Men's Cross Country
Etters, Todd
Todd Etters
- Title:
- Men's Cross Country Head Coach
- Email:
- tme2@lehigh.edu
- Phone:
- 610-758-4391
- Alma Mater:
- Lehigh '02
Todd Etters ’02 is in his 17th season as the head coach of the Lehigh men’s cross country program and his 23rd season overall working with the cross country and track and field programs. Etters served as head coach for the men's track and field program in 2022-23 and spent six seasons as an assistant coach for the men's and women's cross country teams before becoming head coach of the men's team in 2008.
In 2023, the Mountain Hawks extended their win streak over rival Lafayette to 24. In addition, the Mountain Hawks placed fifth at the Patriot League Championships and hosted the Mid-Atlantic Regional. The Mountain Hawks received their first-ever Patriot League Rookie of the Year award winner in Thomas Smigo and had two athletes make the All-Patriot League team (Smigo First Team, Aidan Lynch Second Team).
The 2021 cross country season was highlighted by a 22nd straight dual meet victory over Lafayette. The Mountain Hawks finished fifth at the Patriot League Championships, with fifth-year Seth Slavin leading the way individually. Slavin went on to become a third team CoSIDA Academic All-American in his final season in the brown and white.
In the 2021-22 track and field season, Etters helped mentor Kyle Burke to one of the finest campaigns in program history. Burke’s senior campaign included seven school records, three Patriot League titles, an IC4A title and an appearance at the NCAA East Preliminaries. Etters also coached the Patriot League championship-winning indoor Distance Medley Relay team and guided the 4x800 relay team to an outdoor IC4A championship.
In 2017-18, Etters coached Lehigh to a ninth place finish at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals, which were hosted on Lehigh’s Goodman Campus Course. Senior Patrick Reilly placed fifth overall to earn All-Region honors and qualified for the NCAA Championships in Louisville, Ky. Reilly also graduated with a 4.0 cumulative GPA and became the program’s first-ever First Team Academic All-American. On the track, Etters coached Victor Yegon to a Patriot League title in the 3,000m steeplechase and a berth to the NCAA First Round prelims.
In 2016, Etters guided Lehigh to a fourth place finish at the Patriot League Championships, where two of his runners earned Second Team All-Patriot League honors. During the season, the team climbed to as high as No. 6 in the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional rankings, and posted a perfect score of 15 for the third straight season at the Lehigh-Lafayette dual meet. The team landed 12 student-athletes on the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll and junior Patrick Reilly was named Academic All-League for the second straight year. The squad earned an All-Academic Team distinction from the USTFCCCA after posting a team GPA of 3.22 during the fall semester. As an assistant for the track team, Etters mentored Evan Hardy to a third place finish in the 10K at the PL Outdoor Championships.
In 2015, Etters helped lead Lehigh to a fourth place finish at the Patriot League Championships, where sophomore Patrick Reilly earned second team all-league honors. The team also added an 11th place finish at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals at Princeton. Under Etters’ guidance, the men’s cross country program had 12 student-athletes named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll and the team was named an All-Academic Team by the USTFCCCA. During the regular season, the Mountain Hawks captured perfect scores of 15 points twice in victories at the Lehigh Invitational and the Lehigh-Lafayette dual meet.
Under Etters’ guidance in 2014 the Mountain Hawks saw their highest-ever finisher at the NCAA Championship race as Ryan Mahalsky finished in 46th place. Lehigh finished ninth as a team at NCAA Regionals and finished sixth at the Patriot League Championships.
Etters guided Lehigh to a successful season in 2013 and coached the Patriot League Runner of the Year Tyler Mueller. Mueller won the league championship race and went on to become Lehigh’s highest-ever finisher at the NCAA Championship race in Terre Haute, Ind. The Mountain Hawks hit many impressive milestones during the 2013 season, including a seventh place finish at NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals to claim the highest finish in Lehigh history. The Mountain Hawks finished in second place at the Patriot League Championships, just two points behind first-place Navy. Mueller and Ryan Mahalsky were also named All-Region.
Strong in the classroom as well, the 2013 squad landed 20 student-athletes on the Patriot League academic honor roll, more than any other league squad. The team earned USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honors, as did Mueller, the only league student-athlete to garner the recognition. Etters also mentored CoSIDA Academic All-District member Ryan Knouse and Academic All-Patriot League member Evan Hardy.
In 2012, Etters led the Mountain Hawks to their first-ever Patriot League Championship as Lehigh edged Navy by just two points in Hamilton, N.Y. Three Mountain Hawks finished in the top ten individually, led by junior Jimmy Miller, who finished fourth overall; and four runners earned All-Patriot League honors, with sophomore Ryan Mahalsky (fifth), junior Tyler Mueller (seventh) and junior Sam Bernitt (12th) joining Miller. For his efforts, Etters was named Patriot League Coach of the Year. Lehigh’s 2012 squad also won the season-opening Lehigh Invitational, defeated rival Lafayette and posted an impressive ninth-place finish at the Paul Short Run. The Mountain Hawks finished eighth at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Qualifier. Off the trail, Mueller was named to the Academic All-Patriot League team, while 15 runners were named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll.
In 2011, Etters' team had 11 student-athletes placed on the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll. The Mountain Hawks finished 11th at the Regionals and third at the Patriot League Championships. Lehigh also had a stellar outing at the Paul Short Run, placing 20th; the Mountain Hawks' best finish since finishing 15th in 2008.
After losing seven varsity letter winners from the 2008 team, the 2009 team came into the season with a lot to prove. The men defeated Lafayette for the 11th straight year and ultimately finished fourth in the Patriot League and 15th in the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship. They were led by All-Patriot League performers, sophomore Evans Kosgei (2nd place) and senior Doug Ridyard (11th place). Kosgei also recorded the highest ever finish in the current NCAA Regional format by finishing in 17th place and is also Lehigh’s first ever recipient of the Patriot League Scholar Athlete Award.
In addition to the team's success on the course, the men's cross country team has fared well in the classroom, earning USCCCA Academic All-American Team honors in each of the past eight seasons. The 2009 team also set a new team academic record by earning a 3.41 GPA, the highest ever by a men’s athletic team. This was highlighted by 10 team members making it onto the Dean’s List and 17 earning Patriot League Honor Roll status.
During his first season as head coach Etters led the Mountain Hawk men to a ninth place finish in the Mid-Atlantic Region, their 10th consecutive victory over archrival Lafayette in the annual dual meet, a top-five finish at the prestigious Iona Meet of Champs and the program’s highest Patriot League finish since 1999. In addition Etters mentored three All-Patriot League selections in Ben Lampi, Jon Wetzel and Evans Kosgei. Wetzel later went onto earn All-Region distinction, while earning the highest ever Lehigh finish in the current regional format by finishing in 20th place.
Prior to taking over as head men’s track and field coach, Etters served as the middle distance and distance coach for the men’s program.
Etters became Lehigh's first-ever full time assistant coach for cross country in 2005, an appointment that was made possible in part thanks to the generosity of Lehigh Penske Hall of Fame member Murray H. Goodman ’48. In October 2004, Goodman pledged a $5 million gift to the Athletics Department as part of the university-wide "Shine Forever: The Campaign for Lehigh" fundraising effort. In 2008 Etters also served as the Mid-Atlantic Regional Representative. His duties included ranking teams on the regional and national level, as well as attending the USATF national convention to discuss issues on the sport.
Etters earned a social psychology degree from Lehigh and was captain of the men’s team during his senior year. His wife Edann ’03 is a former volunteer assistant coach with the men’s and women’s programs and is a former Patriot League Champion in the steeplechase. Currently Todd and Edann reside in Coopersburg with their five children.
In 2023, the Mountain Hawks extended their win streak over rival Lafayette to 24. In addition, the Mountain Hawks placed fifth at the Patriot League Championships and hosted the Mid-Atlantic Regional. The Mountain Hawks received their first-ever Patriot League Rookie of the Year award winner in Thomas Smigo and had two athletes make the All-Patriot League team (Smigo First Team, Aidan Lynch Second Team).
The 2021 cross country season was highlighted by a 22nd straight dual meet victory over Lafayette. The Mountain Hawks finished fifth at the Patriot League Championships, with fifth-year Seth Slavin leading the way individually. Slavin went on to become a third team CoSIDA Academic All-American in his final season in the brown and white.
In the 2021-22 track and field season, Etters helped mentor Kyle Burke to one of the finest campaigns in program history. Burke’s senior campaign included seven school records, three Patriot League titles, an IC4A title and an appearance at the NCAA East Preliminaries. Etters also coached the Patriot League championship-winning indoor Distance Medley Relay team and guided the 4x800 relay team to an outdoor IC4A championship.
In 2017-18, Etters coached Lehigh to a ninth place finish at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals, which were hosted on Lehigh’s Goodman Campus Course. Senior Patrick Reilly placed fifth overall to earn All-Region honors and qualified for the NCAA Championships in Louisville, Ky. Reilly also graduated with a 4.0 cumulative GPA and became the program’s first-ever First Team Academic All-American. On the track, Etters coached Victor Yegon to a Patriot League title in the 3,000m steeplechase and a berth to the NCAA First Round prelims.
In 2016, Etters guided Lehigh to a fourth place finish at the Patriot League Championships, where two of his runners earned Second Team All-Patriot League honors. During the season, the team climbed to as high as No. 6 in the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional rankings, and posted a perfect score of 15 for the third straight season at the Lehigh-Lafayette dual meet. The team landed 12 student-athletes on the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll and junior Patrick Reilly was named Academic All-League for the second straight year. The squad earned an All-Academic Team distinction from the USTFCCCA after posting a team GPA of 3.22 during the fall semester. As an assistant for the track team, Etters mentored Evan Hardy to a third place finish in the 10K at the PL Outdoor Championships.
In 2015, Etters helped lead Lehigh to a fourth place finish at the Patriot League Championships, where sophomore Patrick Reilly earned second team all-league honors. The team also added an 11th place finish at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals at Princeton. Under Etters’ guidance, the men’s cross country program had 12 student-athletes named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll and the team was named an All-Academic Team by the USTFCCCA. During the regular season, the Mountain Hawks captured perfect scores of 15 points twice in victories at the Lehigh Invitational and the Lehigh-Lafayette dual meet.
Under Etters’ guidance in 2014 the Mountain Hawks saw their highest-ever finisher at the NCAA Championship race as Ryan Mahalsky finished in 46th place. Lehigh finished ninth as a team at NCAA Regionals and finished sixth at the Patriot League Championships.
Etters guided Lehigh to a successful season in 2013 and coached the Patriot League Runner of the Year Tyler Mueller. Mueller won the league championship race and went on to become Lehigh’s highest-ever finisher at the NCAA Championship race in Terre Haute, Ind. The Mountain Hawks hit many impressive milestones during the 2013 season, including a seventh place finish at NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals to claim the highest finish in Lehigh history. The Mountain Hawks finished in second place at the Patriot League Championships, just two points behind first-place Navy. Mueller and Ryan Mahalsky were also named All-Region.
Strong in the classroom as well, the 2013 squad landed 20 student-athletes on the Patriot League academic honor roll, more than any other league squad. The team earned USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honors, as did Mueller, the only league student-athlete to garner the recognition. Etters also mentored CoSIDA Academic All-District member Ryan Knouse and Academic All-Patriot League member Evan Hardy.
In 2012, Etters led the Mountain Hawks to their first-ever Patriot League Championship as Lehigh edged Navy by just two points in Hamilton, N.Y. Three Mountain Hawks finished in the top ten individually, led by junior Jimmy Miller, who finished fourth overall; and four runners earned All-Patriot League honors, with sophomore Ryan Mahalsky (fifth), junior Tyler Mueller (seventh) and junior Sam Bernitt (12th) joining Miller. For his efforts, Etters was named Patriot League Coach of the Year. Lehigh’s 2012 squad also won the season-opening Lehigh Invitational, defeated rival Lafayette and posted an impressive ninth-place finish at the Paul Short Run. The Mountain Hawks finished eighth at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Qualifier. Off the trail, Mueller was named to the Academic All-Patriot League team, while 15 runners were named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll.
In 2011, Etters' team had 11 student-athletes placed on the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll. The Mountain Hawks finished 11th at the Regionals and third at the Patriot League Championships. Lehigh also had a stellar outing at the Paul Short Run, placing 20th; the Mountain Hawks' best finish since finishing 15th in 2008.
After losing seven varsity letter winners from the 2008 team, the 2009 team came into the season with a lot to prove. The men defeated Lafayette for the 11th straight year and ultimately finished fourth in the Patriot League and 15th in the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship. They were led by All-Patriot League performers, sophomore Evans Kosgei (2nd place) and senior Doug Ridyard (11th place). Kosgei also recorded the highest ever finish in the current NCAA Regional format by finishing in 17th place and is also Lehigh’s first ever recipient of the Patriot League Scholar Athlete Award.
In addition to the team's success on the course, the men's cross country team has fared well in the classroom, earning USCCCA Academic All-American Team honors in each of the past eight seasons. The 2009 team also set a new team academic record by earning a 3.41 GPA, the highest ever by a men’s athletic team. This was highlighted by 10 team members making it onto the Dean’s List and 17 earning Patriot League Honor Roll status.
During his first season as head coach Etters led the Mountain Hawk men to a ninth place finish in the Mid-Atlantic Region, their 10th consecutive victory over archrival Lafayette in the annual dual meet, a top-five finish at the prestigious Iona Meet of Champs and the program’s highest Patriot League finish since 1999. In addition Etters mentored three All-Patriot League selections in Ben Lampi, Jon Wetzel and Evans Kosgei. Wetzel later went onto earn All-Region distinction, while earning the highest ever Lehigh finish in the current regional format by finishing in 20th place.
Prior to taking over as head men’s track and field coach, Etters served as the middle distance and distance coach for the men’s program.
Etters became Lehigh's first-ever full time assistant coach for cross country in 2005, an appointment that was made possible in part thanks to the generosity of Lehigh Penske Hall of Fame member Murray H. Goodman ’48. In October 2004, Goodman pledged a $5 million gift to the Athletics Department as part of the university-wide "Shine Forever: The Campaign for Lehigh" fundraising effort. In 2008 Etters also served as the Mid-Atlantic Regional Representative. His duties included ranking teams on the regional and national level, as well as attending the USATF national convention to discuss issues on the sport.
Etters earned a social psychology degree from Lehigh and was captain of the men’s team during his senior year. His wife Edann ’03 is a former volunteer assistant coach with the men’s and women’s programs and is a former Patriot League Champion in the steeplechase. Currently Todd and Edann reside in Coopersburg with their five children.
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