Larry Cole -- the new head men's cross country and track and field coach at Rose-Hulman.

TERRE HAUTE, IND. - One legendary coach will replace another as the head track and field and men’s cross country coach at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.

Larry Cole, who has coached 48 NCAA Division III All-Americans in a 15-year head coaching career, will replace 22-year head coach Bill Welch, who has coached 18 All-Americans at Rose-Hulman.  Welch will remain at Rose-Hulman to assist the track and field program.

Cole, 49, 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 fielded questions from the audience at Hulbert Arena.

Cole then moved on to Ohio Northern University, where he coached 72 conference champions, 33 NCAA Division III All-Americans, and was twice named conference Coach of the Year from 1990-97.

Cole was also named both the Great Lakes Region men’s and women’s Coach of the Year in 1996.

Off the track, Cole served as the meet director for the 1995 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Nationals at Ohio Northern.  He was also the first vice president of the NCAA Track and Field Coaches Association of 1997 and served on the Executive Committee of the United States Track and Field Association from 1995-97.

For the past six years, Cole has served as the athletic director for the Lima Bath Local High School (Ohio).  He was responsible for 17 varsity sports and had daily responsibilities including scheduling, evaluation of coaches, facilities improvement planning and enforcement of policies.

Cole replaces Bill Welch, who has served as Rose-Hulman’s head coach since 1982.  Rose-Hulman track and field student-athletes have earned All-American honors in each of the last seven years; five Academic All-American awards; five conference titles in cross country; and three track and field conference championships under Welch.

During Homecoming festivities last October, Rose-Hulman dedicated its new, $1 million outdoor track in Welch’s honor.  The William M. Welch Track and Field Complex served as the site of the 2003 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Track and Field Championship on April 25 and 26.

Rose-Hulman’s indoor track and field facility will serve as the event site for the 2004 Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships, hosted by Indiana State University.

Cole also served as offensive coordinator for the Muskingum football team from 1982-90.  From 1980-82, he was the head football coach and assistant track coach at Maysville (Ohio) High School. 

Previously, Cole was the assistant football and track coach at Muskingum from 1979-80 and the football and track head coach at John Glenn High School (Ohio) from 1978-79.  He began his coaching career as a three-sport coach at East Muskingum Middle School from 1977-78.