Stephen Fleagle was named the newest full-time assistant coach for the Bears on October 14, 2024.
Fleagle came to WashU with a multitude of collegiate track and field coaching experiences, most recently serving as an assistant coach at Tufts University from September 2021 to June 2024.
Under Fleagle's tutelage, senior Yasmin Ruff captured a pair of pole vault national titles.
With the Jumbos, Fleagle oversaw year-round training for the long jump, triple jump and high jump and developed year-round speed and power training for pole vaulters. Additionally, he wrote year-round weight training for speed and power events, developed/trained throwers for mechanics and season plyometrics and organized on-campus and overnight recruiting visits.
Fleagle was also engaged in meet management as well as alumni engagement and served as the curator for Gantcher Family Sports and Convocation Center, the indoor track and field and tennis facility on campus.
Prior to that, from September 2019 to September 2021, Fleagle served as the assistant men's and women's pole vault coach at Boston University. There, he oversaw training for all pole vaulters, recruited prospective athletes and prepared for home meets.
Fleagle served as the head coach of men's and women's track and field at Luther College from August 2018 to September 2019. In his year there, he had more than 25 recruits, managed three full-time staff and one part-time coach, managed the budget, fundraising and alumni engagement, oversaw the training for the sprints, hurdles, javelin, multis and pole vault and was the meet manager for home events and local high school meets.
From September 2012 to July 2018, Fleagle was an assistant coach at fellow UAA school the University of Chicago. During his time in the Windy City, he recruited for jumps, sprints and multis, served as the strength coach for distance runners, trained jumps, short sprints, hurdles and combined events and served as the meet manager for the timing system.
Fleagle began his track and field coaching career as a graduate assistant for women's track and field at North Central, serving in that role from August 2010 to June 2012. In the role, he recruited 55 women over two years, coordinated prospective student-athlete campus visits, served as the strength coach for the women's team, did meet management for cross country, indoor and outdoor meets and helped coordinate community service opportunities.
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.
Updated July 2025
