Marc J. Harrison Named New Track & Field/Cross-Country Coach

Washington, DC-- University of the District of Columbia Athletics Director Dr. Harold M. Merritt has announced the appointment of Marc J. Harrison as Compliance Coordinator, Men’s and Women’s Cross-Country Head Coach, and Women’s Indoor/Outdoor Track and Field Coach. The appointment became effective June 1, 2006.

 Merritt said " I am particularly excited about Coach Harrison’s coming not only because it marks the increase of UDC’s athletics sports offerings from eight varsity programs to ten, with the addition of women’s indoor and women’s outdoor track and field teams, but also because of the outstanding qualifications that he brings to the positions. His appointment enables UDC to comply with the NCAA mandate requiring Division II schools to have at least 10 varsity sports by the 2006-2007 season."

Marc Harrison comes to UDC from Bowie State University where he was track and field head coach. Coach Harrison built a powerful track and field program at Bowie, having the most successful program in the school’s history and three-times receiving the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (CIAA) Coach of the Year Award. He was the only track and field coach in the BSU history to win the Women’s track and field CIAA Championship.

Harrison has received other distinguished athletic awards through the years, including being named 2006 Regional Coach of the Year, 2004 CIAA Women’s Indoor Coach of the Year and the 2005/2006 CIAA Women’s Outdoor Coach of the Year. Also among his many achievements at Bowie is that he coached 16 students to CIAA Championships, 35 NCAA All-Americans and placed 39 student-athletes on the Athletic Honor Roll.

Originally brought to Bowie as the football wide receivers coach, he later coached in a CIAA Football Championship Game. A couple of his former student-athletes went on to play professional football in the NFL. While at Bowie, Coach Harrison also served as assistant athletic director, director of compliance, professor of feshman seminar, weight lifting and conditioning coach and advisor to Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. He was also one of the founders of the Bulldog Varsity Christian Fellowship and received multiple Community Service Awards from area Boys and Girls Clubs.

Harrison, a native of Woodbury, New Jersey, earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from Bucknell University in 1992. At Buckell he was a three-year starter at wide receiver on the Bison football team. He also ran track and was a member of three Patriot League championship teams. Harrison left Bucknell on the top performance list in the 55m, 100m, 300 yd dash, 4x100m and 4x400m. He is married to the former Barbara Willis, and they are the parents of two children, three-year old daughter Maya and eight month-old son Marc Jr.