ATHLETICS TEAMS :: TRACK & FIELD ::                 COACHING STAFF

Co-Head Coach · Aaron Russell
Details: Email: arussell@lhup.edu; Phone: 570-484-2261

Aaron Russell Co-Head Coach Lock Haven University '96/ Eastern Kentucky University '98 13th season

Aaron Russell begins his 13^th season as a coach with the LHU track and field teams, working mainly with the distance and middle distance runners. He enters his third season as the co-head coach with Heather Leverington. 

He also serves as the head coach of the Lock Haven University men's and women's cross country teams where he has earned four consecutive Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference men's coach of the year honors. In addition, he is in charge of the team’s study table and web page management.

During the 2009-10 season Russell was elected Division II Executive Director of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) by his peers. In his new position, Russell will preside over the DII Board of Directors and, in conjunction with the CEO of the USTFCCCA, will act as the representative to the NCAA Division II coaching membership.

Russell and Leverington were also named Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Men’s Indoor Track and Field Head Coaches of the Year. Russell and Leverington led the Bald Eagles to the 2010 Indoor Conference Title.

On the year, The Haven men set three school records to go along with a number of top-three all-time performances. Lock Haven also had five men who hit NCAA DII qualifying times to go along with the men’s distance medley relay, which hit a qualifying time.

Five members of the Lock Haven University men’s track & field team have earned a spot on the 2009 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Division II Men’s All-Academic Track & Field Team.

The Lock Haven University women’s track & field team was been named a 2009 U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Track & Field team. Russell also produced one Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Cross Country Male Athlete of the Year and four all region honors.

The 2008-2009 season was another very successful season under the guidance of Co-Head Coach Aaron Russell.  The Bald Eagles finished second at the 2009 PSAC Indoor Track and Field Championships and the Lady Eagles took home a solid third place finish.  At the championships there were a total of nine individual champions for both the men and the women.  At the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships Lock Haven secured nine All Americans, which is the most in school history at one championship.  Outdoors both teams continued their success with both the men and the women bringing home a third place finish.  The Bald and Lady Eagle teams also had six individual champions and six NCAA Championship qualifiers. 

In 2007-08 his team won a PSAC Men's Indoor Championship.  In the spring both the men's and women's teams finished second in the PSAC.  Under his guidance, Ryan Blood earned the East Region Men's Track Athlete of the Year and Paul Martin was an all-American in the 400 hurdles. 

In 2006-07 he was voted East Region Coach of the Year, PSAC men’s coaches of the year, and was elected as secretary of the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

His familiarity with Lock Haven dates back even further, as he received his bachelor or arts degree in journalism and mass communication from LHU in 1996.  From there, he earned his master of science degree in sports administration from Eastern Kentucky University in 1998.

While at The Haven as a student-athlete, Russell was a two-year captain, a multiple PSAC Scholar-Athlete and an ECAC qualifier in track & field.

As a coach, Russell directed the 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 men's cross country teams to PSAC titles.  He also led them to East Region titles in 2003, 2004 and 2006 along with a school-best ninth-place finish at the NCAA Division II National Championships in 2004. He has helped guide 28 runners to All-PSAC status, including 20 All-Regional Harriers, six All-Americans, and four PSAC Rookie of the Year runners. While serving as an assistant at EKU, he helped coach three cross country teams to Ohio Valley Conference titles, seven OVC Athletes of the Year, three All-Americans and numerous GTE Academic All-Americans. 

Russell was honored with PSAC and United States Cross Country Association (USCCA) East Region Coach of the Year awards in 2003, '05 and '06.

Most recently Russell and Leverington were honored following the 2007 indoor season with PSAC men's coach of the year honors. The men's team one the indoor conference championships while the women placed second.