Gene Mullin Position: Head Coach Experience: 25th Year

Gene Mullin is in his 25th year at the helm of the Furman cross country and track and field programs.

In the course of his tenure, Furman has hosted two NCAA Division I Cross Country National Championships, added the women's cross country and track and field programs, resurfaced the Furman track with a state-of-the-art surface, and established a track and field/cross-country scholarship endowment. This year, the men's indoor track & field team will also return to its original status as one of the 18 sports sponsored by the university. In addition, the Furman runners have won accolades on and off the field of competition and have continued to shine in the classroom.

Mullin, a nine-time Southern Conference Coach of the Year, has earned the respect of his peers and his athletes the old fashioned way -- hard work, dedication, and lots of hands-on experience. Mullin earned his most recent accolade when he was named the 2006 SoCon Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year, leading the squad to a second-place showing at the league meet.

Despite a 12-month devotion to Furman, Mullin spent four years as a member of the NCAA Championships Committee for Cross Country and Track and Field, overseeing the NCAA's three Division I track and cross country events. In addition, he has expanded his work with USA Track and Field, the governing body of running in this country.

As an active member of USA Track and Field, Mullin's most recent honor came in the summer of 2000, when he was named head coach of the USA Junior National Team. Then, in the fall of 2000, Mullin led his junior team to the world championships in Santiago, Chile.

His appointment as head coach followed his position as assistant coach and head administrator for the 1995 U.S. National Team that traveled to Gateshead, England, for a dual match with the British National Squad. In addition, in 1987, he was a member of the coaching staff at the Olympic Festival in Raleigh-Durham, N.C., where his 400m and 1,600m relay squads set new world records.

In the summer of 1990, Mullin was the head administrator for the USA National Team. In the summer of 1991 as head coach of the Olympic Festival's South Squad, Mullin faced one of his greatest challenges. He had to search 11 southern states to find the athletes that would best represent this portion of the country.

As a direct result of his dedication, the South squad took the gold in the 4x100m relay, the 3,000m steeplechase, and the decathlon.

In addition to his time with USA Track and Field and the NCAA Committee, Mullin added valuable international experience to his résumé when he spent six years as head coach of the Saudi Arabian National Team. Under the guidance of Mullin, five Saudi athletes established national records while preparing for Olympic competition.

With his dedication to track and field competition worldwide, Mullin is not only helping his sports gain popularity across the world, but is giving Furman valuable exposure across this country and beyond.