Homepage for the 40th anniversary of NE10
In his 11th season as head coach of men’s track and field at Southern Connecticut State University, John Wallin has established himself as one of the Northeast-10’s best coaches, regardless of sport, keeping the Owls at the top of the conference hierarchy and continuing a streak of success by leading the most prestigious Division II track and field program in New England.
“I am truly honored and humbled to be recognized by the NE10 and SCSU as one of the top coaches in the NE10,” said Wallin. “I want to thank my administration for their unparalleled support and I believe these awards are achieved through the efforts of many, so I share this award with my colleagues Melissa Stoll, Brian Nill, GiGi Nixon, Joseph Caraciolo and Kade Amster. Of course, our amazing student-athletes are the true winners and all awards are achieved through their selfless efforts!”
During Wallin’s first 10 seasons, the team’s success in the NE10 has been unprecedented. The Owls have won seven NE10 men’s indoor championships, including the last four, as well as the last three NE10 outdoor championships and eight overall. Last year, the Owls scored 242.5 points at the 2020 NE10 Championships, the second-most points ever scored by a school at a conference indoor championship meet, winning by over 100 points. In the 2018–19 academic year, Wallin led the men’s cross country and indoor and outdoor teams to a victory at the conference championships, becoming the second program in the last 20 years to do so. Cross country claimed its first title in program history, and both track and field programs won as well. In addition to conference success, Wallin led Southern to one New England indoor championship and five New England outdoor championships in ten seasons.
Personally, Wallin has been named NE10 Indoor Coach of the Year eight times and NE10 Outdoor Coach of the Year another eight times. Wallin has also been named USTFCCCA East Region Indoor Coach of the Year seven times and East Region Outdoor Coach of the Year eight times.
As head coach, Wallin has coached 77 All-Americans and led Nick Lebron to the 2012 and 2014 NCAA National Championships in the heptathlon, the program’s first individual national championship since 1998. In addition, Wallin has coached four Field Athlete of the Year, one Track and Field Rookie of the Year, two Field Rookies of the Year and one Track and Field Rookie of the Year during the indoor season.
Outdoors, he has coached one Track and Field Athlete of the Year, four Field Athletes of the Year, one Track and Field Athlete of the Year, two Track Novices of the Year, one Field Novice of the Year, and one Track and Field Novice of the Year.
Wallin’s student-athletes have also excelled in the classroom. Under his leadership, 42 NE10 Academic All-Conference players have been selected, four NE10 Scholar-Athlete Sports Excellence Award winners, and two Elite 24 honorees.
Prior to becoming Southern’s head coach, Wallin served as an assistant coach for the Owls during the 2009-2010 season. That season, he was named the USTFCCCA regional assistant coach for the men’s team and helped Southern to the NE10 men’s indoor and outdoor conference championships for the first time in program history, as well as the 2010 Metropolitan Outdoor Championships.
Wallin graduated from Southern Connecticut University in 1999 and was named All-American in the decathlon as a junior and senior. He also qualified for the NCAA championships as a sophomore. As a senior, Wallin also won the conference championship in the 55-meter hurdles.
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