Marshall University Athletics
Track and Field
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- small@marshall.edu
- Phone:
- 5412
Jeff Small has served as the head cross country & track and field coach at Marshall University since July 1995.
Track & Field
The 2022 season saw five indoor records broken in the 400m (Alleyne), 1-mile (Herring), 3000m (Smith), Distance Medley Relay (Mastin, Murphy, Beckett, Smith), and Pole Vault (Goodman). Alleyne (400m) and Herring (1500m and 3000m) broke outdoor records as well in 2022. The 400mH record was broken as well by Warner.
Before the 2020 season was cut short, Small's Herd in the indoor season broke or tied three school records in the 500m (Dogan), Shuttle Hurdle Relay (Carreon, Warner, Mitchell, Robinson) and pole vault (Majoy). Three event performances earned All-Conference USA honors and the team set a new program high for points at the meet (45).
In 2018-19, the Thundering Herd had perhaps its best year since 2012-13, setting a best C-USA Indoor finish in points (43) and at the Outdoor Championships a best place and point total since 2013 (7/13, 58 points). Marshall had eight All-Conference USA performances and three qualifiers for the NCAA East Preliminary Championships, the most since 2017.
Under Small in 2017-18, five Marshall athletes at the 2018 Conference USA Indoor and Outdoor Championships made the All-C-USA team, the most since 2013. For the first time in school history, the Herd placed athletes on the All-Conference team in the hammer throw (Batson), 400m hurdles (Dogan), and 5,000m (Swann).
In 2016-17 under Small, Marshall broke or tied 14 different school records between the indoor and outdoor seasons. The Herd placed three on All-Conference USA teams, which was the most since 2015. The Herd sent three to the NCAA Regional Meet, which was the most since 2013.
In the 2012-13 outdoor season when the program took home three individual C-USA titles, placed an all-time best fifth as a team in conference, had two all-Americans and finished tied for 36th in the NCAA as a team.
It was a banner year for Marshall, which broke three indoor and 11 outdoor school records. The Herd more than doubled its previous best point total and six places better than it ever had before at the C-USA Outdoor Championships which was highlighted by the conference titles of Crystal Walker (triple jump) and Vanessa Jules (heptathlon, high jump). Both individuals went on to become first team all-Americans with Walker's fifth place finish in the long jump and Jules sixth place in the heptathlon. A school-record eight individuals were sent to the NCAA Prelims.
Marshall also had success during the 2010-11 season when Elaine Derricott, Jasia Richardson, and Vanessa Jules brought home All-Conference USA honors in the pentathlon, triple jump, and high jump events, respectively.
Small also led the team to success in 2006 when Sikeetha Shepard-Hall took second in the long jump at the Conference USA Outdoor Championship to become the first Marshall long jumper to advance to the NCAA East Regional meet. Prior to Shepard-Hall's accomplishments Erin Compton won first place in the discus throw at the Mid American Conference Championship. Compton qualified for the NCAA Championships where she went on to place eighth in 2003.
Since joining Conference USA in 2005, Small has strived to develop a program that can be a force in the ever-challenging league. Small brought in experienced coaches Willie Johnson and Lacee Carmon-Johnson during the 2009 season to help elevate Marshall to the next level, and an ascension was witnessed in the team's individual successes during the 2010-11 seasons.
Marshall and Small began capturing championships back in 1999 as a member of the MAC, when Tara Lee became the Herd's first MAC champion by winning the 60-meter hurdles at the indoor meet. In 2000, James Kneeland won the 800-meter at the Indoor Championships and B.J. Epps won the 400-meter hurdles at the outdoor meet to become Marshall's second and third MAC Champions. In 2001, Casey Batey and Erin Compton brought championship success to Marshall by winning the 3000-meter steeplechase and the discus throw, respectively, and in 2002, Casey Batey won his second MAC Championship by winning the 3000-meter steeplechase. Batey also became Marshall's first NCAA qualifier when the Herd rejoining the MAC in 1997.
In 1997, before rejoining the MAC, Small led Marshall's men's team to its first Southern Conference Indoor Championship. He was named Southern Conference Indoor Coach of the Year for his efforts, and future NFL Hall of Fame receiver, Randy Moss, was named Southern Conference Freshman of the Year after winning the 55-meter and 200-meter dashes while setting four school records in the four races (preliminaries and finals). In Small's first year at Marshall, the men produced eight All-Southern Conference performances to finish third at the Southern Conference Indoor Championships, the Herd's highest finish since 1988. Marshall had seven athletes earn All-Southern Conference honors during the outdoor season.
Cross Country
Under Small, Marshall cross country runners have earned 22 All-Conference USA honorees for performances in the top-21 at the conference meet. Most recently in 2020, Kyleigh Edwards, Abby Herring and Jacob Birurakis earned All-C-USA honors, becoming the second trio in school history to earn all-conference honors in the same season. The women's team point total of 181 was the lowest total in school history.
In 2019, Alex Minor became the fifth runner in school history to earn All-Conference USA honors in multiple seasons. Marshall men's fifth place finish at the Conference USA meet with 136 points was the best finish and point total since the conference moved to more than 10 teams.
In 2018, two men (Alex Minor and Nick Schmidt) each made the team, marking the third straight season multiple runner earned the honors. Schmidt also made the team in 2017, joined by Daniel Green who earned honors for the second season in a row.
In 2016, Green, Andrea Porter, and Adriana Cook became the first trio to all earn C-USA honors in the same season for Marshall.
2011 saw the first runner since 1979 for the Thundering Herd qualify for the NCAA National Championship meet. Matt Schiffbauer qualified for the NCAA meet for his finish at the Mid-Atlantic Regionals. Schiffbauer in all four seasons under Small earned All-C-USA honors, the only athlete in school history to do so.
Before coming to Marshall, Small was the assistant men's and women's track & field coach and head cross country coach for the University of South Carolina. From 1989-1995, Small coached one NCAA qualifier, five All-Region, four All-SEC, and 15 All-Metro Conference runners in cross country.
Small began his coaching career as the Head Men's and Women's Cross Country Coach at the Florida Institute of Technology from 1985-1988. While there, Small led the Panthers to two men's and women's Sunshine State Conference Championships.
The accomplishments of Small's athletes are not limited to the track and cross country course, however, as they have also found success in the classroom. Since Small's arrival at Marshall, the men's and women's cross country teams are perennially among the school and conference leaders in GPA. Seven cross country athletes have made the exclusive Conference USA All-Academic team, including the latest being Joel Krznaric in 2019. Abigail Short earned the honor in 2018 and was also named Conference USA's Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2018-19.
The accomplishments of Small's athletes are not limited to the track and cross country course, however, as they have also found success in the classroom. Since Small's arrival at Marshall, the women's team has led all women's teams once and surpassed the average for all women's athletes on four occasions while earning a team GPA of 3.0 or higher three times.
Small's familiarity with success stems from his background as an athlete. He competed at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo where he lettered four years in track and three years in cross country. He was a member of the 1978 and 1979 Division II National Championship cross country teams and the 1979 and 1980 Division II National Championship track and field teams. Small was a three-time NCAA Division II qualifier in the 3000-meter Steeplechase, and an All-American in 1979 when he finished third. In 1979, he was the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Champion in the Steeplechase. Small graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1981.
Small earned his USA Track & Field Level I Certification in 1994, and is a member of the United States Track Coaches Association (USTCA), the Women's Intercollegiate Cross Country Coaches Association (WICCA), and the United States Cross Country Coaches Association (USCCA).
He is married to Susan Onuska of Coral Gables, Florida. Small is the son of Richard and Beverly Small and he has two brothers, Steve and Mike, a sister, Marcia, and two children, Nicholas and Summer. Small was born April 10, 1958, in Harvey, Ill.
The indoor track at the Chris Cline Athletic Complex is named in honor of Marshall's cross country/track and field head coach.
