Eastern Washington University has hired Sam Read, former assistant at Montana State University, to become EWU's new head cross country coach, effective Monday (July 9). He received his master's degree from MSU in 2016 and his bachelor's degree in 2014 from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa.
 
Read was at MSU from 2014-18 where he assisted Dale Kennedy, the recently-retired director of cross country and track and field for the Bobcats, and Lyle Weese, Bobcat head cross country coach and assistant track and field coach, with distance runners. Read also a taught statistics and mathematics courses and supervised the Math Learning Center during his time at MSU.
 
"It's a pleasure to have Sam join our veteran track and field coaching staff as our new cross country and distance coach," said Eastern Director of Athletics Lynn Hickey. "His familiarity with the Big Sky will allow him to hit the ground running this week as he begins his new role at Eastern."
 
As coach of EWU's distance runners, he will join a track and field coaching staff that includes veterans Stan Kerr, Marcia Mecklenburg, Dave Nielsen and Eric Allison. Combined, that quartet has over 100 years of collegiate coaching experience.
 
"It doesn't take long to realize that EWU is a special place," said Read. "I am extremely excited to work with this young team in developing a strong program for years to come. It is an honor to work with the incredible EWU coaching staff as well as these hard-working athletes.  I am looking forward to developing this program and recruiting more Eagles to be a part of this team."

Montana State had four All-Americans and 17 Big Sky Conference champions (including two relays) in distance running while Read was there. Included were two sub-4 minute milers, plus eight new school record holders. As a team, MSU had nine top-three finishes in Big Sky Conference competitions while Read was there.
 
During his undergraduate career, Read competed in cross country and track and field at Wartburg where his career was highlighted by a victory in the 10,000 meters at the 2014 Iowa Conference Track and Field Championships. He served as a member of the school's Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and received his bachelor's degree in mathematics and economics.
  
Read is now a competitive road racer, as well as his wife, Rebekah. They met while both were on the cross country team at Wartburg College and got married in December of 2017 after she did an 18-month mission in Honduras. Sam recently won the Glacier Half Marathon, setting a new course record. He has also won the 2017 and 2018 Governor's Cup 10K in Helena, Mont., and the prestigious Montana Cup Cross Country Championship in 2016.