Track & Field Head Coach
Larry Cole
E-mail: cole@rose-hulman.edu
Phone: 812-877-8509
Larry Cole, whose programs have produced 63 NCAA Division III All-Americans in a 25-year head coaching career, enters his 10th season at Rose-Hulman.
Cole has led the Fightin' Engineers to five consecutive Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Men's Outdoor Track and Field titles in 2008, '09, '10, '11 and '12. This feat marks the first Rose-Hulman athletic team with five straight league championships since the men's track and field squad won titles from 1985-89.
Cole has also helped Rose-Hulman individuals earn 15 All-American honors and four NCAA Division III national championships in his era at the college. In addition, Cole helped the men's and women's teams sweep the inaugural HCAC Indoor Championships in 2011. The men repeated the feat with indoor titles in 2012 and 2013.
For his efforts, Cole has earned nine HCAC Coach of the Year honors, including Men's Outdoor Coach of the Year accolades in 2008, '09, '10, '11 and 12. His career has featured 11 conference Coach of the Year awards. Cole's success extends to his cross country squads. In 2012, the Engineers matched their best conference finish in 20 years with a second-place effort at the HCAC Championships. Rose-Hulman individuals also captured league runner-up honors in 2010 and 2011.
Regarded by his peers as one of Division III's finest meet directors, Cole's efforts helped Rose-Hulman land the hosting role for the 2007 and 2009 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field National Championships. He previously served as the meet director for the 1995 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Nationals at Ohio Northern.
His efforts were also instrumental in Rose-Hulman securing the 2012 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships at the LaVern Gibson Course in November.
Cole began his coaching career at Muskingum College (Ohio) as the men's and women's track and field coach from 1982-90. At Muskingum, he coached 52 conference champions, 15 NCAA Division III All-Americans, and four conference women's championship teams.
Cole then moved on to Ohio Northern, where his programs produced 72 league champions, 33 All-Americans, and was twice named conference Coach of the Year from 1990-97. He was also named both the Great Lakes Region men's and women's Coach of the Year in 1996.
At Ohio Northern, his cross country teams earned four league runner-up finishes from 1990-97. He has coached 31 all-conference runners, one All-American and one Ohio College Division Runner of the Year throughout his cross country coaching career. Eight of Cole's former student-athletes have recently been inducted into the Ohio Northern Hall of Fame.
Off the track, Cole serves on the Executive Committee of the United States Track and Cross Country Coaches Association. He served as first vice president in 1997 and currently serves as the group’s treasurer.
Assistant Coach
Matthew Cole
E-mail: cole1@rose-hulman.edu
Phone: 812-877-8278
Matthew Cole enters his eighth year on the Engineer coaching staff this season.
Cole has completed his sixth season as head women's cross country coach and also serves as assistant men's and women's track field coach at Rose-Hulman.
Cole's women's cross country program has produced the college's first NCAA individual national qualifier in Rachel Krasich, as well as the first individual conference champion in Melissa Rogers.
Cole also served as meet director for the 2012 NCAA Division III Cross Country National Championships, hosted by Rose-Hulman at the LaVern Gibson Course.
For the track and field team, Cole specializes in hurdles, jumps and sprint events. He has coached two of the top athletes in Rose-Hulman history. Liz Evans has earned four NCAA Division III high jump national championships and seven All-American awards entering the 2013 outdoor season. Sutton Coleman earned seven All-American awards, including two top-three finishes, in high and intermediate hurdles events.
In 2012, Evans swept the NCAA Division III Indoor and Outdoor High Jump National Championships to win her fourth consecutive national title. Her four straight titles tied the all-time women's Division III high jump record.
The 2011 season also featured Cole coaching three individuals and one relay team to appearances at the NCAA Division III National Championships. Qualifiers included sprinter Jeremiah Edwards, All-American hurdler Sutton Coleman, National Champion high jumper Liz Evans and the men's school record setting 4-x-400 meter relay team.
For his efforts, Cole has been named the Great Lakes Region Assistant Coach of the Year three times during his Rose-Hulman coaching era. The awards include two men's Region Assistant Coach of the Year accolades and the women's honor most recently in 2012.
During his running career at Mount Union, Cole was a four-time Ohio Athletic Conference champion in the high hurdles. He earned two NCAA Division III National Qualifications and ranked fourth nationally during the 2005 season, while setting a school record in the 55-meter hurdles.
Cole has completed the USATF Level I and Level II coaching certification programs. His Level II areas include the sprint, hurdles and relay events. Cole specializes in the jumping events, including mentorship by legendary LSU jumps coach Boo Schexnayder. Cole completed his bachelor's degree in media computing and sports management at Mount Union in 2005. He will complete his master's degree in coaching at Indiana State in May.
Assistant Coach
Christy Sherman
Phone: 812-877-8509
Christy Sherman enters her ninth season as an assistant coach for throwing events at Rose-Hulman.
Sherman earned four All-American honors in the shot put at Indiana State University, including three second-place finishes at the NCAA Division I championships.
Sherman's efforts helped Rose-Hulman earn four Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference field event titles in the past six years. Twenty-six student-athletes have earned top-three finishes in the throwing events, with 2008 graduate Janel Belton named HCAC Field Athlete of the Year.
Sherman is employed by the Vigo County School Corporation as a teacher at Deming Elementary School. She is married to husband, John, and they have one son, Jack.