Jeff Stiles

Head Coach, Cross Country/Track & Field

stiles@wustl.edu (314) 935-7307

Jeff Stiles has been the Washington University in St. Louis men's and women's head cross country coach for the past 11 seasons and is entering his fifth as the head coach of the Bears' men's and women's track & field programs.

Stiles led the cross country and track & field teams to one of the most successful seasons in school history in 2011-12, highlighted by the women's cross country team winning its first national championship in school history. The Bears had all five of their point-scorers finish in the top-40, including four who raced to All-America honors. After leading his team to the title, Stiles was selected as the NCAA Division III Women's Cross Country National Coach of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Washington University was also recognized as the USTFCCCA Women's Division III Cross Country Scholar Team of the Year.

The Washington University men's cross country team also got on the awards podium at the 2011 NCAA Championships, finishing in third place, which was the program's highest finish in school history. Two individuals earned All-America honors for Washington U. at the meet. It marked the third year in a row the Bears placed both teams in the top-10 at the NCAA Championships.

The success continued into the track & field seasons, where the Washington U. women recorded a third-place finish at the 2012 NCAA Division III Indoor Championships, equaling the highest finish in school history. In addition, Tyler Jackson became the first men's track & field athlete in school history to win an indoor national championship as he raced to victory in the 60-meter hurdles. Overall, the Bears finished with five individual All-Americans and a national runner-up finish in the women's distance medley relay at the Indoor Championships. At the 2012 NCAA Outdoor Championships, Washington University had five student-athletes earn seven All-America honors. The women's team posted their second-highest finish in school history, tying for sixth place.

In 11 seasons, Stiles has coached 20 student-athletes to cross country All-America honors. In just four seasons at the helm of the men's and women's track & field programs, Stiles has coaches 29 individuals and four relay teams to All-America finishes, including two individual national champions. Stiles' teams have also excelled in the classroom, tallying nine Academic All-Americans. Elizabeth Phillips, the first NCAA Elite 89 Award winner in the history of the award, was also named the 2012 Division III Women's Cross Country/Track & Field Academic All-America of the Year.

The Bears also excelled in the University Athletic Association (UAA) in 2011-12, winning team titles in men's and women's cross country, men's and women's indoor track & field, and men's outdoor track & field. Stiles and his assistant coaches earned UAA Coaching Staff of the Year honors for each of those titles. In 2010-11, Washington University swept the UAA men's and women's cross country titles, while the women's team went on to finish as the national runner-up at the NCAA Division III Championships with the men finishing ninth.

The men's track & field team swept the UAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships and finished a program-best eighth at the NCAA Indoor Championships and fourth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2011. As a result Washington University finished second in the USTFCCCA Al Carius NCAA Division III Program of the Year standings. Stiles garnered UAA men's and women's cross country and men's indoor and outdoor track & field Coach of the Year honors.

The 2008-09 academic year marked Stiles' first as the head cross country and track & field coach. The Washington University women's track & field team won the UAA Championship, and the men's and women's squads each captured the team title at the conference's outdoor meet. The WU women went on to place fifth at the 2009 NCAA Division III Championships, marking the highest finish at the NCAA Outdoor meet in school history.

Both the Washington U. men's and women's cross country squads placed in the top-10 at the 2009 NCAA Division III Championships, marking the first time in school history both teams accomplished the feat. The WU men placed seventh and the women's team came in 10th, also winning the UAA title, the 10th in school history.

The women's team captured the UAA title, won the first Midwest Regional Championship in school history and finished a program-best fourth place at the NCAA Championships in 2002. In 2001, the men's squad captured its third-consecutive UAA championship while the women placed third. In 2003, Stiles led the Bears men's and women's cross country squads to the UAA Championship, marking the first time in school history that both teams won the conference title the same year.

Stiles mentored the WU women to third place in the NCAA in 2004. Besides their NCAA success, the women also won the UAA title for the third-straight year, while Maggie Grabow notched her second-straight individual 6K title. On the men's side, WU finished second at the conference meet, and Greg Reindl individually qualified for the NCAA Championships. The 2005 season brought another third-place NCAA finish for the women's cross country team and the Bears' fourth-straight UAA championship.

In 2006, the women, who won their second-straight Midwest Region title, placed fourth at nationals for their fourth top-four finish in five seasons. Meanwhile, the men continued their ascent in Division III, qualifying for the NCAA Championships for the first time since 1997 and fourth time overall. For the team's efforts, Stiles was named the Midwest Region Men's Coach of the Year.

In 2007, the women's team finished third in the NCAA Championship meet for the third time in school history, and won its ninth UAA title. Although the third-place finish at the national championship meet tied an all-time best, WU had three runners earn All-America honors - Tricia Frisella, Tyler Mulkin and Kate Pentak - setting a program record at the time for most All-Americans at one national championship.

Stiles, a 1999 graduate of North Central College in Naperville, Ill., came to Washington U. from Southwest Missouri State University where he served as the assistant cross country and track & field coach for two years. During his two seasons, the women's track & field squad captured a third-consecutive indoor conference championship and its first outdoor conference title.

Prior to his work at Southwest Missouri State, Stiles put together a remarkable career during his four years at North Central. A member of both the cross country and track & field teams, he qualified for eight NCAA Championship meets and earned All-America honors six times. Stiles also captained the 1997 cross country squad and the 1998 outdoor track & field team to national championships. He excelled in the classroom as well, earning Academic All-America honors three times, while being named to the Dean's List on five occasions.

Stiles graduated from North Central in 1999 with a bachelor's degree in physical education and earned his master's degree in secondary education from Southwest Missouri State in August 2001.