Roark Hired as HU Track & Field Head Coach

Huntington University athletic director Lori Culler has announced the hiring of Austin Roark as the new head coach of the men’s and women’s track and field program.

“We are very pleased to have Austin join our coaching staff,” said Culler. “He is another solid addition to the strong caliber of coaching staff hires we have made recently, and expect him to hit the ground running.

“He brings with him pre-established local recruiting connections and has demonstrated the ability to take student-athletes to the pinnacle of success, having coached multiple national champions in his former position. We are looking forward to his leadership of our track and field programs.”

Roark brings eight years of experience as an assistant coach at Indiana Tech where he helped guide the Warriors to 11 NAIA National Championships. In addition to being a five-time USTFCCCA NAIA National Assistant Coach of the Year, he has also garnered ten USTFCCCA Great Lakes Region Assistant Coach of the Year praises.

During his tenure at Tech, he coached 12 national champions, and 92 times his athletes earned NAIA All-American honors. His resume also includes coaching four athletes who competed at the USATF National Championships.

“I am incredibly honored and excited to be the next head track and field coach at Huntington University,” said Roark. “I want to thank Lori Culler, Dr. Emberton, and the Huntington University athletic department for entrusting me with the program.

“I would be remiss if I did not thank Jessie Biggs, Doug Edgar and the track and field staff at Indiana Tech for allowing me to coach at Indiana Tech the past eight years. I can’t wait to build upon what coaches Joel Childs and Lauren Johnson have established here at Huntington University. I am ready to get started recruiting and establishing Huntington University track and field as a perennial Crossroads League and national NAIA impact program.”

Prior to his stint at Indiana Tech, Roark spent four seasons coaching at Eastern Howard High School, with his final two years serving as the head coach. Under his tutelage, he coached seven state qualifiers and an IHSAA state champion. In addition to his athletes breaking 11 school records and guiding his team to the program’s second-ever sectional championship in 2013, he was also an IATCCC Coach of the Year nominee.

Roark is a USATF Level II Jumps Certified Coach and Safe Sport Certified Coach. He holds an Associate of Applied Science degree in occupational therapy from Brown Mackie and a Bachelor of Science degree in organizational leadership from Indiana Tech. He also recently earned his MBA from Indiana Tech.

The Huntington University Foresters compete in 17 intercollegiate sports for men and women. In the past decade, Huntington has produced 106 NAIA All-America honors and 421 All-America Scholar Athlete honors. Huntington University is a comprehensive Christian college of the liberal arts offering graduate and undergraduate programs in more than 70 academic concentrations. U.S. News & World Report ranks Huntington among the best colleges in the Midwest.