights
- 85 All-Americans (49 indoor, 36 outdoor)
- 597 East All-Region selections (255 indoor, 327 outdoor, 15 cross country)
- Two NCAA National Champions (Nick Lebron, Heptathlon, 2012, 2014)
- Seven-time Northeast 10 Indoor Track and Field Champion (2011, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020)
- Nine-time Northeast 10 Outdoor Champion (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021)
- One-time New England Indoor Champion (2014)
- Five-time New England Outdoor Champion (2011, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019)
- Seven-time USTFCCCA East Region Indoor Coach of the Year (2011, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020)
- Nine-time USTFCCCA East Region Outdoor Coach of the Year (2011, 2012, 2013 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021)
- Eight-time Northeast 10 Indoor Coach of the Year (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020)
- Nine-time Northeast 10 Outdoor Coach of the Year (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021)
- Four Northeast 10 Men’s Indoor Field Athletes of the Year
- One Northeast 10 Men’s Indoor Track Rookie of the Year
- Two Northeast 10 Men’s Indoor Field Rookies of the Year
- One Northeast 10 Men’s Indoor Track and Field Rookie of the Year
- Two Northeast 10 Men’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year
- Four Northeast 10 Men’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year
- One Northeast 10 Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year
- Two Northeast 10 Men’s Outdoor Track Rookies of the Year
- Two Northeast 10 Men’s Outdoor Field Rookie of the Year
- One Northeast 10 Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Rookie of the Year
- 43 Northeast 10 Academic All-Conference selections
- Four Northeast 10 Scholar-Athlete Sports Excellence Award winners
- Four CoSIDA Academic All-American selections
- Three CoSIDA Academic All-Distract selections
- 22 individual USTFCCCA All-Academic selections
- Eight USTFCCCA All-Academic Team selections
A 16-time East Regional Men’s Track and Field Coach of the Year by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, and 17-time Northeast 10 Coach of the Year selection, John Wallin is in his 12 year as head men’s cross country/track and field coach at Southern Connecticut State University in 2021-22.
Since taking over as head coach at his alma mater, Wallin engineered continued excellence in all three seasons, as all three programs have been nationally ranked since he took the reins. In 2018-19, Wallin guided the men's cross country, men's indoor track & field and men's outdoor track & field to Northeast 10 Conference Championships - with cross country winning its first in program history before the indoor and outdoor programs collected their third consecutive titles, respectively.
The men’s track and field program has captured six New England Track and Field Championships (five outdoors, one indoors) under Wallin’s watch, including the last three as well as a previous three consecutive titles (two outdoor, one indoor) during a stretch from 2013-14.
The Owls have totaled 85 All-American selections over Wallin’s 10 years as head coach, along with a two-time NCAA National Champion in Nick Lebron (2012 and 2014 heptathlon champ).
Wallin’s student-athletes have also made a mark on the academic front. The Owls had two CoSIDA Academic All-Americans in 2011-12 and 2013-14, and again with Dean Bhatt in 2015-16 - and 43 selections to the Northeast-10 Conference Men’s Cross Country or Track and Field All-Academic Teams. Most recently, the men's cross country team was recognized by the USTFCCCA with its Team Academic Award in 2015, 2016 and 2017, while five student-athletes were also named to USTFCCCA All-Academic Teams in 2015-16, three in 2016-17 and three more in 2017-18. Luke Velez was also named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team in 2017, 2018 and 2019, and was also named as the 2018 NE10 Men's Outdoor Track and Field Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Award recipient.
Wallin was able to guide Southern during the 2021 outdoor season that proved challenging because of the COVID-19 Pandemic and its protocols to lead seven Owls to the NCAA National Championship, where all seven student-athletes received All-American honors and Southern as a team finished in 10th place. Wallin also guided Southern to their fourth consecutive NE10 Outdoor Championship, as the Owls dominated the meet by becoming the first school in NE10 history to eclipse the 300-point mark. Southern was runner-ups in the New England Outdoor Championships, but were one of two teams to score over 100 points and crowned four individual champions and one relay team. For the year, Wallin was named NE10 and USTFCCCA East Region Coach of the Year, while four student-athletes were named to the NE10 All-Academic Team or received USTFCCA All-Academic honors. Southern also received 40 All-East Region Honors and 17 Top-Regional Performer distinctions.
The Owls continued to dominate during the 2019-20 academic year. During the cross country season, three team members garnered Northeast 10 All-Conference selections and two members were Northeast 10 All Academic Team selections, while the squad finished in the top three in the Northeast 10 Championships and fifth in the NCAA East Regional. In addition to being named USTFCCCA Regional and NE10 Coach of the Year, the Owls also saw record-breaking performances during the indoor track season that garnered seven All-American honors and NCAA Division II Championship participants. Nigel Green set the school, New England record, and Boston University Track and Tennis Center facility record in the 300-meter dash and the school record in the 200-meter dash. Milan Spisek also set an NE10 Championship record in the pole vault. Southern also won their fourth consecutive indoor conference championship in dominating fashion, scoring 242.50 points, the most by a team since 2006 and third most in championship history. The squad also had 29 All-Region East selections, the most of any program, and 10 Top Regional Performers. Fejiro Onakpoma also was named East Region Men’s Field Athlete of the Year by the USTFCCCA. Christopher LeBeau and Joshua Prouty were named to the NE10 Academic All-Conference Team and LeBeau and Spisek received USTFCCCA All Academic Honors.
Southern continues its run in 2018-19, winning the cross country, men's indoor and men's outdoor championships. The program also captured its third consecutive New England Outdoor Championship. In addition, the program featured indoor and outdoor All-American honors for long jumper Fijero Onakpoma and distance runner Terrell Patterson during the indoor season, as well as Breanna Burt during the indoor and outdoor season.
Southern Connecticut continued to dominate the NE10 in 2017-18, as it won both the indoor and outdoor championships. The Owls also claimed the 2018 New England Outdoor Championship. SCSU once again led the nation in All-Region selections during the outdoor season and finished tops among Division II schools (fourth overall) at New England's during the indoor season. Wallin was named as both the NE10 and the USTFCCCA Indoor and Outdoor Coach of the Year for his efforts.
During the 2016-17 season, the Owls won both the NE10 Indoor Championship and the NE10 Outdoor Championship. The NE10 Outdoor Championship was pure domination, as the Owls more than doubled the point total of the runner-up finisher. SCSU also led the nation in All-Region selections during the outdoor season and finished third at New England's during the indoor season and fifth outdoors. Wallin was named as both the NE10 and the USTFCCCA Indoor and Outdoor Coach of the Year for his efforts.
The 2015-16 season saw the Owls finish as the runner-up at both the Northeast-10 Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The Owls were also third at the New England Outdoor Championships and fourth at the New England Indoor Championships. The team had a total of four All-America selections, with 46 All-Region honorees as well. The Owls produced the USTFCCCA Regional Indoor Field Athlete of the Year, along with the NE-10 Indoor and Outdoor Field Athletes and Field Rookies of the Year.
The 2014-15 season saw Wallin capture USTFCCCA Outdoor Coach of the Year honors during a run that saw SCSU win its 13th straight outdoor track and field championship. The Owls also finished as the runners-up at the all-division New England championship. Four All-America selections also highlighted the academic year.
In 2013-14, SCSU claimed both the New England indoor and outdoor track and field championships along with the Northeast-10 Conference indoor and outdoor track and field titles. The Owls extended their streak 24 of the 26 NE-10 titles, including 13 consecutive crowns outdoors, with the wins. SCSU also amassed 65 All-Region selections during the year. The Owls’ 34 All-Region picks outdoors led all of Division II, while the 31 All-Region honorees indoors was the second-highest total in the nation. The 2013 cross country squad recorded a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Regional Championships and a fourth-place finish at the Northeast-10 Conference Championships.
The Owls won the New England outdoor title in 2013 along with the 2013 Northeast-10 Conference outdoor crown. Eleven student-athletes collected All-America honors during the course of the year, with Wallin also being named the Northeast-10 Conference Coach of the Year indoors and outdoors, and the Regional Coach of the Year outdoors.
SCSU recorded a third-place finish at the 2012 NCAA Championships, the highest indoor placing in school history. The program’s 13 All-America selections at the event were also a school record for a single NCAA Championship.
Southern Connecticut totaled 14 All-America selections in 2011-12 and Nick Lebron captured the NCAA title in the heptathlon, the program’s first individual national championship since 1998.
Along with his two USTFCCCA Regional Coach of the Year honors in 2011-12, Wallin also swept the Northeast-10 Conference Coach of the Year awards during the indoor and outdoor seasons.
The Owls’ 38 All-Region selections outdoors led all of Division II, while their 30 All-Region picks during the indoor season was the second-best total in the country. Southern Connecticut was ranked as high as No. 3 in the national rankings (indoors) during last year’s track campaigns.
The Owls also finished as the runner-up at the 2012 New England Outdoor Championships and were third at the 2012 New England Indoor Championships.
He also stepped in as the interim coach of the women’s cross country and track and field program in 2011-12 and helped that squad excel. The team had 24 USTFCCCA All-Region selections outdoors and 19 selections during the indoor season. Wallin guided four NCAA championships qualifiers and helped the outdoor team complete a runner-up finish at the NE-10 Championships.
The women’s squad also had a pair of CoSIDA Academic All-District selections, as well as 11 honorees for the NE-10 Women’s Track and Field All-Academic Teams and seven USTFCCCA All-Academic Team picks.
In his inaugural season as head coach of the men’s program, he helped guide the Owls to an outstanding campaign in 2010-11 which included the program’s first-ever New England Outdoor Track and Field Championship and a ninth place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Wallin also coached 11 All-America selections in 2010-11 and was named USTFCCA Regional Coach of the Year both indoors and outdoors.
Wallin spent the 2009-10 academic year as an assistant coach for the Owls and was named USTFCCCA Men’s Regional Assistant Coach of the Year during the outdoor campaign. During the 2009-10 academic year at SCSU, he coached seven All-Americans, nine NCAA qualifiers, 24 All-New England selections, two New England champions and 19 Northeast-10 Conference champions. The Owls also won the 2010 Northeast-10 Conference men’s indoor and outdoor track and field championships and the Metropolitan Outdoor Championships for the first time in program history. SCSU was also ranked as high as No. 11 nationally during the indoor season.
Wallin has distinguished himself as one of the top coaches in the nation over the past 20 years, having coached more than 200 All-Americans during stints at Dartmouth, Adams State College (Colo.) and SCSU.
During his tenure at Adams State, Wallin coached seven individual national champions, one relay national champion and 104 All-Americans (45 men, 59 women). His student-athletes claimed 25 school records, eight indoor Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference meet records and 17 outdoor RMAC meet records.
Prior to joining the Adams State staff, Wallin served as assistant men’s and women’s track and field coach at Dartmouth College (1999-2001). During his time with the Big Green, he guided student-athletes to five school records, nine Ivy League titles, one Division I NCAA All-America honor and three New England decathlon champions.
Wallin also served as the recruiting coordinator for the Big Green and enjoyed a brief stint as assistant strength and conditioning coach at Dartmouth.
As a student-athlete, Wallin served as a two-year team captain for Southern Connecticut. He earned All-America honors in the decathlon as a junior and senior, while also qualifying for the NCAA Championships as a sophomore.
Wallin also took home conference champion honors in the 55 meter high hurdles as a senior, a campaign in which the Owls won their first indoor conference championship.
Wallin holds a bachelor’s degree in human performance from Southern Connecticut State University and has completed graduate work towards a master’s degree in human performance from Adams State.
He currently lives in Hamden, Conn. with his wife, Reidun and their sons, Torsten, Soren and Tyr.
John Wallin Championship History
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2010-11
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Southern Conn. St.
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NE10 Indoor, Outdoor Champion
New England Outdoor Champion
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2011-12
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Southern Conn. St.
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NE10 Indoor, Outdoor Champion
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2012-13
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Southern Conn. St.
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NE10 Outdoor Champion
New England Outdoor Champion
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2013-14
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Southern Conn. St.
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NE10 Indoor, Outdoor Champion
New England Indoor, Outdoor Champion
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2014-15
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Southern Conn. St.
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NE10 Outdoor Champion
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2015-16
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Southern Conn. St.
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NE10 Indoor, Outdoor runner-up
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2016-17
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Southern Conn. St.
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NE10 Indoor, Outdoor Champion
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2017-18
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Southern Conn. St.
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NE10 Indoor, Outdoor Champion
New England Outdoor Champion
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2018-19
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Southern Conn. St.
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NE10 Indoor, Outdoor Champion
New England Outdoor Champion
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2019-20
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Southern Conn. St.
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NE10 Indoor Champion
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2020-21
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Southern Conn. St.
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NE10 Outdoor Champion
New England Outdoor runner-up
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