Missouri Western’s first-ever head coach for the men’s and women’s cross country and track and field teams was hired in August 2016. The teams will begin competing in fall 2017.
Coach Marc Bierbaum
Marc Bierbaum, who was an assistant women’s cross country and track coach at the University of Nebraska Omaha, was selected from a pool of more than 100 candidates. Prior to UNO, he had served as the head men’s and women’s cross country coach and assistant track coach at Dana College, in Blair, Nebraska.
“We’re very excited to have Marc lead our new programs,” said Kurt McGuffin, director of athletics. “Marc’s enthusiasm really stood out and I think that will be a great attribute as he starts these programs.”
At UNO, Bierbaum coached 36 all-conference performers and helped the Mavericks break 13 school records. At Dana, he coached a national champion in outdoor track and field, three national qualifiers in cross country, 17 national qualifiers in indoor track and field, 20 national qualifiers in outdoor track and field, two All-Americans in indoor track and field, and 43 all-conference selections. He also saw eight school records fall.
“Everyone that was involved in the process, everyone I’ve met, the campus, it’s all amazing. I can’t think of a better place to start a program,” Bierbaum said when he was hired.
Bierbaum, a 2001 Dana College graduate, was a two-time national qualifier as a marathoner for the Dana track team and a 1999 national qualifier in cross country.
“Marc has a proven record of success at this level and knows the Midwest. We were really impressed by his knowledge of the area and the MIAA, along with his strategies for building a program that Missouri Western can be proud of,” McGuffin said.