Andrew Carlson Named Assistant Coach for Track & Field and Cross Country
August 10, 2021 | Cross Country, Track & Field
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – University of Louisville track and field and cross country head coach Dale Cowper has announced that Andrew Carlson will join his staff as an assistant coach.
"Andrew Carlson quickly rose to the top of the candidate pool as we searched for an assistant coach this summer," said Cowper. "He is a high-energy coach and motivated recruiter who will help develop many aspects of our program while having a specific focus on the middle distance events. Andrew has spent the last eight and half years assembling an extremely strong program at North Dakota State and prior to that, he was able to successfully make the transition from collegiate all-American to U.S. National Champion. He was able to develop an immediate rapport with our coaching staff throughout the interview process and will be a tremendous mentor for the student-athletes in our program. I'm honored to welcome Andrew to campus this fall."
"I would first like to thank Coach Cowper, Senior Associate Athletic Director Marvin Mitchell, and the rest of the staff at Louisville for entrusting me with this incredible opportunity," said Carlson. "The history of the track and field and cross country programs at the University of Louisville is incredibly deep and I will work very hard to continue to grow and progress the program forward. It is truly a great honor to be a part of the Athletic Department at the University of Louisville and I can't wait to get to work!"
Carlson joins the Cardinals after spending seven and a half seasons at North Dakota State, where he directed the track and field distance runners and served as the head coach of the Bison cross country team for the 2020-21 campaign. The Bison excelled with Carlson at the helm, sweeping indoor conference titles in every distance from 800m to 5000m and taking home multiple men's championships.
In 2019, Carlson was named the Summit League Coach of the Year for women's cross country after leading the North Dakota State to a conference championship following three straight runner-up team finishes. The men's program medaled in six consecutive seasons, earning four straight silver finishes.
Under his mentorship, Carlson's student-athletes have taken home 40 Summit League titles since 2014, owning 83 entries in the program's all-time top-10, while accounting for 10 school records. Bison distance runners earned 12 bids to the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds since his arrival, including three straight seasons with an NCAA Outdoor Championships qualifier in the women's steeplechase.
His guidance was critical in the development of athletes such as Erin Teschuk, Maddie Van Beek.
Teschuk finished her career as a seven-time first team NCAA All-American, program-record holder in eight different events, and with multiple NCAA Championship appearances before earning a spot on Team Canada for the 2016 Rio Olympics. Van Beek was a first team All American and three-time Summit League Athlete of the Year from 2013-15.
Carlson graduated with his Bachelor's in Kinesiology from the University of Minnesota in 2005 after becoming a three-time NCAA All-American in cross country and track and the school-record holder in the 5,000m at 13:44.64. He was a two-time NCAA Midwest Region cross country champion, two-time runner-up in the Big Ten outdoor 5,000m, and owns the second-fastest time in Gopher history in the 10,000m.
Following an accomplished collegiate career, he joined Team USA Minnesota in 2005, taking home the USA 15K road championship in 2008 and the 25K title in 2010. He was a member of four World Championship events for Team USA, competing in the half-marathon three times and once in cross country. In 2012, Carlson placed sixth at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in 2:11.24, which still stands as the seventh-fastest marathon debut in U.S. history.
He and his fiancée, Shannon Peters have three dogs: Rocket, Chewie and Charlie.
"Andrew Carlson quickly rose to the top of the candidate pool as we searched for an assistant coach this summer," said Cowper. "He is a high-energy coach and motivated recruiter who will help develop many aspects of our program while having a specific focus on the middle distance events. Andrew has spent the last eight and half years assembling an extremely strong program at North Dakota State and prior to that, he was able to successfully make the transition from collegiate all-American to U.S. National Champion. He was able to develop an immediate rapport with our coaching staff throughout the interview process and will be a tremendous mentor for the student-athletes in our program. I'm honored to welcome Andrew to campus this fall."
"I would first like to thank Coach Cowper, Senior Associate Athletic Director Marvin Mitchell, and the rest of the staff at Louisville for entrusting me with this incredible opportunity," said Carlson. "The history of the track and field and cross country programs at the University of Louisville is incredibly deep and I will work very hard to continue to grow and progress the program forward. It is truly a great honor to be a part of the Athletic Department at the University of Louisville and I can't wait to get to work!"
Carlson joins the Cardinals after spending seven and a half seasons at North Dakota State, where he directed the track and field distance runners and served as the head coach of the Bison cross country team for the 2020-21 campaign. The Bison excelled with Carlson at the helm, sweeping indoor conference titles in every distance from 800m to 5000m and taking home multiple men's championships.
In 2019, Carlson was named the Summit League Coach of the Year for women's cross country after leading the North Dakota State to a conference championship following three straight runner-up team finishes. The men's program medaled in six consecutive seasons, earning four straight silver finishes.
Under his mentorship, Carlson's student-athletes have taken home 40 Summit League titles since 2014, owning 83 entries in the program's all-time top-10, while accounting for 10 school records. Bison distance runners earned 12 bids to the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds since his arrival, including three straight seasons with an NCAA Outdoor Championships qualifier in the women's steeplechase.
His guidance was critical in the development of athletes such as Erin Teschuk, Maddie Van Beek.
Teschuk finished her career as a seven-time first team NCAA All-American, program-record holder in eight different events, and with multiple NCAA Championship appearances before earning a spot on Team Canada for the 2016 Rio Olympics. Van Beek was a first team All American and three-time Summit League Athlete of the Year from 2013-15.
Carlson graduated with his Bachelor's in Kinesiology from the University of Minnesota in 2005 after becoming a three-time NCAA All-American in cross country and track and the school-record holder in the 5,000m at 13:44.64. He was a two-time NCAA Midwest Region cross country champion, two-time runner-up in the Big Ten outdoor 5,000m, and owns the second-fastest time in Gopher history in the 10,000m.
Following an accomplished collegiate career, he joined Team USA Minnesota in 2005, taking home the USA 15K road championship in 2008 and the 25K title in 2010. He was a member of four World Championship events for Team USA, competing in the half-marathon three times and once in cross country. In 2012, Carlson placed sixth at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in 2:11.24, which still stands as the seventh-fastest marathon debut in U.S. history.
He and his fiancée, Shannon Peters have three dogs: Rocket, Chewie and Charlie.
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