MADISON – The Wisconsin Badgers did not have to look far for their next director of track and field and cross country.
Chris Solinsky – a Badgers Hall of Famer who recently returned to Madison to be the executive director of the W Club – will take the reins of the track and field and cross country programs, the team announced in a June 4 press release.
Solinsky replaces longtime coach Mick Byrne, who is retiring as the Big Ten’s winningest coach in Big Ten men’s cross country history with 14 conference titles since 2008. UW won an NCAA championship in 2011 and won 14 NCAA individual titles during Byrne’s tenure.
“It has long been a dream of mine to be right here in this moment,” Solinsky said via the release. “Wisconsin and this program mean a great deal to me, and I do not take lightly the responsibility I have to take the baton into the future.”
Solinsky will step into the new role June 8 with coaching experience at Oregon, Florida and William & Mary. He spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Oregon after spending five years on the Florida staff and three seasons at William & Mary.
The UW alum won five NCAA titles, four Big Ten titles and 14 All-American honors during his running career. He is a Stevens Point native and the husband of fellow former UW track and field athlete Amy Dahlin.
UW’s choice of Solinsky was the first head coaching hire during Marcus Sedberry’s tenure as interim athletic director. The 70-year-old Byrne’s retirement announcement happened the day after athletic director Chris McIntosh announced his resignation to take a job in the Big Ten office.
“Chris understands the culture, expectations, and commitment essential to succeeding as a Badger,” Sedberry said in the release. “His coaching journey, along with his experience as a student-athlete, has helped shape him into a championship-caliber leader who is gifted in recruiting, developing talent, building culture and competing at the highest levels.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Former Wisconsin star Chris Solinsky named director of track and field, cross country
Reporting by John Steppe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By John Steppe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
