Track Shuffles Coaching Staff For Season

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois director of track and field Tom Akers has announced the reorganization of several coaching duties on the Panthers staff based on the recent departure of two coaches to pursue other professional opportunities. EIU returns to action this Saturday hosting the Mega Meet at 9 a.m. in Lantz Fieldhouse. 

Coaches leaving the Panthers staff in the last two weeks included cross country coach Geoff Masanet and jumps coach JaRod Tobler. Masanet accepted a job in academics at Texas State University to be closer to his fiancé while Tobler has decided to focus his attention on training for the upcoming Pan American Games and several international competitions. 

Eastern Illinois currently has a hiring freeze in place so Akers will not be replacing any coach in the coming weeks. “The hiring freeze is in place, so it looks like we will go the remainder of the season without replacing either coach,” Akers said. 

To help the track and field staff make it through the remainder of the indoor and outdoor season athletic director Barbara Burke has worked with Akers to provide the Panthers with some additional coaching bodies. Mary Wallace, Brenton Emanuel and Brad Butler will join Akers staff on a part time basis to help with various coaching duties. 

“Despite the economic times the state of Illinois is facing we want to have the best interests of our student-athletes in mind giving them the best opportunity to succeed under the circumstances,” Burke said. “As a result we are moving several current athletic personal with track backgrounds over to help the track coaching staff. As a result of that move, some of those daily and administrative duties normally handled by those personal will be shifted to other members of the EIU senior staff.” 

Wallace, the former head women’s track coach, will help coach a variety of positions. Wallace is currently an assistant athletic director and senior woman administrator who served as the head women’s track coach from 2003-08 earned OVC Coach of the Year honors in 2007. 

Emanuel, a former EIU sprinter, will work with the Panther sprinters. He currently is serving as a graduate assistant in the EIU compliance office. 

Butler, a former EIU distance runner, will work with the Panther distance runners. He currently is serving as a graduate assistant on the cross country team. 

“We are fortusteepleweb to have these people help step in and provide a little leadership,” Akers added. 

With the shifting of duties Akers will now turn his focus to the jumps area after primarily coaching the sprints area. 

The Panthers were predicted to win the OVC indoor championship for both the men’s and women’s teams.