Russ Peterson - Track & Field, Cross Country Coach (2024)

Russ Peterson became Miami's associate head coach in 2022. He initially joined the RedHawks' coaching staff as an assistant coach prior to the 2015-16 season, working primarily with the team's sprints, hurdles and relays.

During his tenure, the RedHawks captured the 2021 men’s outdoor track and field MAC championship, a trophy they had not claimed since 1993.

The 2023 season saw Miami produce a collection of five First-Team and eight Second-Team All-MAC picks between indoor track and outdoor track, with three RedHawk runners bringing home NCAA All-American accolades. The RedHawks also qualified for a total of 34 Academic All-MAC track honors and 10 Academic All-District awards. Miami runners won MAC titles in the women’s 3,000m (indoor), men’s and women’s steeplechase (outdoor), 5K (outdoor) and 10K (outdoor), while the women’s indoor track team posted its first top-five MAC finish since 2012.

In 2022, Miami’s track teams took fourth place (men) and fifth place (women) at the most recent MAC outdoor championships. Finley Mclear won the men’s 800, while Charlie Harders (steeplechase) and Carmen Riano (steeplechase, 5000) picked up individual titles. Seven Miami student-athletes competed in the NCAA East prelims, highlighted by Riano, who advanced to the national meet and finished as an All-American in the steeplechase (14th place). During the 2022 indoor season, Lotti Roemer won the mile to highlight Miami’s performance at the MAC championships, while the team finished seventh in the league. 37 different RedHawks on the track and field team were recognized as Academic All-MAC between the indoor and outdoor seasons.

The 2020-21 academic year was highlighted by the RedHawk men finishing first in the conference’s outdoor track championships. Miami produced a MAC individual champion in the women’s indoor pentathlon (Sarah Bruns) and a myriad of MAC outdoor champions. Olivia Bechtel won the 200 and 400 at the MAC meet that spring, Charlie Harders won the steeplechase, Sean Torpy won the 1500, Finley Mclear won the 800, and Miami’s 4x400 relay team also took first place. The RedHawks also fared exceedingly well on the national stage, with Finley Mclear taking second in the indoor 800m and 4th in the outdoor 800m. The RedHawks’ DMR team (Sean Torpy, Luke Finnegan, Andrew Schroff, Chris Torpy) picked up All-American honors as well, claiming eighth at the NCAA indoor championships. In addition, Sean Torpy became Miami’s first Academic All-American since 2008.

Over a shortened 2019-20 circuit, Peterson's work with Olivia Bechtel continued to pay dividends as Bechtel set a Mid-American Conference record in capturing the 400m at the MAC Indoor Championships and narrowly missed qualifying for the NCAA Indoor Championships.

The 2018-19 campaign saw several record performances for the RedHawks’ sprint group. After returning every leg of the 2018 Mid-American Conference Champion 4x400m relay team, the group’s encore performance outdoors saw the four again win gold. This time, however, the group’s season continued into the NCAA East Region Preliminary Meet, where it broke its own school record at the regional competition. The anchor leg of that group, Olivia Bechtel, had herself a record setting season individually, as she walked out of the MAC Outdoor Championships with the Most Outstanding Performer award after winning the 400m individually, an event she also qualified for the NCAA East Region Preliminary in.

Peterson has developed a number of NCAA Preliminary qualifiers and a pair of MAC Champions. In 2017, he helped Alexus Jimson-Miller make her second-straight NCAA Preliminary appearance thanks to breaking the school record in the 100m hurdles, en route to a MAC title in her senior campaign.

Peterson also worked with the RedHawks’ jumps group during his first three seasons on staff and in year one had an immediate impact in moving several returning competitors up on the school’s top-10 list. Under his tutelage, Kenny Glenn broke the school record in the long jump at the Mid-American Conference Outdoor Championships en route to his second-straight appearance at the NCAA East Region Preliminary meet. Glenn’s mark also got the sophom*ore into the USA Junior Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Additionally, 11 of Peterson’s student-athletes have made appearances at the NCAA East Region Preliminary with Bechtel and the 4x400m team qualifying in 2019. The 2016 campaign saw three qualify for the competition as senior Peter Stefanski (high jump) returned after a one-year absence while senior Kathie Wollney (400m hurdles) and junior Alexus Jimson-Miller (100m hurdles) earned their first postseason trips. Wollney clocked the second-fastest 400m hurdle time in school history at the postseason meet while Jimson-Miller also improved on her third-place personal best.

Peterson came to Miami from Western Illinois, where he served as assistant track and field coach and head cross country coach. WIU finished its track season with strong performances in the 4x100m, 100m and 200m. Nine Leathernecks finished the season as All-Summit League performers.

Before heading to WIU, Peterson spent two years as a volunteer assistant coach with his alma mater, Iowa. While with the Hawkeyes, Peterson coached the sprinters and hurdlers. While working under Joey Woody, Director of Track & Field/Cross Country at Iowa, 10 Hawkeye sprinters earned All-American honors while picking up five Big Ten Championships. During his two years at Iowa, every sprint and hurdle event, including the relays, saw new athletes break into the school top 10 list.

Prior to joining Iowa, Peterson was the assistant coach for sprints, hurdles and field events at Colgate University for four seasons. In his time in Hamilton, he pushed the Raiders to their best ever finish in the Patriot League. During his tenure at Colgate, Peterson’s athletes broke more than 40 school records and marked over 60 top 10 finishes. Under Peterson’s instruction, Curry Knox broke six Colgate records and set a new Patriot League record in the 100m (11.70). In his time with the Raiders, Peterson saw 12 league titles and more than 20 conference honors.

Peterson kicked off his coaching career at Augustana College in Sioux Falls while working on his Master’s in Education with an emphasis on athletic administration. In his time with the Vikings, they rose to become a power in the CCIW Conference, culminated by an outdoor track and field title in 2008.

As a student-athlete, Peterson competed in track and field at the University of Iowa, where he finished his career on the top 10 list of six different events. Peterson also was recognized for six All-Big Ten performances, including a Big Ten championship in the 4x100m relay. While competing for the Hawkeyes, Peterson qualified for the NCAA Championships in all eight seasons of indoor and outdoor track.

Post collegiately; Peterson competed at the USA Track and Field National Championships three times, including one trip to the Olympic Trials in 2004. He competed for Competitive Edge Athletics following college with appearances in the Special Invitational 400m hurdles in 2004 and 2005.

Peterson is a native of Manteno, Illinois and a graduate of Manteno High School where he was selected to the All-State squad in soccer and track. He finished his high school career as the state champion in the 300m hurdles.

Off the track, Peterson lives in Oxford, with his wife Brittany, son Stetson, and loyal companion Diesel.