Beth Alford-Sullivan - Men's Track and Field Coach - University of Connecticut Athletics

Beth Alford-Sullivan

Title:
Director of Track & Field and Cross Country
Email:
elisabeth.alford-sullivan@uconn.edu

Since being named Director of Track & Field and Cross Country, Coach Beth Alford-Sullivan has achieved significant success at UConn.

In just three seasons at the helm, Alford-Sullivan has led the Huskies to sweeping both BIG EAST indoor and outdoor championships on the men's and women's side. In the 2025 indoor season, Alford-Sullivan was named the USTFCCCA Northeast Region Men's Coach of the Year, with five Huskies on the men's side being crowned BIG EAST Champions and 19 earning all-BIG EAST honors. Coach Alford-Sullivan and the UConn staff coached both Kyle Johnson and Marc Morrison into the NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Champions, both taking home second team All-America honors. On the women's side, Alford-Sullivan's leadership saw 18 all-BIG EAST selections and 5 BIG EAST Champions. Coach Alford-Sullivan and the Huskies dominated the 2025 outdoor season, with the men's side being ranked as high as #19 in the nation, the highest ranking in program history. Alford-Sullivan led UConn to another dual sweep of the outdoor BIG EAST Championships, crowning 12 more BIG EAST Champions and securing 41 all-BIG EAST Selections. Alford-Sullivan and the UConn coaching staff took home both men's and women's BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year in the 2025 indoor and outdoor season. Alford-Sullivan coached 19 athletes to the NCAA Division I First Round, and four NCAA Championship qualifiers. Throughout Coach Alford-Sullivan's tenure, 13 athletes have earned spots in the NCAA Track Championships.

In the fall 2024 women's cross country season, Alford-Sullivan guided Chloe Thomas in a legendary season that saw her claim the BIG EAST Women's Cross Country Championship, and the NCAA Northeast Regional Individual Championship. Under Alford-Sullivan's direction, Thomas, Jenna Zydanowicz, and Caroline Towle were all named to the NCAA All-Region team, with Thomas and Zydanowicz qualifying for the NCAA Cross Country Championships, where Thomas earned first team all-American honors, finishing 8th in the country.

Under the leadership of Sullivan in 2024, the Huskies had 21 medalists at the BIG EAST championships, eight athletes in the NCAA Division I First Round, and two NCAA Championship qualifiers. In 2024, Sullivan received the distinctive honor of being named Northeast Region Men's and Women's Coach of the Year. Under Sullivan's leadership, the Huskies have won 4 BIG EAST Team Titles. UConn has had significant individual success, achieving a staggering 179 BIG EAST Individual Medals and 57 BIG EAST Individual Champions.

Beth Alford-Sullivan was named the Director of Track & Field and Cross Country at the University of Connecticut in 2022, announced by director of athletics David Benedict on Friday, July 15. Alford-Sullivan becomes the second director of track & field/cross country since the men's and women's programs were combined in 2019, succeeding Greg Roy who retired after 37-years at UConn.

"I am thrilled to be named the director and head coach of the UConn track and field/cross country program," stated Sullivan. "I would like to thank athletic director David Benedict, deputy director Annie Fiorvanti, the entire athletic department staff and hiring committee for this opportunity. During this hiring process I had the opportunity to speak with the University President, Board of Trustee members and alumni, all of whom impressed me with their commitment, passion, and belief in the success of the UConn student-athletes, their coaches and their leaders. I have been impressed with David's leadership of the athletic department, and his impact in moving UConn athletics forward in all sports is evident on campus and across the nation."

Sullivan comes to Storrs from the University of Tennessee off her eighth season as the director of track & field and cross country in 2021-22. Her men's team finished third at both the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships while she was honored as the USTFCCCA South Region Men's Coach of the Year after the indoor season. Their third place finish at the outdoor championship and the team's combined indoor and outdoor results were the program's best finishes since the 2002 season. The men also finished third at the SEC Outdoor Championship, their best showing since the 2008 season. On the women's side, the Lady Vols were 16th at the NCAA Indoor Championship and finished sixth at the SEC Indoor Championship. In just 2022 alone, her teams finished the indoor and outdoor seasons collecting 24 NCAA All-American honors.

"We're extremely excited to have been able to recruit somebody with the wealth of experience, track record of success and, most importantly, the passion and desire to develop young people on and off the track," commented Benedict. "Coach Sullivan is well positioned to sustain and build on the tremendous history of success that Coach Roy built over his 37-year career."

"I am honored and excited to work for an Athletic Director that is committed to the UConn values of winning with great people, great academics, and great competition. UConn has an impressive history in our sport and to follow in Coach Roy's footsteps is also an honor. He has done an amazing job combining the two teams into one program and retiring with championship trophies in the sport for both genders. I look forward to bringing home more BIG EAST titles and continuing to stretch the program forward to an NCAA presence. My husband Jim and I are excited for our move to the UConn community and beginning our time as UConn Huskies."

When Sullivan was tabbed to lead the men's and women's programs in 2014, she became the first woman to lead a men's program in any sport in SEC history. Regarded as the 'original trailblazer', she also became the first-ever female head coach of a men's Power 5 track & field program in 2006, when she was named program director at Penn State.

Eight of Sullivan's Tennessee teams have earned top-10 NCAA team finishes while the program has claimed eight NCAA individual championships, 34 SEC individual championships, 100 SEC medals and 176 All-American honors during her eight seasons on Rocky Top. Since arriving at Tennessee in 2014, Sullivan sent seven student-athletes to the Olympics.

In the past eight years, 54 school records have fallen under Sullivan's tutelage in Knoxville. 2017 Bowerman Award winner Christian Coleman has four Tennessee records to his name, while six-time All-American Stamatia Scarvelis leads the Lady Vols with three program standards during Sullivan's tenure.

The Tennessee cross country program saw steady improvement under her direct guidance. In 2018, the men's team tabbed their best SEC (4th) and NCAA Regional (3rd) finishes since 2002 and 2010. In 2019, the Lady Vols posted their best conference (4th) and regional (3rd) outings since 2009.

In the classroom, the Tennessee track & field program has garnered marked academic success over the past eight seasons. Both squads have set program records for highest team GPA, with Sullivan's athletes racking up 51 USTFCCCA All-Academic Individual honors in addition to 147 SEC Academic Honor Roll certificates.

Prior to her tenure at Tennessee, Sullivan spent 15 seasons at Penn State, including eight as the director and head coach of a combined men's and women's program. Sullivan originally joined Penn State in the fall of 1999 as head coach of the women's track and field program.

Under her leadership at Penn State, the program produced 158 All-Americans, nine Big Ten team titles, 88 Big Ten individual champions, 19 Big Ten Champion relays, and four individual NCAA champions. The Nittany Lions also won one NCAA Champion relay, one Big Ten "Triple Crown," eight Big Ten Championship records, and five Big Ten Athletes of the Year.

Excellence in the classroom was also a staple under Sullivan at Penn State, as the women's team earned United States Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches' Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic honors in each of her 14 seasons. In 2010, they were named the USTFCCCA Scholar Team of the Year. The Nittany Lions also piled up numerous All-Big Ten academic honors.

Sullivan joined Penn State after five seasons at Stanford, where she coached more than 30 NCAA All-American athletes and one NCAA individual champion as the women's coordinator for the Cardinal track program. Sullivan was also the head coach at Mankato State from 1993-95 and an assistant at Southeast Missouri State from 1991-93. She graduated with a degree in social work in 1989 from the University of Minnesota, where she competed in cross country and track and field, serving as captain of the cross country team from her sophomore through her senior seasons.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT COACH SULLIVAN

Vin Lananna – President of USA Track and Field and Director of Track & Field/Cross Country, University of Virginia

"Beth Alford-Sullivan is a wonderful hire for the University of Connecticut. Greg Roy did an outstanding job for decades and Beth's leadership will be felt for the next decade."

Marcus O'Sullivan – Head Coach – Men's Track & Field/Cross Country, Villanova University

"Beth will do a wonderful job at UConn. She has a wealth of experience that she brings to the table. I first met Beth when she was on the committee for National Coach of the Year. With all that she has experienced over her career, I know she will do great things at UConn."

Mike Holloway – Head Coach – Men's and Women's Track & Field/Cross Country, University of Florida

"Beth Alford-Sullivan is a proven leader. She has a championship pedigree and will instantly instill a championship attitude into the UConn track and field and cross country programs. Proven Coach. Proven Leader. Proven Winner."

COACHING EXPERIENCE

1991-93: Southeast Missouri State, Assistant

1993-95: Mankato State, Head Coach

1995-99: Stanford, Women's Coordinator

1999-2006: Penn State, Women's Team Head Coach

2006-2014: Penn State, Director of Track and Field/Cross Country

2014-2022: Tennessee, Director of Track and Field/Cross Country

2022-present: UConn, Director of Track and Field/Cross Country

BY THE NUMBERS

14 NCAA Individual Champions

300+ All-American Honors

34 Coach of the Year Awards