Head Coach
Sean.Cleary@mail.wvu.edu
(304) 293-9875

Sean Cleary, one of the sport’s most talented coaches, enters his second season as the head cross country and track coach after being associated with the program for 15 years as the top assistant. Cleary’s expertise in the mentoring, training, conditioning and recruiting of distance runners has allowed him to quickly build West Virginia’s track and field program into a national contender.

During his coaching tenure, Cleary has overseen 28 all-conference and ten All-American cross country runners. Since Cleary’s arrival in Morgantown, distance runners have competed at the NCAA Championships 112 times, culminating in 43 All-American awards, one Olympian and one Olympic Trial Finalist.

During the Cleary’s first track season as head coach, he saw Asselin and Bland claim BIG EAST indoor titles in the 3,000-meter and 1,000-meter, respectively, while the distance medley relay set a BIG EAST meet record in winning the indoor crown. The DMR went on to place fourth at nationals and Asselin placed seventh in the 3,000-meter to earn All-America honors. He also coached Clara Grandt to break a 28-year old record in 10,000-meter at the ECAC Outdoor Championship and saw Chelsea Carrier win her first league title in the 100-meter hurdles outdoors as a freshman. Bland finished the 2008 outdoor season by earning All-America honors in the 1,500-meter to become the first female in WVU history to earn All-America honors in three sports in the same year.

Cleary had previously been the distance coach in 2005 and 2006 and a full-time assistant under Jeff Huntoon from 2001-04, serving as the primary coach and trainer for the cross country team during that span. Prior to the 2001 season, Cleary served as a graduate assistant coach for eight seasons at WVU.

In 2006, Cleary brought a young team along nicely before season’s end. The ’06 squad claimed a sixth place finish at the 2006 BIG EAST Championship, improving from 12th the year before. Then, perhaps one of the biggest surprises of the 2006 Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship was the finish of Cleary’s group. Despite having over 60 percent of the roster comprised of freshman, WVU totaled a fourth place finish at regionals after spending all season ranked between 10th and 12th in the regional polls. Four of WVU’s top five finishers were freshmen.

In the 2005 outdoor track season, Cleary coached five NCAA regional qualifiers. In 2005, Jennifer Kemp won the NCAA Regional championship in the 800-meter, while Jennifer Davis was the 3,000-meter ECAC champion. Megan Metcalfe won the national championship in the 5,000-meter, becoming the third women’s track athlete in school history to win an individual national championship.

Cleary helped the Mountaineers win their first-ever Mid-Atlantic regional championship in 2004 and was a major part of WVU’s 15th-place finish at the NCAA championships that same year. For his efforts, Cleary was named the 2004 Mid-Atlantic Regional Coach of the Year by a vote of 31 fellow coaches within the region. Cleary and the cross country staff have won four regional coaching staff of the year awards.

From 1998 to 2004, WVU’s distance medley relay team qualified for nationals seven consecutive years, the second longest streak in the nation under Cleary’s watch.

Cleary helped lead West Virginia to all four of its NCAA championship appearances and also has coached 16 athletes who have competed at the World Track and Field, World Cross Country, World University Games, and Pan American Championships.

Cleary worked closely with former head coach Martin Pushkin in building the women’s cross country team into a national contender. Cleary was responsible for the recruitment and mentoring of NCAA mile champion Kate Vermeulen as well as All-Americans Rebecca Stallwood, Merissa Sexsmith and Metcalfe. Metcalfe became Cleary’s fifth national champion, 37th All-American, and 102nd NCAA qualifier.

Under his guidance, Cleary’s coaching produced several All-America runners including four-time All-American Bob Donker, NCAA cross country All-Americans Wynston Alberts, Mike Dudley and Steve Bohan, two time NCAA qualifiers Jeff Metcaff and Bohan, NCAA qualifier Ian Collings and 5000 meter All-American Mark Vilardo.

Cleary, who holds a USATF Level I Certification, is the primary recruiter for the cross country squad, attracting the best in-state, out-of-state and international athletes. Cleary is also responsible for scheduling all meets and serves as the director for home meets.

He was a member of the Mountaineer team in 1991 and 1992. Cleary helped the 1991 squad capture the Atlantic 10 cross country title and he earned all-conference honors his last season, while helping West Virginia to a second-place conference finish.

Cleary attended Central Oregon Community College where he helped lead the team to the National Junior College Athletic Association title. Cleary received a bachelor’s degree in physical education from WVU in 1992.

He resides in Morgantown.

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