Release courtesy of Brad Monastiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations and Event Management, Hillsdale College
Hillsdale, Mich.
-- Hillsdale College’s athletic department announces
the appointment of a new head men's track and cross country coach,
and a new head women's track and cross country coach.
Former associate track coach Jeff Forino is now the
Chargers’ head men’s track coach and will assume head
coaching duties for the men’s cross country program after the
conclusion of the 2011 season.
Andrew Towne returns to the Hillsdale College coaching staff after
a two-year stint at Miami University in Ohio. Towne has assumed
head coaching duties of Hillsdale’s women’s track and
cross country programs, effective immediately.
Forino has been a part of the Charger coaching staff since 2003.
In his duties as assistant track coach, he worked primarily with
the sprinters and field event athletes. Under his daily guidance,
Hillsdale produced its first-ever Division II national champion in
a track event, when Jason Stomps won the hammer throw at the
2010 NCAA Division II Indoor Track championships. Forino has also
coached numerous athletes who earned All-American honors throughout
his tenure.
Forino has also served as a strength and conditioning coach for
several sports throughout the athletic department. His previous
coaching stints included time at Hanover (NH) High School
(1995-2000), Springfield College (2000-02) and Dartmouth College in
2002-03.
Towne previously served as an assistant track coach at Hillsdale
from 2006-09, before moving on to a similar role at Miami
University in Oxford, Ohio. While with the RedHawks, Towne
specialized in coaching the team’s sprinters, hurdlers and
jumpers.
Towne is a 2004 graduate of Hillsdale College, where he earned his
degree in physical education, while earning a minor in math. He
competed for the Chargers from 1999-2004, but also filled the role
of student-coach during his career. He was an All-GLIAC athlete for
the Chargers, and earned GLIAC All-Academic honors during his
collegiate career.
Towne made a big impact on Hillsdale’s track program upon
joining the coaching staff. His work with the team’s
sprinters, along with outstanding efforts in recruiting, returned
the Chargers to contender status in the conference. During his
first tour of duty with Hillsdale, the Charger men swept the sprint
events at the 2007 GLIAC Indoor Track and Field championships, and
the team went from 8th place in 2006 to 3rd place in 2007. He
coached five athletes who earned All-American honors during his
first tenure at Hillsdale. He then went on to coach three
Mid-American Conference champs while at Miami.
He is certified USATF Level II sprint/hurdles coach, and is an
NSCA certified strength and conditioning specialist, in addition to
being a USATF Level II jumps coach.