Jon Murray Head Track Coach

murrayj@acu.edu
325-674-2711
Abilene Christian Website

In his 13th season as the Wildcats' head men's and women's cross country coach, Jon Murray has built one of the top programs in NCAA Division II.

His men's team is coming off three straight runner-up finishes at the NCAA Division II national meet, and will once again be one of the favorites to capture the national title this fall.

The women's team, meanwhile, will be in a rebuilding mode in 2003 after winning the last two Lone Star Conference titles and advancing to two straight NCAA Division II South Central Regional meets.

Murray became the Wildcats' 15th head track and field coach in June 2001, and last year he led the ACU men's team to the NCAA Division II indoor and outdoor national championships. Those two national titles were the sixth and seventh for Murray as a head coach, having directed the Wildcats to three titles (men's and women's indoor titles and men's outdoor title) as the interim head coach in 2000 and two titles (men's indoor and outdoor titles) in 2002.

Murray is no stranger to winning championships. In fact, as the head cross country coach since 1991, assistant track coach, interim head track coach and head track coach, Murray has been a part of 74 Lone Star Conference and NCAA regional and national championship teams.

Murray, who graduated with a B.B.A. from Harding University in 1990 and then received his master's in education from Harding in 1991, began his coaching career at ACU in fall 1991 as the cross country coach and head coach Wes Kittley's assistant in the women's track and field program.

He then became Kittley's full-time assistant for both men and women in 1993 when Kittley took over both programs.

Murray's cross country teams have won 20 Lone Star Conference championships (men from 1991-2002 and women in 1991, 1993-97 and 2001-2002). He also has been named LSC cross country Coach of the Year 18 times.

His 1993, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 men's cross country teams finished in the NCAA Division II top 10. The 2000-2002 squads won NCAA Division II South Central Regional championships before finishing second at the national championship meets.

The women's best-ever finish came in 1995 when they finished second at the NCAA Division II national cross country meet. Under Murray, the women have also finished fifth in 1994, sixth in 1993 and seventh in 1996.

He and his wife, Samantha, were married in June 2000, and have two children, a son, Jonah, and a daughter, .