Sam Read named new Eastern Washington cross country coach...

CHENEY—Eastern Washington University formally announced Tuesday the hiring of former Montana State assistant coach Sam Read (left/photo courtesy EWU Athletics) as its new head cross country coach and assistant track coach.

The hire had been rumored over the weekend by letsrun.com.

Read was at MSU from 2014-18 where he assisted Dale Kennedy, the recently-retired director of cross country and track and field for the Bobcats, and Lyle Weese, Bobcat head cross country coach and assistant track and field coach, with distance runners. Read also a taught statistics and mathematics courses and supervised the Math Learning Center during his time at MSU.

"It's a pleasure to have Sam join our veteran track and field coaching staff as our new cross country and distance coach," said Eastern Director of Athletics Lynn Hickey. "His familiarity with the Big Sky will allow him to hit the ground running this week as he begins his new role at Eastern."

Montana State had four All-Americans and 17 Big Sky Conference champions (including two relays) in distance running while Read was there. Included were two sub-4 minute milers, including Christian Soratos.

Read competed in cross country and track and field at Wartburg in Iowa where his career was highlighted by a victory in the 10,000 meters at the 2014 Iowa Conference Track and Field Championships. He served as a member of the school's Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and received his bachelor's degree in mathematics and economics.

Read was 54th at the NCAA Division III cross country championships for Wartburg in 2013. That season, he led the Knights to a sixth place finish in the NCAA Central Regionals, and a fourth place finish at the Iowa Conference championship meet.

Eastern Washington’s release is available here.

NOTE: Eastern Washington and Wartburg College contributed to this report.

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