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Hopkins Set to Lead Both Men's and Women's Cross Country Programs
7/15/2021 9:54:00 AM | Men's Cross Country, Men's Track & Field, Women's Cross Country, Women's Track & Field
University of Minnesota Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Matt Bingle has announced that Sarah Hopkins will be the head coach of both the Golden Gopher men's and women's cross country programs.
Hopkins, who is in her 16th year with the program, has served as head coach of the women's cross country team for the past eight seasons. She will now coach the men's team as well after Steve Plasencia announced last week that he was stepping down as head coach after a 25-year tenure. Hopkins will continue to serve as an assistant track and field coach. Hopkins, who lettered for Minnesota from 2002-05, is believed to be the first woman to be named a head coach of a University of Minnesota men's team.
"I'm incredibly excited to have Coach Hopkins continue to build both our men's and women's cross country programs," Bingle said. "Hopkins has proven that she's a great coach with our women's program, and I'm looking forward to seeing what she can do with our men's team. She bleeds Maroon and Gold, and we're thrilled to have her lead both programs."
Last year with the women's program, Hopkins was named the 2020-21 USTFCCCA Midwest Region Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year after she guided the Gophers to a program-best fifth-place finish at the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships.
Under Hopkins' direction, Bethany Hasz won the Big Ten individual title and Abby Kohut-Jackson earned All-Big Ten Second Team honors with an eighth place finish. Hasz placed eighth at the NCAA championship, earning First Team All-America honors and capturing the second highest NCAA finish by a Gopher in program history. Minnesota has advanced to the NCAA championship fourth straight seasons and the team has competed in 15 of the last 16 NCAA championship.
"I am both humbled and excited to be named the head cross country coach for both the women's and men's programs at the University of Minnesota," Hopkins said. "As a lifelong Gopher, it has always been a passion of mine to continue to elevate the sport at the University I love. It is a daunting task to follow Coach Plasencia after 25 years of excellence, but he has left a group of talented men who are hungry to build off a phenomenal year. I would like to thank Coach Bingle, Marc Ryan and Mark Coyle for putting their trust in me to lead both programs into a successful future together."
Hopkins, a former Golden Gopher student-athlete on both the cross country and track & field teams, graduated Summa Cum Laude in May 2006, with a major in child psychology. She continued her education at Minnesota earning a master's degree in applied kinesiology: sport management. The Minneapolis native was a three-time letterwinner in cross country and served as team captain as a junior and senior. Hopkins lettered once as a member of the track & field team and was a captain her senior season.
Hopkins, who is in her 16th year with the program, has served as head coach of the women's cross country team for the past eight seasons. She will now coach the men's team as well after Steve Plasencia announced last week that he was stepping down as head coach after a 25-year tenure. Hopkins will continue to serve as an assistant track and field coach. Hopkins, who lettered for Minnesota from 2002-05, is believed to be the first woman to be named a head coach of a University of Minnesota men's team.
"I'm incredibly excited to have Coach Hopkins continue to build both our men's and women's cross country programs," Bingle said. "Hopkins has proven that she's a great coach with our women's program, and I'm looking forward to seeing what she can do with our men's team. She bleeds Maroon and Gold, and we're thrilled to have her lead both programs."
Last year with the women's program, Hopkins was named the 2020-21 USTFCCCA Midwest Region Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year after she guided the Gophers to a program-best fifth-place finish at the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships.
Under Hopkins' direction, Bethany Hasz won the Big Ten individual title and Abby Kohut-Jackson earned All-Big Ten Second Team honors with an eighth place finish. Hasz placed eighth at the NCAA championship, earning First Team All-America honors and capturing the second highest NCAA finish by a Gopher in program history. Minnesota has advanced to the NCAA championship fourth straight seasons and the team has competed in 15 of the last 16 NCAA championship.
"I am both humbled and excited to be named the head cross country coach for both the women's and men's programs at the University of Minnesota," Hopkins said. "As a lifelong Gopher, it has always been a passion of mine to continue to elevate the sport at the University I love. It is a daunting task to follow Coach Plasencia after 25 years of excellence, but he has left a group of talented men who are hungry to build off a phenomenal year. I would like to thank Coach Bingle, Marc Ryan and Mark Coyle for putting their trust in me to lead both programs into a successful future together."
Hopkins, a former Golden Gopher student-athlete on both the cross country and track & field teams, graduated Summa Cum Laude in May 2006, with a major in child psychology. She continued her education at Minnesota earning a master's degree in applied kinesiology: sport management. The Minneapolis native was a three-time letterwinner in cross country and served as team captain as a junior and senior. Hopkins lettered once as a member of the track & field team and was a captain her senior season.
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