Joe Catania Named Assistant Track Coach
August 30, 2004 | Men's Track and Field
GREENVILLE, N.C. -- Joe Catania, who has been coaching at the collegiate level for 10 years, has joined the track and field staff at East Carolina University, according to an announcement made by Women's Track Head Coach Matt Munson. As an assistant, Catania's primary duties will be coaching the distance runners, cross country and the horizontal jumpers for both the men's and women's programs.
A native of Norristown, Pa., Catania ran college track and cross country for Millersville University while earning a bachelor's degree in Industrial Arts/Technology Education. Catania earned his master's from Nova University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. in 1982.
Before arriving at East Carolina, Catania coached a total of six years at Indiana State where he served as the cross country coach and assistant track coach. His experience also includes two years as the cross country coach at Florida International University and two seasons at Illinois State, where he coached the throws, horizontal jumps, decathlon and pole vault.
As a collegiate coach, he was named Division II Region Cross Country Coach of the Year in 1984, he has produced 13 Missouri Valley Conference Champions, 90 All-Conference performers and nine national qualifiers in track and field and cross country. He has also coached two current and six former National Football League players and two-time NCAA high jump national champion and Olympic Trials qualifier Jason Briggs.
Catania was chosen as a track and field official for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Ga. He has also served as an official for the NCAA National Championships, Pan American Games, USATF National Championships and the CARIFTA Games. He has 21 years of experience at the high school level. As a high school coach, he helped 47 athletes and teams achieve state championship honors encompassing all the events in high school track and field.
"We're tremendously excited to have Joe Catania join our staff at East Carolina," said Munson. "Joe is a terrific coach that has produced results everywhere he has coached. On top of that, Joe is the quality of person that we wanted for this position. He brings extensive knowledge of national level coaching, officiating and event management as well as the ability to produce outstanding men and women student-athletes. He alone stood out from a talented pool of applicants, and we couldn't be happier to have him as a Pirate."
