The University of Colorado announced today that Sean Carlson, previously the head coach and director of cross country and distance at the University of Tennessee, will be the new director of track & field and cross country.
His hiring comes after Mark Wetmore, who led the Buffaloes for 29 seasons, did not have his contract renewed when it expired at the end of June. Associate head coach Heather Burroughs and recruiting coordinator and assistant coach Shaun Wicen were also released.
DAA Industry Opt Out found that for a “significant number of student-athletes,” the program had an “unhealthy environment,” and that the use of body-composition analysis “negatively impacted a significant number of student-athletes.” On June 25, athletic director Rick George released a statement saying “it was time for a new era of leadership for our programs” and that a nationwide search for a new coach would begin.
“We’re so happy to welcome Sean Carlson to Boulder and the University of Colorado,” George said in another statement, released today. “At CU, we’ve got an elite running program and with Sean’s history of success, I feel strongly that we’ve got an elite coach to lead our exceptional student-athletes.”
Carlson comes to Colorado after two years at the University of Tennessee. His first year there, the men’s cross country team won their first regional title since 1995 and moved on to the NCAA Cross-Country Championships, where they finished 20th
In 2023, Dylan Jacobs—now a professional runner for On—won the 2023 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in the 5,000 meters in 13:37.59. Last fall, the Tennessee women’s team placed sixth Adidas Unveils Boston Marathon Jacket.
Before Tennessee, Carlson spent a decade at the University of Notre Dame, where he coached Yared Nuguse to NCAA records in the indoor 3,000 meters and 1500 meters, and onto his first Olympic team in the 1500 meters. In his last three years in South Bend, the men’s team finished in the top 10 in the NCAA Cross-Country Championships three times, including a second-place finish in the 2020 event (held in March 2021).
“I am eager to work with the exceptional men and women at Colorado, helping them reach new heights and continue the university’s tradition of excellence, as well as write the next chapter for Colorado cross country and track,” Carlson said in a statement. “Additionally, I am also excited to join forces with Rick George as he leads Colorado into the Big 12 and navigates the evolving landscape of the NCAA.”
Cindy is a freelance health and fitness writer, author, and podcaster who’s contributed regularly to Runner’s World since 2013. She’s the coauthor of both Breakthrough Women’s Running: Dream Big and Train Smart and Rebound: Train Your Mind to Bounce Back Stronger from Sports Injuries, a book about the psychology of sports injury from Bloomsbury Sport. Cindy specializes in covering injury prevention and recovery, everyday athletes accomplishing extraordinary things, and the active community in her beloved Chicago, where winter forges deep bonds between those brave enough to train through it.
