Washington University in St. Louis

Jeff Stiles enters his 25th season as the head coach of the Washington University in St. Louis men's and women's cross country programs, and his 18th as the head coach of the Bears' men's and women's track & field programs in 2025-26.

Stiles has led WashU to become a nationally competitive program throughout the entire academic year, including the men's program's first ever indoor co-national championship in 2022. The 2018 season in which the Bears women won the Deb Vercauteren Program of the Year award from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) for the fourth consecutive year. WashU captured its second national title in cross country in addition to a pair of runner-up finishes during the indoor and outdoor track & field national championships. The four-straight Deb Vercauteren awards are the most consecutive honors received by a program in the history of the USTFCCCA accolade.

Previously, he led the WashU women’s teams to first national titles in program history in cross country (2011), indoor track & field (2017) and outdoor track & field (2017), while guiding the men to program best placements in cross country (2018-second), indoor track & field (2019-fifth) and outdoor track & field (2011-fourth).

WashU’s national success has led to National Coach of they Year honors for Stiles in cross country (women 2011 and 2018), indoor track & field (women 2017, men 2022) and outdoor track & field (women 2017) by the USTFCCCA. In addition, Stiles has earned eight Midwest Region Cross Country Coach of the Year honors, 20 combined UAA XC Coaching Staff of the Year accolades and 29 combined UAA T&F Coaching Staff of the Year honors.

The Bears women were named the 2017 Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field Scholar Team of the Year and the 2022 Indoor men earned its first ever Scholar Team of the Year honors. 

CROSS COUNTRY
In his 25 seasons at the helm of WashU cross country, Stiles' teams have combined to win 25 University Athletic Association (UAA) titles. He helped guide Bears to 56 All-American finishes. The WashU women earned top-four finishes in six consecutive seasons, including a fifth place finish in 2021 at nationals,  while the men have 11-straight top-20 placements with a school record second place finish in 2018.

INDOOR TRACK & FIELD
Stiles took over the track & field program 17 years ago and has guided WashU to 20 UAA indoor titles, 10 by the men and 10 by the women. The WashU women have scored points nationally in every season but Stile’s first year leading the Bears, including 44 points to win the 2017 DIII National Championship and 71 to win the 2024 DIII National Championship. The men’s program won its first ever co-national championship in 2022 and has placed in the top-10 four times at nationals while accumulating 45 All-American finishes. The women’s team has totaled 73 All-America honors.

OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD
The women’s outdoor program has scored points every single year with Stiles leading the charge, which culminated in a national title in 2017 and again in 2024. The women have earned trophies in four consecutive years while there have been 150 All-American finishes in his tenure. The men and women have combined for 21 UAA titles, led by 11 from the men. The men have had three top-10 finishes under Stiles at nationals with 45 All-America finishes.

PERSONAL
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. The five-time All-American was named to the North Central College Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2018. Stiles and his wife, Heather, have three children: Anya, Kiera and Micah.

Cross Country Highlights

Nationals

• Women
  • Two-time NCAA Division III Cross Country National Champions (2011, 2018)
  • Elected the NCAA Division III Women’s Cross Country National Coach of the Year in 2011 and 2018 by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA)
  • USTFCCCA NCAA Division III Scholar Team of the Year in 2011
  • Three runner-up finishes – 2010, 2016 and 2019
  • Eight Midwest Region Coach of the Year Awards: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018
  • A total of 39 All-American finishes individually
• Men
  • Placed second in 2018, a program record
  • Placed third in 2011
  • 23 All-American finishes individually 

UAA

• Women
  • 15 UAA Titles: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021
  • 12 UAA Individual Titles: Maggie Grabow (2003, 2004), Beth Herndon (2005, 2006), Taryn Surtees (2008, 2009), Erica Jackey (2011), Lucy Cheadle (2012, 2013, 2014), Aly Wayne (2016), Paige Lawler (2018, 2019)
  • 15 UAA Coaching Staff of the Year: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021
  • 10 Rookies of the Year
• Men
  • 10 UAA Titles: 2001, 2003, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016 (Co), 2017, 2018
  • Eight UAA Individual Titles: Michael Burnstein (2010, 2011), Kevin Sparks (2012), Drew Padgett (2013), Josh Clark (2015), David O’Gara (2016, 2017), Brad Hodkinson (2018)
  • Eight UAA Coaching Staff of the Year: 2001, 2003, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018
  • Five Rookies of the Year

Track & Field Highlights

Nationals

• Women
  • Deb Vercauteren Cross Country and Track & Field Program of the Year: 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2022-23, 2023-24
  • 2017 NCAA Division III Indoor T&F National Champions
  • 2017 NCAA Division III Outdoor T&F National Champions
  • 2024 NCAA Division III Outdoor T&F National Champions
  • 2017 USTFCCCA Indoor and Outdoor T&F Scholar Team of the Year
  • 23 Event National Championships
  • 297 All-Americans
  • 42 College Sports Communicators Academic All-Americans
• Men
  • 10 National Championships
  • 2022 Co-National Champions
  • 2022 National Scholar Team of the Year
  • 118 All-Americans
  • 25 College Sports Communicators Academic All-Americans

UAA

• Women
  • Indoor Titles: 2009, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
  • Outdoor Titles: 2009, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
  • Indoor Coaching Staff of the Year: 2009, 2012, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
  • Outdoor Coaching Staff of the Year: 2009, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
• Men
  • Indoor Titles: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023
  • Outdoor Titles: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2022
  • Indoor Coaching Staff of the Year: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023
  • Outdoor Coaching Staff of the Year: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2022