Ed Beathea Tabbed to Lead IU Track and Field, Cross Country Programs Beginning in 2023-24
5/16/2022 2:36:00 PM | Track and Field
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Current IU Track and Field Associate Head Coach Ed Beathea will be promoted to Head Coach of the IU Men's and Women's Track and Field and Cross Country programs at the conclusion of the 2022-23 track and field season, IU Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Scott Dolson announced today.
Beathea will replace Ron Helmer, who announced his plans to retire at the conclusion of the 2022-23 season earlier this spring.
"Coach Beathea has been an integral part of our programs' successes for nearly two decades, and I'm excited that he has agreed to lead our men's and women's programs beginning with the 2023-24 season," Dolson said. "Time and time again, Ed has shown the ability to recruit and develop high caliber and high character student-athletes who have excelled on the Big Ten, national, and international stages. In addition to establishing himself as one of the Big Ten's best coaches, Ed is equally liked and admired by his student-athletes and colleagues. There is no one who is better suited to build on our tradition of success and lead us moving forward, and I'm excited about the future of our track and field and cross country programs."
A native of Elkhart, Ind., Beathea has 28 years of college coaching experience, including 26 at the Big Ten level. Nineteen of those seasons have been in Bloomington, where he was an assistant coach from 1997-2006 and the associate head coach during the last nine seasons. In between his IU stints, Beathea spent six seasons as the associate head coach at Ohio State and one season (2012-13) as the Buckeyes' head coach. During his one season at the helm of the OSU program, Beathea sent 11 student-athletes to the NCAA Outdoor Championships and the men placed 21st at the NCAA Outdoor meet, the program's best finish in nine years.
"I am very excited that I will have the opportunity to lead a program with the rich history that we have here at IU," Beathea said. "I've been tremendously fortunate to have the chance to learn from Hall of Fame coaches like Sam Bell and Ron Helmer at IU, and to work alongside many high-caliber student-athletes and coaches during my time at Indiana and Ohio State. I appreciate the support of our athletic director Scott Dolson in giving me this opportunity, and I look forward to building on the successes that my predecessors have enjoyed. Before that time comes, though, my focus will be squarely on making sure that Coach Helmer's final season as the leader of IU Cross Country and Track and Field is a great one."
During his coaching career, Beathea has been named the Great Lakes Assistant Coach of the Year three times, including this past March. He's mentored an Olympic medalist, three NCAA runners-up, and more than 50 Big Ten Champions while focusing much of his attention on the sprints, hurdles, and relay events.
Among his notable proteges are former Hoosiers David Neville and Rachelle (Boone) Smith and current IU standout Rikkoi Brathwaite. Brathwaite recently finished as the runner-up at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in the 60-meter dash, a performance that came on the heels of a third-place NCAA finish in the same event in 2021. A two-time Big Ten Indoor Champion in the 60-meter dash as well, Brathwaite was the 2021 Big Ten Indoor Track Athlete of the Year.
Neville, meanwhile, ran at Indiana during Beathea's first stint with the program and established himself as one of the IU program's all-time greats. Neville was a six-time Big Ten champion and five-time All-American for the Hoosiers, setting program records in the 200, 400, 4x400 and Distance Medley Relay during his collegiate career from 2004-06. After leaving IU he went on to tremendous international success as well, winning a bronze medal in the 400-meter dash and a gold medal in the 4x400-meter relay at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
On the women's side, Smith is one of the most accomplished performers in program history as well. During her career from 2000-03, she captured 10 Big Ten titles and earned 12 All-America honors in the sprints and relay events. The NCAA runner-up in the 200-meter dash at the 2002 NCAA Outdoor event and the 2003 Big Ten Track Athlete of the Year, Smith was a silver medalist in the 200-meters at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki.
Prior to joining the IU staff in 1995, Beathea spent two years at Northern Arizona University, where he assisted with the sprinters, horizontal jumpers and men's and women's cross country squads. His time in Flagstaff came on the heels of a successful collegiate career at Ball State, where he holds school records in the 400-meter dash (indoor) and 4x400-meter relay.
Beathea graduated with a bachelor's degree from BSU in 1992 and earned his master's in sports administration while serving as a graduate assistant for the Cardinals in 1994.
Ed and his wife, Kim, have two daughters, Sarah and Abby.
Beathea will replace Ron Helmer, who announced his plans to retire at the conclusion of the 2022-23 season earlier this spring.
"Coach Beathea has been an integral part of our programs' successes for nearly two decades, and I'm excited that he has agreed to lead our men's and women's programs beginning with the 2023-24 season," Dolson said. "Time and time again, Ed has shown the ability to recruit and develop high caliber and high character student-athletes who have excelled on the Big Ten, national, and international stages. In addition to establishing himself as one of the Big Ten's best coaches, Ed is equally liked and admired by his student-athletes and colleagues. There is no one who is better suited to build on our tradition of success and lead us moving forward, and I'm excited about the future of our track and field and cross country programs."
A native of Elkhart, Ind., Beathea has 28 years of college coaching experience, including 26 at the Big Ten level. Nineteen of those seasons have been in Bloomington, where he was an assistant coach from 1997-2006 and the associate head coach during the last nine seasons. In between his IU stints, Beathea spent six seasons as the associate head coach at Ohio State and one season (2012-13) as the Buckeyes' head coach. During his one season at the helm of the OSU program, Beathea sent 11 student-athletes to the NCAA Outdoor Championships and the men placed 21st at the NCAA Outdoor meet, the program's best finish in nine years.
"I am very excited that I will have the opportunity to lead a program with the rich history that we have here at IU," Beathea said. "I've been tremendously fortunate to have the chance to learn from Hall of Fame coaches like Sam Bell and Ron Helmer at IU, and to work alongside many high-caliber student-athletes and coaches during my time at Indiana and Ohio State. I appreciate the support of our athletic director Scott Dolson in giving me this opportunity, and I look forward to building on the successes that my predecessors have enjoyed. Before that time comes, though, my focus will be squarely on making sure that Coach Helmer's final season as the leader of IU Cross Country and Track and Field is a great one."
During his coaching career, Beathea has been named the Great Lakes Assistant Coach of the Year three times, including this past March. He's mentored an Olympic medalist, three NCAA runners-up, and more than 50 Big Ten Champions while focusing much of his attention on the sprints, hurdles, and relay events.
Among his notable proteges are former Hoosiers David Neville and Rachelle (Boone) Smith and current IU standout Rikkoi Brathwaite. Brathwaite recently finished as the runner-up at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in the 60-meter dash, a performance that came on the heels of a third-place NCAA finish in the same event in 2021. A two-time Big Ten Indoor Champion in the 60-meter dash as well, Brathwaite was the 2021 Big Ten Indoor Track Athlete of the Year.
Neville, meanwhile, ran at Indiana during Beathea's first stint with the program and established himself as one of the IU program's all-time greats. Neville was a six-time Big Ten champion and five-time All-American for the Hoosiers, setting program records in the 200, 400, 4x400 and Distance Medley Relay during his collegiate career from 2004-06. After leaving IU he went on to tremendous international success as well, winning a bronze medal in the 400-meter dash and a gold medal in the 4x400-meter relay at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
On the women's side, Smith is one of the most accomplished performers in program history as well. During her career from 2000-03, she captured 10 Big Ten titles and earned 12 All-America honors in the sprints and relay events. The NCAA runner-up in the 200-meter dash at the 2002 NCAA Outdoor event and the 2003 Big Ten Track Athlete of the Year, Smith was a silver medalist in the 200-meters at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki.
Prior to joining the IU staff in 1995, Beathea spent two years at Northern Arizona University, where he assisted with the sprinters, horizontal jumpers and men's and women's cross country squads. His time in Flagstaff came on the heels of a successful collegiate career at Ball State, where he holds school records in the 400-meter dash (indoor) and 4x400-meter relay.
Beathea graduated with a bachelor's degree from BSU in 1992 and earned his master's in sports administration while serving as a graduate assistant for the Cardinals in 1994.
Ed and his wife, Kim, have two daughters, Sarah and Abby.
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