Billy Caldwell has been named head coach for the East Carolina cross country program, according to an announcement by Program Director Curt Kraft Monday. Caldwell will also serve as an assistant coach with the men's and women's track and field teams.
Caldwell arrives in Greenville following two seasons as an assistant coach at Robert Morris University.
"We are extremely excited about Billy Caldwell joining our track and field and cross country coaching staff," Kraft said. I believe that Billy is a rising star in the coaching industry. It became very evident to me and the rest of the committee how excited and passionate Billy was about this position. One of our goals is to win an American Athletic Conference championship. Billy has indicated to me that he wants to win the AAC title or at worst finish in the top three on both sides. Billy brings in a lot of experience, both as an athlete and coach at a Power Five school. I know one thing for certain - if his coaching passion matches his competitiveness, Billy will take our cross country programs to the upper levels of the AAC. I know he is ready to hit the ground running. I am confident that Coach Caldwell will provide a significant boost in helping us achieve our team goals."
During his time as an assistant coach with the Colonials, Caldwell developed and implemented training for student-athletes competing in events ranging from the 400-meter dash to the 10,000-meter while also assisting in the reinstatement of the men's cross country program.
Caldwell was instrumental in the mentoring of former Colonial Martha Gardner (2017-21), who capped her career during the 2021 outdoor season by establishing a new RMU school record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 11:12.61. That time occurred at the RMU Invitational at the P3R Track & Field Complex at the RMU Island Sports Center, which was the first home meet for the Colonials since 2014.
A 2018 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor of Science degree in exercise science, Caldwell also earned a Master of Science degree in exercise science from Pitt in 2019. He was a student-athlete for the Panthers in both cross country and track & field, qualifying for the 2018 NCAA East Regional in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Caldwell also served as team captain at Pitt during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons.
"I am grateful for Coach Kraft and the athletic department providing me this opportunity at ECU," Caldwell stated. The foundation of the program Is in place with quality coaches and student-athletes that clearly have big goals for the program. The student-athletes are just a couple of weeks away from attending practice so I will literally hit the ground running, focusing on providing a tremendous experience for them and making sure they have the training and tools to be successful at the conference and national levels. The American Athletic Conference is a tremendous league full of high-level student athletes for us to test our abilities. ECU is a phenomenal academic institution that allows the student-athletes to develop not only on the track but also life. I am very excited to get to work and chase some big goals!"
Caldwell began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Pitt in 2018-19 and was also a volunteer assistant coach with the Panthers until joining the staff at RMU. While coaching at Pitt as a volunteer he tutored two 2019 All-Mid Atlantic regional performers and helped the Panthers posted their highest finish at the regionals since 2006 as Pitt finished sixth.
In addition to his duties at Pitt, Caldwell served as a strength coach intern for UPMC Sports Performance in the summer of 2019 and also worked at Faster Performance in 2018, designing personalized workouts and training athletes with a focus on linear acceleration, speed, agility and strength.
Caldwell, a native of Downingtown, Pa., owns a USATF Level 1 certification as well as a United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) technical coaching certification.
