Southeastern begins search for new track and field, cross country head coach

HAMMOND, La. – Southeastern Louisiana University is searching for a new head track and field and cross country head coach, SLU Director of Athletics Jay Artigues announced Tuesday.

SLU will be replacing Corey Mistretta, who resigned to pursue other professional opportunities. Assistant coach Michael Rheams will serve as the interim head coach during the search process.

“We thank Coach Mistretta for the excellent job he did with our track and field and cross country programs,” Artigues commented. “He was not only a great coach, but an outstanding mentor for our student-athletes. We wish Corey and his family the best in the future. We’re focused on finding our next coach who can guide our student-athletes to excellence in the classroom, in the community and in competition.”

During his five-year tenure, Mistretta was the 2020 Southland Conference Men’s Indoor Track Coach of the Year and the 2021 Southland and Louisiana Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year after leading the Lions to conference championships. A Lion letter winner from 1984-87, Mistretta returned to his alma mater in 2015 as an assistant under former head coach Sean Brady.

“Coming back to Southeastern, the school that gave me so much as a student-athlete, was a dream come true,” Mistretta commented. “As a young high school coach, I never imagined I would have an opportunity to coach in college.”

Under Mistretta’s leadership, 15 Southeastern student-athletes earned All-American honors, most recently Kristian Jackson in the women’s shot put earlier this month, and 58 school records were broken.

“Winning the (2020 Southland) indoor championship will be something I will always remember,” Mistretta commented. “We had student-athletes on that team that truly believed and we were able to accomplish that goal, as well as winning the 2021 cross country championship.”

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