Under the steady hand of
Mark Schuck the men’s cross country and track and field teams have become one of the most dominant sports at Minnesota State University, the region and in the nation.
Under his 34-year tenure as head cross country coach (his first season was 1979-80), Schuck’s teams won nine North Central Conference cross country titles (1981, 1988, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1999, 2004, 2005 and 2006). A nine-time league Cross Country Coach of the Year (eight times in the NCC, once in the NSIC), Schuck was named the North Central Regional Men’s Coach of the Year in 1988 and 1999. Schuck led the Mavericks to their first-ever NCAA Division II cross country title in 1988 when the team tied with Edinboro University for the national championship.
Including 2012, under Schuck the Mavericks have made 25 appearances at the NCAA cross country meet and have posted 16 top ten finishes. National meet results for MSU year-by-year are located
HERE.
A Nicollet, Minn., native, Schuck has also served as head coach of the MSU men’s track and field program for 15 years. He has had four national individual champions during his tenure, including four-time high jump champion and NCAA indoor record holder
Jim Dilling. He picked-up
NCC Indoor Coach of the Year accolades in 2004, 2006 and 2008 and NSIC ITF Coach of the Year honors in 2009, 2010 and 2012. Also in 2006, 2009 and 2010, he was selected as the North Central Regional Indoor Men’s TF Coach of the Year. He is also a four-time league Outdoor TF Coach of the Year (2008 in the NCC, 2009, 2010 and 2012 in the NSIC). His indoor track & field team finished second in the nation in 1989.
Schuck is a two-time national coach of the year (2006 USTFCCCA NCAA Division II Men's Indoor Track Coach of the Year and 1988 NCAA DII Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year).
As a MSU student-athlete, Schuck participated in cross country, track and field and basketball before graduating in 1969. He began his coaching career at Mankato Wilson High School, where he also served as the athletic director for eight years.
Schuck and his wife, Jane, have two married daughters, Angie and Kelly.
