GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Furman University director of athletics Dr. Gary Clark announced today the hiring of Robert Gary as the school's head track and field/cross country coach. Gary's wife, the former Rita Arndt of Saline, Mich., will serve as the Paladins' assistant track and field/cross country coach.
Gary, a native of Chicago, Ill., has spent the last six years as the head men's track and field coach at Ohio State and has also served as the school's men's cross country coach for the past 16 years. During his time at the helm of the Buckeye track and field program, he has guided his teams to six top-three finishes at Big Ten championship events, including runner-up performances at the 2009 cross country meet, plus the 2009 outdoor and 2010 indoor meets. Under Gary's tutelage, the Buckeyes have garnered 17 individual titles and seven relay crowns.
"As a two-time Olympian, assistant coach for the U.S. national team, and successful national-level college coach, Robert Gary brings a wealth of knowledge and national acclaim to the Furman cross country and track and field teams at a time when Furman is making a larger commitment to this program," said Clark upon announcing Gary's hiring. "We are excited to have both Robert and Rita Gary joining Furman University."
"Furman is committed to achieving both academic and athletic excellence, and Robert Gary will be a wonderful addition to our athletic program," said Furman President Rod Smolla. "He has proven himself as a coach at the highest levels of competition, and he will bring valuable expertise to a cross country and track and field program that is poised to become one of the nation's best."
The Buckeyes reached the NCAA cross country championships during eight of Gary's 16 years as head coach, finishing as high as 11th-place in 2005. Gary's teams have produced numerous all-Big Ten honorees, two All-Great Lakes regional selections, and two All-Americans (Brian Olinger and Jeff See). Most recently, his 2011 squad placed 23rd at the national meet.
This past indoor season, Gary led the Buckeyes to a fourth-place finish in a very tight Big Ten conference meet, placing just nine points shy of first place, and produced the fourth-most NCAA Indoor Championship qualifiers. His Ohio State team concluded the NCAA Indoor Championships with the fourth-most All-Americans, including two relay teams comprised entirely of student-athletes from the state of Ohio that set Buckeye records to qualify for the meet. Gary also coached three sub-4 minute milers this indoors (Cory Leslie, Daniel Huling, and See).
"My wife and I are extremely excited to work together with all of the support-areas at Furman," said Gary. "This program gives us with an opportunity to focus toward the distance areas and offers a more formalized post-collegiate training group. We both feel like the setting -- the facilities, weather, availability of physiological testing -- along with the great foundation already in place by Gene Mullins and the rest of the current staff, will present a very rewarding challenge for our staff and a will prove to be a great place for Furman student-athletes to develop."
Gary's involvement with USA Track and Field has helped fashion his reputation as one of the nation's elite coaches. Last year he served as an assistant coach for Team USA at the IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, and as the head coach for the U.S. junior team at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Punta Umbria, Spain. During the 2010 season, Gary was Team USA's U-23 distance coach at the North America, Central America, and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) meet in Toluca, Mexico.
Gary's past proteges include Olinger, who won the prestigious Manchester Road Race and turned in the top American finish and the third-best time ever at the Falmouth Road Race, and See, who became Gary's fourth mile champion after winning the USATF indoor mile championship in 2011. In 2010, he coached former Miami University track talent Huling, who won the 3000m steeplechase at the 2010 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Huling was one of several track and field stars, including Rob Myers (1500m), Olinger (steeplechase), and See (1500m), who trained under Gary in preparation for the 2008 Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore. Myers, Huling, and Olinger advanced to the finals in their respective events at the trials.
A two-time Olympian (1996 Atlanta Games and 2004 Athens Games) in the 3000m steeplechase, Gary concluded his own running career in 2005 after becoming one of only five Ohio State track and field athletes to earn bids to two separate U.S. Olympic teams. He finished second in the steeplechase at the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1996, recording a career-beset time of 8:19.46, then posted a third-place finish at the 2004 Trials eight years later. As a cross country athlete, Gary garnered 11 career appearances on the U.S. cross country team and was chosen Track and Field News Cross Country Runner of the Year in 2004.
Prior to his time as head track and field coach at Ohio State, Gary served nine years as an assistant coach with the Buckeye team.
A 1996 graduate of Ohio State, Gary completed an illustrious career as a member of the Buckeye track and field program, earning six All-American citations and winning the Big Ten championship in the steeplechase in 1994. His time of 7:52.63 in the 3,000m still stands as the Ohio State indoor record in the event. A three-time All-Big Ten selection, he helped the Buckeyes to three league championships and was inducted into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009.
As head women's track and field/cross country coach at Miami University from 2008-2009, Arndt was named the 2008 Mid-American Conference Cross Country Coach of the Year after leading the RedHawks to the first conference title in program history. Miami, which ranked as high as 35th nationally, finished sixth at the NCAA Cross Country Regional meet that fall.
Arndt spent four years coaching at Michigan State before accepting the post at Miami. After serving as head women's cross country coach/assistant track and field coach for two years, she was promoted in June 2006 to associate head cross country coach for the men's and women's programs/assistant track and field coach.
During her time with the Spartans, Arndt was named the Great Lakes Region Cross Country Coach of the Year in both 2006 and 2007. Her 2007 team placed fifth at the NCAA Cross Country Championship, and her athletes garnered eight All-America, 23 NCAA Great Lakes All-Region, and 21 All-Big Ten citations during her tenure. Seven of her athletes were also honored as Academic All-Americans.
Prior to her time at Michigan State, Arndt spent two years as an assistant coach at South Florida, where she coached the program's first cross country All-American. She was part of the Bulls staff that was recognized as the 2003 Conference USA Coaching Staff of the Year.
A 2001 graduate of South Florida with a degree in mass communications, Arndt spent two seasons as a undergraduate at Michigan State before transferring to South Florida. A six-time NCAA qualifier, Arndt set two South Florida school records and was honored as a three-time Academic All-American. She led the Bulls to their first Conference USA cross country title and first NCAA Championship appearance.