Colorado's new Director of Cross Country and Track & Field, Sean Carlson, spoke at CU's 71st annual fall sports media day, addressing the Boulder media for the first time since being hired.
Carlson, 36, who is young, confident and has established an impressive coaching resume thus far, was hired to replace Mark Wetmore in late July. Wetmore, 71, had been at CU for over three decades, helping lead the men's and women's Buffs to multiple cross country national championships and individual accolades.
With big shoes to fill, Carlson reiterated the importance of preserving the program's extensive history. Coming from Tennessee, before then Notre Dame, Carlson seems confident in his ability to do so. After all, he's coached 36 All-Americans and four NCAA individual champions while leading his teams to 15 titles between the SEC (three-time champion) and ACC (12-time champion).
The biggest challenge won't be the preservation, however, but the program's rebuild. Despite Wetmore's extensive success, his last cross country national championship came in 2018 on the women's side. Since 2003, his only NCAA cross country champion was Dani Jones, who won in 2018. In his last season, Colorado's women's and men's programs finished No. 19 and No. 25 in the NCAA national championships, respectively.
While there are worse programs to take over, Carlson's goal to get back to national champion status will take some time. Having arrived in Boulder midway through the offseason with a new coaching staff, including new distance assistance coach Kate Mattison whose hiring was announced on Friday, and plenty of roster spots to fill, Carlson expressed his initial nervousness for the upcoming season. He's made quick work, though, adding five men and two women to the roster since his hiring.
Carlson brought his Tennesse luggage, adding Dean Casey and Christopher Cherry to the men's side and Jessie Secor to the women's. Ethan Edgeworth, Simon Kelati and Jake Liebert also joined the men's roster while Louise Lounes joined the women's.
The additions may not move the needle much as Carlson recognized that a national championship will probably not be in the works this season, or the next few. But, his first steps and overall excitement offer optimism for the future of CU's cross country program.
Colorado's cross country team will begin the season in the Rocky Mountain Showdown, its lone home meet. The meet will take place on Aug. 31.
Cover photo by CU Athletics/CUBuffs.com
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