University of Delaware Athletics
Josh Hayman Named Head Cross Country/Track & Field Coach
7/16/2024 6:30:00 PM | Women's Cross Country, Track & Field
NEWARK, Del. – A Delaware native and seven-year head coaching veteran, Josh Hayman has been named head cross country/track & field coach, Director of Athletics, Community, and Campus Recreation Chrissi Rawak announced Tuesday. Hayman will be cross country's seventh and track & field's sixth head coach in the program's history.
"It is great to welcome Josh, his wife Lindsay, and their two children Olivia and Jackson back to the 302," Director of Athletics, Community, and Campus Recreation Chrissi Rawak said. "It was very clear from the start that Josh has the experience we need to build a successful program. His energy and passion are evident along with his commitment to great student-athlete experiences."
Hayman arrives in Newark with nine years of coaching experience, most recently spending the last five years (2019-2024) at the helm of the cross country program and as an assistant coach of the track and field program at Mercer University, primarily working with the distance event group. Hayman led his teams to record-breaking achievements during his tenure, including the cross country program's highest finishes in the Southern Conference (SoCon) since Mercer joined in 2014.
"I am grateful to Director of Athletics, Community, and Recreation Chrissi Rawak and the Executive Committee for the opportunity to return to my home state and become a Blue Hen," Hayman said. "The connection I have to this community runs deep, and being entrusted with this program is a dream come true for my family. I am eager to join an athletic department that excels in fostering a culture of excellence and prioritizes the student-athlete experience. The University of Delaware is in a prime position to compete for championships and earn national recognition, all while providing exceptional academic opportunities to ensure our student-athletes have an elite overall experience. I look forward to creating experiences and setting standards that align with the mission of our program. I could not be more proud to lead the Blue Hens!"
Hayman's impact at Mercer was evident from the start. In his debut season, he led both squads to the NCAA South Regional for the first time (men's in 2014; women's in 2017), with the men's team achieving its second-fastest average 8K time in school history. On the women's side, Hayman coached Ashley McMahon to the highest individual honors at the SoCon meet for Mercer since 2014, with an 18th-place showing.
Year-by-year, Hayman saw his squad make progress, and the 2022 season was particularly notable, with 14 athletes breaking personal records. The women's team celebrated its first invitational win since 2020 at USC Upstate, while the men's team set a program record for the 10K team average and achieved a historic third-place finish at the SoCon Championship. Under Hayman's tutelage, Vlad Zander-Velloso broke school records in the 8K (24:23) and 10K (31:00), while the men's team had never finished higher than eighth before his tenure. During track season, the Bears claimed medals in three competitions at the SoCon Championships, headlined by Ariel Raggs earning the silver medal in the 400m hurdles and being named to the SoCon All-Freshman team for the 100m and 400m hurdles.
Hayman's fifth season with the cross country team proved memorable as the men's and women's cross country teams placed third and fourth, respectively, at the SoCon Championships. The men's three-peat at third place was the first in program history, and the women's finish was the highest in program history.
At the NCAA Division I South Regional Championships, the women's team finished 21st, led by NCAA All-Region honoree Kamila Soja, while the men finished 19th, with two athletes, Yianni Pothalakis and Buck Ledford, clocking two of the fastest 10K times in program history. During the track & field season, the squad finished in eighth place, with Ariel Raggs claiming her second silver medal in the 400m hurdles.
Prior to Mercer, Hayman spent two seasons serving as the head coach at Louisburg College (N.C.) (2017-19). Hayman led the program to national prominence, where the cross country and track & field programs ranked inside the top 10 nationally at the junior college level. He was named NJCAA Atlantic and Region X Coach of the Year in back-to-back years (2017-18).
Before Louisburg, Hayman spent two years (2015-17) serving as the acting head cross country and distance coach at the University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM). During his time with the Warhawks, Hayman coached several All-Sun Belt athletes in the 10,000m, 5,000m, and 1,500m, and had a top-five finisher at the Sun Belt Cross Country Championships in Elias Keter.
The Middletown, Del. native graduated from Syracuse University in 2015 with a bachelor's degree in exercise science and earned his master's degree in exercise science from ULM in 2017. Hayman ran cross country and track for the Orangemen, primarily competing in middle-distance events, culminating in an All-Big East performance in the 4x800-meter relay at the 2013 Big East Championship. The Orangemen won the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championship in 2015.
Hayman returns home to Delaware with his wife, Blue Hen cross country/track & field standout alum and 2022 Delaware Athletics Hall of Famer Lindsay Hayman (nee Prettyman).
"It is great to welcome Josh, his wife Lindsay, and their two children Olivia and Jackson back to the 302," Director of Athletics, Community, and Campus Recreation Chrissi Rawak said. "It was very clear from the start that Josh has the experience we need to build a successful program. His energy and passion are evident along with his commitment to great student-athlete experiences."
Hayman arrives in Newark with nine years of coaching experience, most recently spending the last five years (2019-2024) at the helm of the cross country program and as an assistant coach of the track and field program at Mercer University, primarily working with the distance event group. Hayman led his teams to record-breaking achievements during his tenure, including the cross country program's highest finishes in the Southern Conference (SoCon) since Mercer joined in 2014.
"I am grateful to Director of Athletics, Community, and Recreation Chrissi Rawak and the Executive Committee for the opportunity to return to my home state and become a Blue Hen," Hayman said. "The connection I have to this community runs deep, and being entrusted with this program is a dream come true for my family. I am eager to join an athletic department that excels in fostering a culture of excellence and prioritizes the student-athlete experience. The University of Delaware is in a prime position to compete for championships and earn national recognition, all while providing exceptional academic opportunities to ensure our student-athletes have an elite overall experience. I look forward to creating experiences and setting standards that align with the mission of our program. I could not be more proud to lead the Blue Hens!"
Hayman's impact at Mercer was evident from the start. In his debut season, he led both squads to the NCAA South Regional for the first time (men's in 2014; women's in 2017), with the men's team achieving its second-fastest average 8K time in school history. On the women's side, Hayman coached Ashley McMahon to the highest individual honors at the SoCon meet for Mercer since 2014, with an 18th-place showing.
Year-by-year, Hayman saw his squad make progress, and the 2022 season was particularly notable, with 14 athletes breaking personal records. The women's team celebrated its first invitational win since 2020 at USC Upstate, while the men's team set a program record for the 10K team average and achieved a historic third-place finish at the SoCon Championship. Under Hayman's tutelage, Vlad Zander-Velloso broke school records in the 8K (24:23) and 10K (31:00), while the men's team had never finished higher than eighth before his tenure. During track season, the Bears claimed medals in three competitions at the SoCon Championships, headlined by Ariel Raggs earning the silver medal in the 400m hurdles and being named to the SoCon All-Freshman team for the 100m and 400m hurdles.
Hayman's fifth season with the cross country team proved memorable as the men's and women's cross country teams placed third and fourth, respectively, at the SoCon Championships. The men's three-peat at third place was the first in program history, and the women's finish was the highest in program history.
At the NCAA Division I South Regional Championships, the women's team finished 21st, led by NCAA All-Region honoree Kamila Soja, while the men finished 19th, with two athletes, Yianni Pothalakis and Buck Ledford, clocking two of the fastest 10K times in program history. During the track & field season, the squad finished in eighth place, with Ariel Raggs claiming her second silver medal in the 400m hurdles.
Prior to Mercer, Hayman spent two seasons serving as the head coach at Louisburg College (N.C.) (2017-19). Hayman led the program to national prominence, where the cross country and track & field programs ranked inside the top 10 nationally at the junior college level. He was named NJCAA Atlantic and Region X Coach of the Year in back-to-back years (2017-18).
Before Louisburg, Hayman spent two years (2015-17) serving as the acting head cross country and distance coach at the University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM). During his time with the Warhawks, Hayman coached several All-Sun Belt athletes in the 10,000m, 5,000m, and 1,500m, and had a top-five finisher at the Sun Belt Cross Country Championships in Elias Keter.
The Middletown, Del. native graduated from Syracuse University in 2015 with a bachelor's degree in exercise science and earned his master's degree in exercise science from ULM in 2017. Hayman ran cross country and track for the Orangemen, primarily competing in middle-distance events, culminating in an All-Big East performance in the 4x800-meter relay at the 2013 Big East Championship. The Orangemen won the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championship in 2015.
Hayman returns home to Delaware with his wife, Blue Hen cross country/track & field standout alum and 2022 Delaware Athletics Hall of Famer Lindsay Hayman (nee Prettyman).
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