Roger S. Penske/Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame
John Covert
- Induction:
- 2005
Longtime cross country and track head coach John Covert brought a period of sustained success to Lehigh. The head coach of the cross country and track programs from 1967 to 1992, Covert led Lehigh to regional prominence on the cross country scene.
“I can't imagine a better match of coach and institution than John Covert and Lehigh - a scholar-Marine leading a team of overachieving students, molding them into athletic overachievers as well,” said Joe McVeigh ‘86, who had the opportunity to learn under Covert during his time at Lehigh. “He had high expectations of us, no doubt, and he got us to meet them not by issuing high-decibel demands, but by creating a track and field program in which initiative, self-reliance, and discipline were key to success. Those who had these qualities thrived. Probably not coincidentally, that seems to apply to pretty much everything else I've encountered later in life. It's also pretty easy to develop strong character when you are guided by a person of character.”
During his time at Lehigh, Covert’s men's cross country teams captured six ECAC championships and six IC4A titles. His men’s cross country teams posted a record of 199-99 overall, including a 23-2 mark versus rival Lafayette during his 25 years as the team's head coach.
At the same time, his coaching success carried over to the track as he coached the men's team for 25 years and the women's team for its first five years as a varsity sport. On the men's side, Covert’s squad was 98-21 overall in indoor track action and 98-47 in the spring outdoor season. Combined, they posted a 35-12 record against Lafayette. From the inception of the women's track program in 1987-88 through the end of his tenure in 1992, Covert’s women’s teams were 18-17 overall.
“As far as I am concerned, this award is as much for the athletes who participated in cross country and track over those years as it is for me,” Covert said at the time of his inauguration. “I am pleased to receive this honor on behalf of those student-athletes who worked so hard during my time at Lehigh.”
Prior to his arrival at Lehigh, Covert spent 10 years as a coach at Ossining High School in Ossining, New York, where he was also a history teacher. In his 10 seasons as head coach, Covert’s cross country teams won 10 sectional titles, seven state crowns, and twice finished as the No. 1 high school cross country team in the nation.
Once at Lehigh, Covert designed the layout for Lehigh’s Goodman Campus Cross Country Course. Regarded as one of the finest cross country courses in the nation, it has served as the host for three NCAA National
Championship meets in 1979, 1983 and 1993, as well a numerous NCAA Regional cross country meets, and the annual Paul Short Run.
Completed in the fall of 2017, the John and Carol Covert Track and Field Pavilion was opened as the first permanent structure at Lehigh’s track complex on the Goodman Campus. The building was named in honor of the longtime Lehigh track and cross country head coach and his wife, Carol.
His name is also attached to the annual John Covert
Classic indoor track meet, held annually by Lehigh since 1993 at Rauch Fieldhouse.
A 1953 graduate of Buffalo State, Covert gained international recognition as both a coach and an administrator. In 1983, he was head manager of the Select USA/The Athletes Congress track and field team in Italy and England. In 1978, he took the U.S. national junior track and field team to both the Soviet Union and Germany. A former president of the IC4A Coaches Association, Covert has also been inducted into the Buffalo State Hall of Fame.
A native of Tarrytown, New York, Covert currently resides in Bethlehem with his wife, Carol. They have three children, Ron, Sue and Kim.
An overview of Lehigh's cross country course, featuring John Covert:
John Covert talking about the design and layout of Lehigh's original cross country course:
“I can't imagine a better match of coach and institution than John Covert and Lehigh - a scholar-Marine leading a team of overachieving students, molding them into athletic overachievers as well,” said Joe McVeigh ‘86, who had the opportunity to learn under Covert during his time at Lehigh. “He had high expectations of us, no doubt, and he got us to meet them not by issuing high-decibel demands, but by creating a track and field program in which initiative, self-reliance, and discipline were key to success. Those who had these qualities thrived. Probably not coincidentally, that seems to apply to pretty much everything else I've encountered later in life. It's also pretty easy to develop strong character when you are guided by a person of character.”
During his time at Lehigh, Covert’s men's cross country teams captured six ECAC championships and six IC4A titles. His men’s cross country teams posted a record of 199-99 overall, including a 23-2 mark versus rival Lafayette during his 25 years as the team's head coach.
At the same time, his coaching success carried over to the track as he coached the men's team for 25 years and the women's team for its first five years as a varsity sport. On the men's side, Covert’s squad was 98-21 overall in indoor track action and 98-47 in the spring outdoor season. Combined, they posted a 35-12 record against Lafayette. From the inception of the women's track program in 1987-88 through the end of his tenure in 1992, Covert’s women’s teams were 18-17 overall.“As far as I am concerned, this award is as much for the athletes who participated in cross country and track over those years as it is for me,” Covert said at the time of his inauguration. “I am pleased to receive this honor on behalf of those student-athletes who worked so hard during my time at Lehigh.”
Prior to his arrival at Lehigh, Covert spent 10 years as a coach at Ossining High School in Ossining, New York, where he was also a history teacher. In his 10 seasons as head coach, Covert’s cross country teams won 10 sectional titles, seven state crowns, and twice finished as the No. 1 high school cross country team in the nation.
Once at Lehigh, Covert designed the layout for Lehigh’s Goodman Campus Cross Country Course. Regarded as one of the finest cross country courses in the nation, it has served as the host for three NCAA National
Championship meets in 1979, 1983 and 1993, as well a numerous NCAA Regional cross country meets, and the annual Paul Short Run.Completed in the fall of 2017, the John and Carol Covert Track and Field Pavilion was opened as the first permanent structure at Lehigh’s track complex on the Goodman Campus. The building was named in honor of the longtime Lehigh track and cross country head coach and his wife, Carol.
His name is also attached to the annual John Covert
Classic indoor track meet, held annually by Lehigh since 1993 at Rauch Fieldhouse.A 1953 graduate of Buffalo State, Covert gained international recognition as both a coach and an administrator. In 1983, he was head manager of the Select USA/The Athletes Congress track and field team in Italy and England. In 1978, he took the U.S. national junior track and field team to both the Soviet Union and Germany. A former president of the IC4A Coaches Association, Covert has also been inducted into the Buffalo State Hall of Fame.
A native of Tarrytown, New York, Covert currently resides in Bethlehem with his wife, Carol. They have three children, Ron, Sue and Kim.
An overview of Lehigh's cross country course, featuring John Covert:
John Covert talking about the design and layout of Lehigh's original cross country course:
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