ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The Washington University in St. Louis track and field program has announced the promotion of
Stephen Fleagle to associate head coach for the Bears.
Fleagle began his time at WashU in October 2024 and has immediately made an impact with the Bears.
WashU won the women's track and field indoor national championship in March and has national runner-up finishes for the 2024-25 indoor and outdoor seasons, as well as the 2026 outdoor season.
This past year, Fleagle led Olivia Thiesen to All-American honors in the high jump. He also helped her, along with
Sofia Rosenzweig,
Eli Goldman, and
Carson Page to All-Midwest Region honors between the indoor and outdoor seasons.
During the 2024-25 season, Fleagle guided both
Ebun Opata and Thiesen to All-American status. Opata finished as the national runner in the triple jump during both the indoor and outdoor seasons while also earning All-American honors in the high jump (indoor) and long jump (outdoor). The pair also earned All-Midwest Region honors in their respective events.
In his first two seasons with the Bears, he has guided the jumpers to five UAA individual titles.
He has also been a part of the Women's Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year both the indoor and outdoor seasons every season with the Bears.
Prior to his time with the Bears, Fleagle oversaw year-round training for long jump, triple jump and high jump at Tufts, and developed year-round speed and power training for pole vaulters.
Fleagle comes to WashU with a multitude of collegiate track and field coaching experience, most recently serving as an assistant coach at Tufts University from September 2021 to June 2024. While with the Jumbos he led three student-athletes to four national titles in high jump (two women's, one men's) and one triple jump (one men's)
Before landing at Tufts, Fleagle was the assistant men's and women's pole vault coach at Boston University for two years and, prior to that, served as the head coach at Luther College for a year. For nearly six years, until July 2018, Fleagle coached at the University of Chicago, where he coaches a men's indoor pole vault national champion and outdoor national runner-up. He began his collegiate coaching career as a graduate assistant for women's track and field at North Central.
Fleagle has an abundance of awards to his name, including the 2024 and 2022 USTFCCCA Men's Outdoor East Regional Assistant Coach of the Year, the 2023 USTFCCCA Women's Indoor East Regional Assistant Coach of the Year and 2022 USTFCCCA Women's Outdoor East Regional Assistant Coach of the Year.
He was part of the 2022 and 2023 NESCAC Men's Coaching Staff of the Year. Additionally, Fleagle was part of the 2018 UAA Indoor Women's Coaching Staff of the Year, the 2015 UAA Indoor and Outdoor Women's Coaching Staff of the year and the 2014 Indoor Women's Coaching Staff of the Year. He was also part of the 2013 UAA Cross Country Coaching Staff of the Year as well as the 2010-11 CCIW Women's Coaching Staff of the Year for cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field.
Fleagle holds the following certifications: Level 1 USATF Track and Field Coach, USTFCCCA Jumping Event Specialist, USTFCCCA Strength and Conditioning Specialist, USTFCCCA Injury Management for the Track and Field Coach and USTFCCCA Masters Pole Vault. He is also a certified personal trainer.
Fleagle holds a bachelor's degree in exercise science and a master's degree in sports leadership from North Central. As an undergraduate at NCC, Fleagle participated in track and field and men's soccer.
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Elevating scholar-champions requires resources beyond the institutional budget. Through the W Club, generous alumni, parents, and friends provide unrestricted support that is essential to the extraordinary WashU student-athlete experience—and the ongoing growth and development of the department. Annual support for Athletics allows the Bears to consistently rise to national levels of competition and ensures that our student-athletes enjoy exceptional opportunities as they train, compete, and lead. To make a gift to the Annual Fund for Athletics, please visit our secure online giving form or contact the Athletics Advancement Office at athletics@wustl.edu.
