JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - Former Tennessee Volunteer and Hardin Valley Academy assistant coach Mike Spooner was named the new Carson-Newman cross country and distance coach on Friday, July 30.
"This is what I always wanted to do," says Spooner. "Putting in the hours and time as a high school coach, I've always had in the back of my mind 'what if I could be a college coach?' Coach Needs called and filled that 'what if' with a yes. It's an unexplainable feeling and I want to return the stellar results and continue the culture that Carson-Newman has kept up."
Spooner will take over for former Carson-Newman athlete and All-American Luke Greer who spent the previous two seasons in the same position.
"Mike is one of the most respected and highly regarded high school coaches in all of East Tennessee," says Director of Track & Field and Cross Country David Needs. "He pushes kids to compete and helped developed some of our best athletes in their high school years.
Spooner comes to Carson-Newman after spending the last four seasons as the assistanct cross country and track coach for Hardin Valley Academy in Knoxville. While coaching the Hawks, Spooner helped develop 35 All-State individuals and relay squads in indoor and outdoor track and six All-State individuals in cross country.
"Coaching with now athletic director Brian Brown at Hardin Valley helped create a great culture and a pipeline to Carson-Newman," says Spooner. "A lot of it was creating a culture and having fun but also taking care of business. We tried to prepare the kids for the next level and being able to give them the tools to succeed and see them to go to college and make the most of their careers."
Spooner assisted in coaching current Eagle track team members Jordan Hibbert and Timaya Ray while they competed at Hardin Valley. Ray made her mark instantly in her freshman season, earning the bronze medal at the 2021 SAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships with the women's 4x100 meter relay team. As a member of the 4x100 meter relay team, the squad of Ray, Morgan Bailey, Amanda Lowe and Tia Davis broke the school record in the event at the Montreat Invitational and then broke their own school record twice later in the year, finishing with a time of 47.32 seconds at the Lee Last Chance Meet. Hibbert was a member of the men's 4x100 meter relay team that set an NCAA Provisional Mark at the Lee Last Chance Meet with a time of 40.79 seconds. Hibbert was named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team after finishing the academic year with a 3.31 GPA.
Spooner held two stints as the head distance coach of Knoxville Youth Athletics and the Knoxville Track Club. Spooner coached over 30 youth athletes while with KYA, including 27 All-Americans and one national champion in the steeplechase. Spooner and KYA produced four all-state high school athletes during his time with the program.
Previously, Spooner held assistant coach experience at the college level at Lock Haven University. In his year with the Bald Eagles, Spooner assisted in coaching the men's cross country team to a national qualifying spot. LHU finished second at the 2012 NCAA Atlantic Region Championships before finishing 18th at the 2012 NCAA Division II National Championships.
During his collegiate years, Spooner competed on the cross country and track and field teams at the University of Tennessee from 2007-2011. Spooner was named to the All-SEC Freshman team in cross country in 2007. He earned All-SEC and All-South Region honors three times in his cross country career. In track & field, Spooner was a three-time SEC scorer in the 10,000 meter run and a two-time SEC scorer in the 3,000 meter steeplechase. Spooner was also a two-time national qualifier in the 10,000 meter run. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications in 2011.
"When I came down here from Northern Virginia, this area felt like home for me," says Spooner. "A lot of things that I was taught growing up in a military family are shown here and it was a perfect fit for me."
The Eagles will compete in the cross country season for the first time since 2019. During the 2019 season, the men's and women's cross country teams competed at the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional with the men finishing 14th overall and the women finishing 17th. Rachel Strayer earned All-American honors and became the first Carson-Newman women's cross country runner to compete at the NCAA Division II National Championships in 11 years.
"I want this team to trust in me," says Spooner. "This is something I really care about. I care about this team's goals and aspirations and I want them to succeed. I can feel the excitement from this team. I understand that coaching changes are hard but all I can ask from them is to trust me and I'm excited to get to work."
The Eagles will compete in four events before the 2021 SAC Cross Country Championships on Oct. 23 in Charlotte, N.C. To follow the Carson-Newman cross country and track & field teams, check out cneagles.com.
