IOWA CITY, Iowa — Randy Hasenbank, a 15-year veteran of college coaching, has been named interim associate head cross country/assistant track and field coach at the University of Iowa. The announcement was made Friday by Joey Woody, UI director of track and field/cross country.
Hasenbank joins the Iowa program after spending five seasons as head cross country/track and field coach at Loyola University Chicago. He directed Loyola to five Horizon League team championships and was named Horizon League Coach of the Year five times. He coached nine All-Americans and led the Ramblers to 57 individual conference titles and 60 school records. In 2013, he was named NCAA Division I Midwest Region Coach of the Year by the United States Track & Field Cross Country and Track & Field Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
“I am thankful and excited for the opportunity to join the University of Iowa track and field and cross country program,” said Hasenbank. “I look forward to working with coach Woody and the Hawkeye coaching staff. During our conversations it became clear to me that coach Woody has a vision of preparing young men and women to compete for Big Ten championships. I am excited to meet the team and get started.”
“I am excited to welcome Randy to our staff and the Hawkeye family,” said Woody. “Randy brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience that I believe will lead us to the top of the Big Ten.
“He has been instrumental in building championship programs from the bottom to the top during stints at Wichita State, Alabama, and most recently at Loyola University in Chicago, where they have won multiple conference championships and triple crowns since his arrival on campus five years ago. I know Randy is very excited to get to Iowa City and get to work on building our distance program to the top of the Big Ten.”
Before taking over the Loyola program, Hasenbank spent five seasons as the head women’s cross country coach and assistant track and field coach at the University of Alabama. During his tenure in Tuscaloosa, Hasenbank produced three All-SEC runners, three freshman All-SEC selections and five all-region performances.
Before heading up Alabama’s women’s cross country program, Hasenbank was the head cross country coach at Wichita State, where he coached 64 runners to All-Missouri Valley Conference honors and was named 2006 NCAA Division I Midwest Distance Coach of the Year. He also collected 2005 MVC Cross Country Coach of the Year honors and led the Shocker women to the 2005 MVC cross country title.
Hasenbank fills a staff position vacated by Layne Anderson, who resigned to become assistant track and field/cross country coach at the University of Tennessee.